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Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.

However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day around the world!

Table of Contents

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day
2. Bulgarian Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day
3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody
4. How Can BulgarianPod101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?
5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Bulgarian - Testing New Technology

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day

Do you want to know how to say April Fools’ Day in Bulgarian? Well, there are millions of ways and words, but here are the top one million Bulgarian words you really need to know! Simply click this link. Here are some of them you will find useful:

1. joke - шегувам се - sheguvam se
2. funny - смешен - smeshen
3. surprise - изненадвам - iznenadvam
4. sneaky - подъл - podal
5. prankster - калпазанин - kalpazanin
6. prank - лудория - ludoriya
7. lie - лъжа - lazha
8. humor - хумор - humor
9. fool - глупак - glupak
10. deceptive - лъжлив - lazhliv
11. April 1st - Първи април - Pyrvi april
12. play a joke - правя номер - pravya nomer

2. Bulgarian Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day

Don’t limit yourself to practical jokes - use these April Fools’ phrases in Bulgarian to prank your favorite Bulgarianfriend or colleague!

1. I learned Bulgarian in 1 month.
   • Научих български за 1 месец.
   • Nauchih balgarski za 1 mesets.
2. All classes for today got canceled.
   • Всички учебни часове за днес са отменени.
   • Vsichki uchebni chasove za dnes sa otmeneni.
3. I’m sorry, but I’ve just broken your favorite pair of glasses.
   • Съжалявам, но без да искам току-що счупих любимите ти очила.
   • Sazhalyavam, no bez da iskam toku-shto schupih lyubimite ti ochila.
4. Someone has just hit your car.
   • Някой току-що удари колата ти.
   • Nyakoy toku-shto udari kolata ti.
5. I’m getting married.
   • Ще се женя.
   • Shte se zhenya.
6. You won a free ticket.
   • Спечелихте безплатен билет.
   • Spechelihte bezplaten bilet.
7. I saw your car being towed.
   • Видях да вдигат колата ти.
   • Vidyah da vdigat kolata ti.
8. They’re giving away free gift cards in front of the building.
   • На входа раздават безплатни ваучери за подарък.
   • Na vhoda razdavat bezplatni vaucheri za podarak.
9. A handsome guy is waiting for you outside.
   • Отпред те чака един привлекателен господин.
   • Otpred te chaka edin privlekatelen gospodin.
10. A beautiful lady asked me to give this phone number to you.
    • Една красива дама ме помоли да ти дам този телефонен номер.
    • Edna krasiva dama me pomoli da ti dam tozi telefonen nomer.
11. Can you come downstairs? I have something special for you.
    • Можеш ли да слезеш долу? Имам нещо специално за теб.
    • Mozhesh li da slezesh dolu? Imam neshto spetsialno za teb.
12. Thank you for your love letter this morning. I never could have guessed your feelings.
    • Благодаря ти за твоето любовно писмо тази сутрин. Никога не бих се досетила за чувствата ти.
    • Blagodarya ti za tvoeto lyubovno pismo tazi sutrin. Nikoga ne bih se dosetila za chuvstvata ti.

Choose your victims carefully, though; the idea is to get them to laugh with you, not to hurt their feelings or humiliate them in front of others. Be extra careful if you choose to play a prank on your boss - you don’t want to antagonize them with an inappropriate joke.

3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody

Right, now that you know the top million April Fools’ words in Bulgarian, let’s look at some super pranks and tricks to play on friends, colleagues and family. Some April Fools ideas never grow old, while new ones are born every year.

Never joke in such a way that it hurts anyone, or humiliates them badly in front of others - the idea is for everybody to laugh and enjoy the fun! Respect is still key, no matter what day of the year it is.

1- Infestation

This trick is so simple, yet so creepy, it’s almost unbelievable. Take black paper, cut out the silhouette of a giant cockroach, a spider or another insect, and stick it inside the lampshade of a table lamp. When the lamp is switched on, it will look like a monstrous insect is sitting inside the lampshade. Or, get a whole lot of realistic-looking plastic insects, and spread them over a colleague’s desk and chair, or, at home, over the kids’ beds etc. Creep-factor: stellar.

2- Which One Doesn’t Fit?

