Bulgarian Grammar All In One: Basic Concepts You Must Know

Bulgarian, as one of the oldest Slavic languages, is known for its rich history and colorfulness. If you’re learning Bulgarian grammar or simply have an interest in this fascinating language, you’re in the right place! Today we’ll walk through the basics of Bulgarian grammar and some general rules in formating a clear speech. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to brush up on your skills, I’ve got you covered. Let’s begin!

What Is Bulgarian Grammar?

As we have said many times, Bulgarian is a beautiful language with a rich vocabulary and challenging grammar. But foreigners are often confused by its complex features, such as different ways of formatting plural words, exceptions to the rules, or the article’s position at the end of words, which is very different from most other languages, where it is before the word or separate from it.

Another interesting thing for foreigners about Bulgarian grammar is that there is a possibility of interchanging parts of speech when constructing a sentence, whereas, in some other languages (German, English….), this is not allowed and even leads to changing the meaning of the sentence.

Also, there are other interesting things to note when speaking about Bulgarian grammar, like the change of the place of certain consonants, the occasional double “t,” and other intriguing rules. And when it comes to cases and falls, we don’t have falls, only remains of them.

Yeah, I know it seems a bit difficult, but like I said, I’ve got you covered. With resources like the Ling app, you’ll have the chance to practice a lot and enhance your Bulgarian language skills.

Until then, I will break down all those things we mentioned and explain their specifics so you can see how easy it can be when you have some native help.

Let’s take a look at the basics of Bulgarian grammar!

Bulgarian Gender – Noun Formatting

The Bulgarian language is sometimes confusing for non-Bulgarian speakers when it comes to grammar and gender.

Every Bulgarian noun has a specific grammatical gender – masculine, feminine, and neuter. So, in Bulgarian language the juice is masculine, the ball is feminine, and the mirror is neutral. However, don’t be afraid. It is actually easy to understand the gender of nouns. Let’s take a close-up.

Masculine Nouns

Masculine nouns can be recognized easily because they typically end in a consonant. For example:

• TV – televisor (телевизор)
• Tomato – domat (домат)
• Builder – stroitel (строител)

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns usually end in vowel letters like “-a” (-a) or “-я” (-ya). For example:

• Squirrel – kateritsa (катерица)
• Woman – zhena (жена)
• Mountain – planina (планина)

However, some feminine nouns end in a consonant, but most of them are abstract ones like:

• Spring – prolet (пролет)
• Confidence – uverenost (увереност)
• Night – nosht (нощ)

These cases lead to some confusing moments when we article them.

Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns also often end in vowel letters like “-o” (-o) and “-e”(-e), or “-y”(-u), “и”(-i), and “ю”(-yu). Examples are:

• Mirror – ogledalo (огледало)
• Bike – kolelo (колело)
• Flower – tsvete (цвете)

Bulgarian Definite Articles

Bulgarian is the only Slavic language that possesses the category of definiteness.

The definite article in Bulgarian grammar is a morpheme that is added at the end of words, after all other morphemes, including the ending, and this makes it very difficult for foreigners.

While in English we say “the table” when we refer specifically to it, in Bulgarian, we put the definite article at the end of the word, like “masa-ta” (маса-та).

Types Of Definite Articles

In Bulgarian grammar, the articles depend on and are determined by the gender and number of the word. For example:

Masculine Nouns Articles

Most often masculine words are articled with “-a” (-a) short-form, “-ът” (-ut) long-form, “-я” (-ya) short-form, and “-ят” (-yat) long-form.

Example:

Chair – the chair -> stol – stol-a (стол – стола-а) -> stol – stol-ut (стол – стол-ът). *Long-form is used when the word is the subject of the sentence, i.e., doer of the action.

Feminine Nouns Articles

The feminine words are articled with -“та” (-t). It sounds simple until you meet words that end in a consonant like “spring” – prolet (пролет). In this case, we have a double “t”.

Example:

Apple – the apple -> yabulka – yabulka-ta (ябълка – ябълка-та); spring – the spring -> prolet – prolet-ta (пролет – пролет-та).

Neuter Nouns Articles

All the neuter words take the article -“to” (-то).

Example:

Dog – the dog -> kuche – kuche-to (куче – куче-то).

Plural Nouns Articles

Plural words are pluralized with the articles -ta or -te depending on their ending.

Words that end with “-a” (-a) or “-я” (-ya) accept the article “-ta.”

Example:

Glasses – the glasses -> ochila – ochila-ta (очила – очила-та);

All other words that don’t end with “-a” (-a) or “-я” (-ya) accept the article “-te.”

Example:

Bags – the bags -> chanti – chanti-te (чанти – чанти-те).

Bulgarian Adjectives

In Bulgarian grammar, the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it is appended to and is usually put before it.

For example:

• Green book – zelena kniga (зелена книга) – book is feminine, so the adjectives take its characteristics and end in “-a” (-a);
• Handsome man – krasiv muzh (красив мъж) – man is a masculine gender, so the adjectives take its characteristics and end in consonant.
• Fast running – burzo bqgane (бързо бягане) – running is a neuter gender, so the adjectives take its characteristics and end in “-o” (-o).

