Bulgarian is one of the oldest languages in Europe, with a rich history spanning over 1,300 years. It is the official language of Bulgaria and is spoken by more than 9 million people worldwide. Bulgarian is a Slavic language similar to Russian, Serbian, and Macedonian, but it has unique characteristics that make it both fascinating and challenging to learn.
If you’re looking to build your language skills, this guide is for you. It will help you learn the basics, from Bulgarian vocabulary to sentence structures to common words and phrases in daily life. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of Bulgarian everyday language. Also, I have bonus tips and tricks to make your language-learning journey fun and engaging, so let’s get started!
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The Diversity Of Bulgarian Vocabulary
Bulgarian vocabulary has its own set of words (83%), as well as “foreign” and “loan” words (17%) that are borrowed from other languages, including Russian, French, and, to a lesser extent, English, Greek, Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, and others. This is pretty common these days for many other languages.
This happens because of the rich history of Bulgaria when it was in contact with these other countries. Examples of these loanwords are: “a thousand” – hilyada (хиляда) from Latin, “grammar” – gramatika (граматика) from Latin, “thank you” – mersí (мерси) from French, “sock” – chorap (чорап) from Turkish, “quilt” – yurgan (юрган) from Turkish, “bye” – cháo (чао) from Italian, “happiness” – shtastie (щастие) from Russian, “establishment” – zavedenie (заведение) from Russian, and so on.
Basic Bulgarian Vocabulary
Starting with the most common words and phrases is a great way to begin your Bulgarian language journey. Try to learn these simple thematic words that can be used in daily conversations and are essential for basic communication. It is a great way to start feeling more comfortable when listening to music, speaking with natives, or if you want to read a book, newsletter, etc. So, I’m going to share with you the fastest way to memorize and master your fluency in basic vocabulary in minutes!
Greetings In Bulgarian
As we have said many times, Bulgarians welcome warm people, so all you need to say is “Hello” – Zdraveĭ (Здравей) or the more colloquial and easy “Hi” – Zdrasti (Здрасти). But there are some other situations and phrases, so let’s see.
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo/Hi | Hello/Hi | Zdraveĭ/ Zdarsti |
| Hello | Привет | Privet |
| Hey | Хей | Heĭ |
| Welcome | Добре дошъл | Dobre doshul |
| Good Welded | Добре Заварил | Dobre Zavaril |
| Good morning | Добро утро | Dobro utro |
| Good afternoon | Добър ден | Dobur den |
| Good evening | Добър вечер | Dobur Vecher |
| Bye | Чао | Chao |
| Goodbye | Довиждане | Dovizhdane |
| See you soon/See you later/See you | Доскоро | Doskoro |
Essential Vocabulary For Social Interactions
After we meet someone and say “hi,” it can feel awkward if we don’t know how to continue the conversation. Knowing how to express ourselves plays a crucial role in interacting with others.
Firstly, it would be great to know Bulgarian pronouns well. Then, you can move on to some of the often-used words and phrases that you are more likely to use in daily conversations. They will help you connect with others and build relationships.