Put the photo of a celebrity or a notorious politician in a frame, and take it to work on April Fools’ Day. Hang the photo on the staff picture wall, and wait. You’ll be surprised how long it can take for people to notice that one picture doesn’t fit.

3- Something Weird in the Restroom

At work, replace the air freshener in the restroom with something noxious like insect killer, oven cleaner or your own odious mixture in a spray bottle. Be sure to cover the bottle’s body so no one suspects a swap.

Or paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, and leave it at the hand wash basin. It will not lather.

Or, if your workplace’s restroom has partitioned toilets with short doors, arrange jeans or trousers and shoes on all but one of the toilet covers, so it looks like every stall is occupied. Now wait for complaints, and see how long it takes for someone to figure out the April Fools’ Day prank. You’ll probably wish you had a camera inside the restroom. But, unless you don’t mind getting fired, don’t put your own recording device in there!

4- Call Me Funny

Prepare and print out a few posters with the following instructions: Lion Roar Challenge! Call this number - XXX XXXXXXX - and leave your best lion’s roar as voicemail! Best roarer will be announced April 10 in the cafeteria. Prize: $100. (Lion’s roar is just an example; you can use any animal call, or even a movie character’s unique sound, such as Chewbacca from Star Wars. The weirder, the funnier. Obviously!) Put the posters up in the office where most of the staff is likely to see them. Now wait for the owner of the number to visit you with murderous intent. Have a conciliatory gift ready that’s not a prank.

5- Minty Cookies

This is another simple but hugely effective prank - simply separate iced cookies, scrape off the icing, and replace it with toothpaste. Serve during lunch or tea break at work, or put in your family’s lunch boxes. Be sure to take photos of your victim’s faces when they first bite into your April Fools’ cookies.

6- Wild Shopping

At your local grocer, place a realistic-looking plastic snake or spider among the fresh vegetables. Now wait around the corner for the first yell.

7- The Oldest Trick in the Book

Don’t forget probably the oldest, yet very effective April Fools’ joke in the book - smearing hand cream or Vaseline on a door handle that most staff, family or friends are likely to use. Yuck to the max!

8- Sneeze On Me

Another golden oldie is also gross, yet harmless and utterly satisfying as a prank. Fill a small spray bottle that you can easily conceal with water. Walk past a friend, colleague or one of your kids, and fake a sneeze while simultaneously spraying them with a bit of water. Expect to be called a totally disgusting person. Add a drop of lovely smelling essential oil to the water for extra confusion.

9- Word Play Repairs

Put a fresh leek in the hand wash basin at home or work, and then tell your housemates or colleagues this: “There’s a huge leak in the restroom/bathroom basin, it’s really serious. Please can someone go have a look?!” Expect exasperation and smiles all around. Note that this prank is only likely to work where people understand English well.

10- Scary Face

Print out a very scary face on an A4 sheet of paper, and place it in a colleague’s, or one of your kid’s drawers, so it’s the first thing they see when they open the drawer. You may not be very popular for a while.

11- Wake Up To Madness

Put foamy shaving cream, or real whipped cream on your hand, and wake your kid up by tickling their nose with it. As long as they get the joke, this could be a wonderful and fun way to start April Fools’ Day.

12- Computer Prank

This one’s fabulous, if you have a bit of time to fiddle with a colleague, friend or your kid’s computer. It is most effective on a computer where most of the icons they use are on the desktop background itself (as opposed to on the bottom task bar).

Take and save a screenshot of their desktop with the icons. Set this screenshot as their background image. Now delete all the working icons. When they return to their computer, wait for the curses when no amount of clicking on the icons works.

13- Monster Under the Cup

This one will also work well anywhere people meet. Take a paper cup, and write the following on it in black pen: “Danger! Don’t lift, big spider underneath.” Place it upside-down on prominent flat surface, such as a kitchen counter, a colleague’s desk or a restaurant table. Expect some truly interesting responses.

14- Prank Door

Write in large letters on a large and noticeable piece of paper: PUSH. Tape this notice on a door that should be pulled to open, and watch the hilarious struggle of those clever souls who actually read signs.

4. How Can BulgarianPod101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?

If you happen to visit Bulgaria, or if you work for any Bulgarian company, knowing the above Bulgarian prankster phrases can really lighten up your day. Showing you have a sense of humor can go a long way to cement good relationships in any situation. These phrases are at your disposal for free, as well as are these 100 core Bulgarian words, which you will learn how to pronounce perfectly.

