заповядай/заповядайте
Here You Are and Come in
Say Заповядай! or Заповядайте! when you hand something over ("Here you are"), invite someone in ("Come in, please") or let them speak ("Go ahead").
How It Works
Three everyday uses
- Handing something over: Заповядайте, кафето ви. — Here is your coffee.
- Inviting in or to sit: Заповядай, влез! — Come in, please! Заповядайте на масата. — Please come to the table.
- Letting someone speak or ask: — Извинете, имам въпрос. — Заповядайте! ("Excuse me, I have a question." — "Go ahead!")
In shops you will often hear Заповядайте, какво ще обичате? ("Hello, what would you like?"). An invitation to an event also uses it: Заповядайте на рождения ми ден. (Please come to my birthday party.)
Choosing the form
Match the words around it to the same person: Заповядай, влез! (ти) and Заповядайте, влезте! (Вие). See Familiar Ти and Polite Вие. Both forms are imperatives (see The Imperative).
Not the same as "you're welcome"
When someone says Благодаря, the usual reply is моля ("You're welcome"), not заповядай.
Examples (6)
- Заповядайте, кафето ви.
Here is your coffee.
Word by Word: Please-take, coffee-the your.
A waiter hands something over politely.
- Заповядай, влез!
Come in, please!
Word by Word: Please, come-in!
To a friend: заповядай goes with the ти-form влез.
- Заповядайте, седнете.
Please have a seat.
Word by Word: Please, sit-down.
To Вие: заповядайте goes with the Вие-form седнете.
- — Може ли една салфетка? — Заповядайте.
"Could I have a napkin?" "Here you are."
Word by Word: — Can question-particle one napkin? — Here-you-are.
- Заповядайте, какво ще обичате?
Hello, what would you like?
Word by Word: Please, what will you-like?
A common way for a shop assistant to greet a customer.
- Заповядайте на рождения ми ден в събота.
Please come to my birthday party on Saturday.
Word by Word: Please-come to birthday-the my day on Saturday.
Заповядайте на … invites someone to an event.
Common Mistakes
Mixing the polite заповядайте with a familiar verb.
Заповядайте, влез!Заповядайте, влезте!Both words must address the person the same way. Заповядайте goes with влезте; заповядай goes with влез.
Using the singular form for a group (a number mismatch).
Заповядай, деца, вечерята е готова!Заповядайте, деца, вечерята е готова!When you speak to more than one person, use заповядайте.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The two forms mirror the ти/Вие distinction.
Related Patterns
- The Imperative
Заповядай and заповядайте are imperative forms.
Level 2 - моляPlease and You Are Welcome
Моля is the reply to thanks; заповядай is said when you give or offer something.
Level 1 - благодаря/мерсиSaying Thank You
Someone who hears заповядайте usually answers благодаря.
Level 1 - здравей/здравейтеSaying Hello
Like здравей/здравейте, the -те form is for Вие or several people.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice заповядай/заповядайте in Bubblegum
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