Basic Words And Phrases
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Да | Da |
| No | Не | Ne |
| Thank you | Благодаря | Blagodarya |
| Please | Моля | Molya |
| Excuse me | Извинете | Izvinete |
| Sorry | Съжалявам | Sazhalyavam |
| Of course | Разбира се | Razbira se |
| I don’t understand | Не разбирам | Ne razbiram |
People And Family Vocabulary
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Friend | Приятел | Priyatel |
| Family | Семейство | Semeystvo |
| Mother | Майка | Maĭka |
| Father | Баща | Bashta |
| Brother | Брат | Brat |
| Sister | Сестра | Sestra |
| Grandmother | Баба | Baba |
| Grandfather | Дядо | Dyado |
Common Verbs And Expressions
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Like | Харесвам | Haresvam |
| Love | Обичам | Obicham |
| Understand | Рабирам | Razbiram |
| Do | Правя | Pravya |
| Go | Отивам | Otivam |
| Come | Идвам / ела | Idvam / ela |
| Eat | Ям | Yam |
| Drink | Пия | Piya |
| Sleep | Спя | Spya |
| Read | Чета | Cheta |
| Write | Пиша | Pisha |
| Speak | Говоря | Govorya |
| Listen | Слушам | Slusham |
| Watch | Гледам | Gledam |
| Have | Имам | Imam |
| I meet… | Срещам се със… | Sreshtam se sus… |
| I train… | Тренирам… | Treniram… |
Small Talk Phrases
| English sentence | Bulgarian sentence | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What is your name? | Kак се казваш. | Kak se kazvash? |
| How are you? | Как си? | Kak si? |
| I am good. | Добре съм. | Dobre sam. |
| What are you doing? | Какво правиш? | Kakvo pravish? |
| You look great! | Изглеждаш чудесно. | Izglezhdash chudesno. |
| Are you from here? | Oттук ли сте? | Ottuk li ste? |
| Where are you from? | Откъде сте? | Otkude ste? |
| It’s very hot! | Много е горещо! | Mnogo e goreshto! |
| Good for you! | Браво на теб! | Bravo na teb! |
| That’s great! | Това е страхотно! | Tova e strahotno! |
| How much does it cost? | Колко струва? | Kolko struva? |
| Can you help me? | Може ли да ми помогнете? | Mozhe li da mi pomognete? |
Numbers In Bulgarian
Counting, ordering in a restaurant, or recognizing the time are things you’ll face every day, so it is good to pay attention to the numbers, too.
| English Number | Bulgarian Number | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| One | Едно | Edno |
| Two | Две | Dve |
| Three | Три | Tri |
| Four | Четири | Chetiri |
| Five | Пет | Pet |
| Six | Шест | Shest |
| Seven | Седем | Sedem |
| Eight | Осем | Osem |
| Nine | Девет | Devet |
| Ten | Десет | Deset |
| Eleven | Единадесет | Edinadeset |
| Twelve | Дванадесет | Dvanadeset |
| Thirteen | Тринадесет | Trinadeset |
| Fourteen | Четиринадест | Chetirinadeset |
| Fifteen | Петадесет | Petnadeset |
| Sixteen | Шестнадесет | Shestnadeset |
| Seventeen | Седемнадесет | Sedemnadeset |
| Eighteen | Осемнадесет | Osemnadeset |
| Nineteen | Деветнадесет | Devetnadeset |
| Twenty | Двадесет | Dvadeset |
| Twenty-one | Двадесет и едно | Dvadeset i edno |
| Twenty two | Двадесет и две | Dvadeset i dve |
| Twenty-three | Двадесет и три | Dvadeset i tri |
| Twenty-four | Двадесет и четири | Dvadeset i chetiri |
Understanding Bulgarian Time And Dates
Being able to talk about time and dates is an essential part of daily life. Imagine you make plans to see someone and go grab a coffee, or you want to go to the theatre. Here’s some vocabulary to get you started:
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Днес | Dnes |
| Tomorrow | Утре | Utre |
| Yesterday | Вчера | Vchera |
| Hour | Час | Chas |
| Minute | Минута | Minuta |
| Day | Ден | Den |
| Week | Седмица | Sedmitsa |
| Month | Месец | Mesets |
| Year | Година | Godina |
| Calendar | Календар | Kalendar |
| Clock | Часовник | Chasownik |
An important note to remember is that Bulgaria uses the 24-hour clock. If you tell someone, for example, 3 PM or 11 AM, they may not understand you. This is especially true for older people; younger ones have an understanding of and interaction with the 12-hour clock.
However, you need to be prepared because if you ask someone the time or watch a TV ad, it will more formally announce that the movie will be shown at 20:00, for example.