Bonus tip: In Bulgarian grammar, the comparative and the superlative forms are formed with the (hyphenated) prefixes “по-” (po-) and “най-” (naĭ-) respectively.

For example:

• Faster player – po-burziq igrach (по-бързия играч);
• The biggest cup – naĭ-golyamota chasha (най-голямата чаша)

*Do you remember the definite article? Well, here you can see how adjectives accept even the articles from the nouns. This is called gender-number agreement.

Bulgarian Pronouns

In Bulgarian grammar, a pronoun is any word that can replace names (nouns, adjectives, numerals), indicate various objects and their attributes, or ask about them. In short, a pronoun is a substitute word, so it is very important to know how to use it.

There are several types of pronouns in Bulgarian grammar, each with a different grammatical function. They also vary in form and change according to gender, number, and case.

We classify them into 10 types, some of which divide into other subtypes like:

1. Personal Pronouns – They change their form based on the nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), and dative (indirect object) cases.
2. Possessive Pronouns – They indicate ownership and agree with the noun they modify in terms of gender, number, and definiteness.
3. Reflexive Personal Pronouns – They indicate actions that the subject performs on itself.
4. Reflexive Possessive Pronouns – They indicate the ownership between the subject and the object of the sentence.
5. Demonstrative Pronouns – They indicate a specific object or group.
6. Interrogative Pronouns – They are questioning words.
7. Relative Pronouns – They connect clauses or phrases.
8. Direct And Indirect Object (Indefinite) Pronouns – They’re usually used for generalizations, to express uncertainty, or to refer to unknown or unspecified entities.
9. Negative Pronouns – They indicate that something doesn’t exist, whether it’s a person, object, or thing.
10. General Pronouns – They apply to everyone in a particular group or category.
    
    

It’s important to understand these variants if you want to use Bulgarian grammar correctly. You can check these detailed materials for Bulgarian Pronouns for more clarity.

Bulgarian Plural Form

Once you’ve mastered the gender of Bulgarian nouns, it’s time to deal with their plurals. It’s confusing because we have changes in letter order when we form the plural word. When it comes to English, for example, it’s as simple as adding one “s.” or “es.” But in Bulgarian grammar, there is not just one letter that we can put on every word.

Plural ending is most often affected by gender and the last letter of the infinitive word. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Masculine Noun Endings

We add the following endings to masculine nouns to make them plural: “-и”(-i) or “-ове”(-ove). For example:

• To the word “builder” – stroitel (строител), we add “-i” (-и), and it becomes “builders” – stroitel-i (строители).
• To the word “bridge” – most (мост), we add “-ove” (-ове), and it becomes “bridges” – most-ove (мостове).

But the changes that I mention come with words like this:

• Foreigner ->  foreigners — chuzhdenets -> chuzhdentsi (чужденец->чужденци). Do you see how that last “e” disappeared? That’s what I mean when I say they sometimes change.

Look at this, too:

• Wind -> winds — vyatŭr -> vetrove (вятър->ветрове). The whole word changed. “я” (ya) became “e” (e), one letter disappeared, and then a masculine plural ending was added.

There are other cases where we add endings like “-е” (-e), “-а”(-a), “-я”(-ya), or “-ища”(-ishta) to make the plural forms. Also, after the words kolko (колко) – “how many” and nyakolko (няколко) – “several” are used nouns with the second plural form and endings “-a” (а) or “-ya” (я).

Feminine Noun Endings

With feminine nouns, rules are a little different and easier. You only have to replace the “-a” (-a) or “-я” (-ya) with “-и” (-i). For example:

• In the word “woman” – zhena (жена), we replace “-a” (-a) with “-i” and it becomes “women” – zhen-i (жени).
• In the word “land” – zemya (земя), we replace “-я” (-ya) with  “-i” and it becomes “lands” – zem-i (земи).

Neuter Noun Endings

When it comes to the plural form of neuter nouns, there are some specifics.
If the noun ends with “–o” (-o), ” –це”(-tse), or “–ще”(-shte), we replace with “–a”(-a):

• In the word “school”  – uchilishte (училище), we replace the “e” (е) in “–ще”(-shte) with “–a”(-a) and it becomes “schools” – uchilisht-a (училища).

If nouns ending with “-ие” (-ie), we replace the final “-e” (-e)  with “-я” (-ya):

• In the word “event” – subitie (събитие), we replace “-e” (-e) with “-я” (-ya), and it becomes “events” –subitiya (събития).

If the nouns ending with “–e”(-e), “–че”(-che), “–ле”(-le), or if they are foreign words ending in “– и”(-i), “–у”(-u), or “–ю”(-yu), we add “–тa”(-ta):

• To the word “brooklet” – potoche (поточе), we add “–тa”(-ta), and it becomes “brooklets” – potoche-ta (поточета).
• To the word “drawer” – chekmedzhe (чекмедже), we add “–тa”(-ta), and it becomes “drawers” – chekmedzhe-ta (чекмеджета).

Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, so the best way to master them is through practice and exposure to the language. So, if you want to enhance your language skills, you can take a look at Bulgarian nouns more closely in the Ling blog. Now, let’s continue.

Bulgarian Verbs

Bulgarian verbs are the backbone of Bulgarian grammar and the basis of the syntax. Their forming is affected by the number and gender of the nouns to which they refer. Their three signs are:

Person

In Bulgarian grammar, when verbs are formed, they take the appropriate ending depending on the gender of the noun. For example:

• First-person: The person who speaks – “I like to write.” – Az obicham da pisha. (Аз обичам да пиша.) ― ends in “-m” (-м);
• Second person: The person being spoken to – “Do you like to write?” – Ti obichash da pishesh? (Ти обичаш ли да пишеш?) ― ends in “-sh” (-ш);
• Third person: The person being talked about – “He likes to write.” – Toĭ obicha da pishe. (Той обича да пише.) ― ends in “-a” (-а).

Number

Just like with the gender of the noun, when verbs are formed, they coordinate with their number. In Bulgarian grammar, the verb takes the appropriate ending.

For example:

• Singular (one person): “I love pizza.” – Az obicham pizza. (Аз обичам пица.) ― ends in “-m” (-м);
• Plural (many persons: “We love pizza.” – Nie obichame pizza. (Ние обичаме пица.) ― ends in “-me” (-мe)

Tenses

There are nine verb tenses in Bulgarian grammar, so you can imagine how many variations they can have, right? They are:

1. Present Simple tense – for actions that are happening at the moment of speaking, for facts or habits;
2. Past Aorist (Past tense) – for things that happened at a specific point in the past;
3. Past Imperfect – for actions that started in the past but we don’t know when it stopped;
4. Present Perfect – for actions that happened in the past but without specifying the exact time;
5. Past Perfect – for actions that happened before another past action;
6. Future tense – for future actions and intentions;
7. Future-In-The-Past – for actions that were meant to be completed in the past but were actually done in the future in relation to another past action;
8. Future Perfect (Futurum Secundum Exactum) – for actions that are to take place in the future before another future action.
9. Future-In-The-Past Perfect – past action that is before a past action, which itself is the future with respect to another past action.

You can look at Bulgarian verbs in more detail in the Ling blog.

The Finishing Touches: Bulgarian Adjectives, Adverbs, And More

As we said in the beginning, all parts of the language are interconnected, so if you want to master Bulgarian grammar, you have to pay attention to the cosmetic but essential parts like adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. We took a look at some of them and for more details about others, you can check the Ling blog.

Sentence Structure – Word Order

It’s time to put all these parts of speech into a sentence!

Bulgarian is a pretty flexible language, which is one of the things I love it! It has a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, but it also has the possibility of interchanging parts of speech without affecting the main meaning and context.

Let’s see some examples:

• S (Subject) + V (Verb) + O (Object)+ А (Adjunct)

The bird began to sing a song loudly. – Птичката запя песен силно. (Ptichkata zapya pesen silno.)

• S (Subject) + V (Verb) + А (Adjunct) + O (Object)

The bird began to sing loudly a song. – Птичката запя силно песен. (Ptichkata zapya silno pesen)

• A ( Adjunct) + S (subject) + V (Verb) + O (Object)

Loudly, the bird began to sing a song. – Силно птичката запя песен. (Silno, ptichkata zapya pesen.)

• O (Object) + S (Subject) + V (Verb) + А (Adjunct)

Song, the bird began to sing loudly. – Песен, птичката запя силно. (Pesen, ptichkata zapya silno.)

All of these variations are correct and often used in daily speech. You can do this with literally any sentence. Isn’t it cool?

How Do You Say “Grammar” In Bulgarian?

In Bulgarian, the word “grammar” is translated as “граматика” (gramatika).

FAQ’s About Bulgarian Grammar

1. Is Bulgarian Grammar Easy?

Many foreigners think Bulgarian grammar is complex, but with good practice, everything is possible, right?

Try to speak with someone to decide whether Bulgarian is hard to learn.

2. What Is The Sentence Structure Of Bulgarian Grammar?

Bulgarian grammar has a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, but it also allows for variations to show emphasis and style. It’s a pretty flexible language, which is amazing!

3. How Many Verb Tenses Does Bulgarian Have?

We have nine tenses in Bulgarian grammar: Present Simple, Past Aorist (Past Tense), Past Imperfect, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Tense, Future-In-The-Past, Future Perfect (Futurum Secundum Exactum), Future-In-The-Past Perfect.

Quick note: Only the first seven tenses are typically taught in school, so don’t stress if you don’t recall all of them.

Summary

Learning Bulgarian and its grammar doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you find the right resources and tools for you, practice consistently, and engage in conversations, you will make significant progress. So, dive into Bulgarian grammar today and unlock the full potential of your language-learning journey!