Dining Out In Bulgarian
Eating out is a great way to practice and improve your Bulgarian. Whether you’re ordering Bulgarian food or asking for the bill, these useful phrases will come in handy:
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | Меню | Menu |
| Bill | Сметка | Smetka |
| Table | Маса | Masa |
| Garden | Градина | Gradina |
| Outdor | На открито | Na otkrito |
| I want | Искам | Iskam |
| Cheers | Наздраве | Nazdrave |
Food And Drinks
| English word | Bulgarian Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | Хляб | Hlyab |
| Water | Вода | Voda |
| Milk | Мляко | Mlyako |
| Coffee | Кафе | Kafe |
| Tea | Чай | Chay |
| Wine | Вино | Vino |
| Cheese | Сирене | Sirene |
| Meat | Месо | Meso |
| Fish | Риба | Riba |
| Egg | Яйце | Yaytse |
| Fruit | Плод | Plod |
| Vegetable | Зеленчук | Zelenchuk |
| Sugar | Захар | Zahar |
| Salt | Сол | Sol |
Navigating Phrases
Getting around Bulgaria will be easier when you know some basic words and phrases related to directions and transport like:
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Ляво | Lyavo |
| Right | Дясно | Dyasno |
| This way | Натам | Natam |
| Down the street | Надолу по улицата | Nadolu po ulitsata |
| In front | Пред | Pred |
| Behind | Зад | Zad |
| Next to | До | Do |
| Taxi | Такси | Taksi |
| Bus | Автобус | Avtobus |
| Train | Влак | Vlak |
| Subway | Метро | Metro |
| Station | Гара | Gara |
| Where is … | Къде е… | Kude e… |
| How to find… | Как да намеря… | Kak da namerya… |
| In which way is … | В коя посока е… | V koya posoka e … |
Bulgarian Vocabulary For Emergencies
Knowing the right vocabulary can be crucial in an emergency. Learning these words ensures you can respond appropriately in urgent situations:
| English word | Bulgarian word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help | Помощ | Pomosht |
| Doctor | Лекар | Lekar |
| Fire | Пожар / Огън | Pozhar / Ogun |
| Hospital | Болница | Bolnitsa |
| Ambulance | Линейка | Lineĭka |
Bonus: Tips And Tricks For Fast Learning
- Create a Theme List: To build a broader vocabulary, it’s helpful to create lists of words related to specific themes, such as colors, numbers, or days of the week. Regularly reviewing and expanding these lists will help you improve your language skills and track your progress.
- Track Your Learning Time: It is important to keep track of your learning progress to stay motivated. You can use language learning apps to monitor your achievements.
- Listening and Watching: Listening is a vital part of learning any language. To improve your Bulgarian vocabulary, try immersing yourself in Bulgarian media or using the Ling app, which offers interactive lessons, vocabulary exercises, and real-life dialogues.
How Do You Say “Vocabulary” In Bulgarian?
In Bulgarian, the word “Vocabulary” translates as Leksika (Лексика).
FAQs About Bulgarian Vocabulary
1. How Many Words Does Bulgarian Have?
Bulgarian has more than 200,000 words.
2. What Is The Longest Word In Bulgarian?
The longest word in Bulgarian has 39 letters: neprotivokonstitutsionstvuvatelstvuvayte (непротивоконституционствувателствувайте). It was introduced in the 1947 Constitution of Bulgaria (Dimitrov Constitution) and can be translated as “do not act against the constitution.”
3. What Are The Most Challenging Aspects Of Learning Bulgarian?
The Bulgarian language is quite difficult to learn for many foreigners because of its grammar. Things like definite articles, cases, gender of nouns, and sentence structures are some of the most commonly described as difficult things to learn in the Bulgarian language.
Summary
Daily life in Bulgaria can be very colorful, and the language is complex. However, with good practice, you can learn Bulgarian well and expand your basic vocabulary. Remember to have fun initially and be confident that you will find common ground with everyone.
Happy learning!