Also, don’t stop at learning April Fools’ phrases in Bulgarian - bone up your Bulgarian language skills with these FREE key phrases. Yes, BulgarianPod101 doesn’t joke when it comes to effective, fun and easy learning.

Now, as a bonus, test our super-learning technology, and learn the Top 1000 most useful phrases in Bulgarian below! But that’s not all. Read on to learn how you can be eligible for large enrollment discounts at BulgarianPod101.

5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Bulgarian - testing new technology

Help us by being a language guinea pig! Listen to this video above with embedded cutting-edge, frequency-based learning technology that enables you to learn large amounts of data in record time.

• Note: This technology is in beta-phase of development, and we invite your input for fine-tuning.
• To participate: Watch the video for instructions, and leave a comment to rate it. Your comment will make you eligible for large enrollment-fee discounts. To watch the video, please click the play button.

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Learn all the Bulgarian New Year wishes online, in your own time, on any device! Join BulgarianPod101 for a special Bulgarian New Year celebration!

Can you relate to the year passing something like this: “January, February, March - December!”? Many people do! Quantum physics teaches us that time is relative, and few experiences illustrate this principle as perfectly as when we reach the end of a year. To most of us, it feels like the old one has passed in the blink of an eye, while the new year lies ahead like a very long journey! However, New Year is also a time to celebrate beginnings, and to say goodbye to what has passed. This is true in every culture, no matter when New Year is celebrated.

So, how do you say Happy New Year in Bulgarian? Let a native teach you! At BulgarianPod101, you will learn how to correctly greet your friends over New Year, and wish them well with these Bulgarian New Year wishes!

Table of Contents

1. How to Celebrate New Year in Bulgaria
2. Must-Know Bulgarian Words & Phrases for the New Year!
3. Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions in Bulgarian
4. Inspirational New Year Quotes
5. Inspirational Language Learning Quotes
6. How To Say Happy New Year in 31 Languages
7. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian

But let’s start with some vocabulary for Bulgarian New Year celebrations, very handy for conversations.

1. How to Celebrate New Year in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, like most places around the world, “New Year’s Day” or Nova godina, represents a new start and a cause for grand celebration. Whether at their homes or at a raucous party, Bulgarians ring in the New Year by eating well, drinking abundantly, and watching the spectacular fireworks.

Now before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question?

Why do Bulgarians tap each other’s back with “decorated cornel branches,” or survachka, during the New Year’s ritual known as survakane?

If you don’t already know, keep reading! The answer will be revealed at the end!

The New Year’s celebration begins on the eve of the last day of the year, December 31. Parties and gatherings take place in the “central city square” or ploshtad in cities across Bulgaria. Heading to bigger cities, like Plovdiv, Varna, or the capital Sofia, is a popular way to celebrate. However, Bulgarians most often welcome the New Year at “home,” or vkashti. For many Bulgarians, New Year’s represents a time for family and tradition. Food is an important part of this tradition.

The most typical food for the holiday is the “New Year pastry with lucky charms” - banitsa s kasmeti. According to the tradition, small objects symbolizing health and longevity are placed inside the banitsa. For example, the cornel twig with buds on it symbolizes health and longevity.

Instead of charms, however, it’s becoming more and more popular to make banitsa with wishes written on little pieces of paper, pinned on the pastry. The hosts get to choose what wishes are written down, so, usually, they end up being playful jokes, rather than heart-felt desires. People drink plenty of fruit brandy known as rakia and toast to the health of their friends and family, and wish for a prosperous New Year.

As they celebrate, families gather together to listen to the New Year’s speech given by the President known as the novogodishnata rech na Prezidenta. Then, just before midnight, they “count down,” or otbroyavat, the last seconds of the old year.

Happy New Year!

Щастлива Нова Година!
Shtastliva Nova Godina!

2. Must-Know Bulgarian Words & Phrases for the New Year!

1- Year

година
godina

This is pretty self-explanatory. Most countries follow a Gregorian calendar, which has approximately 365 days in a year, while in some cultures, other year designations are also honored. Therefore, New Year’s day in Bulgaria could fall on a different day than in your country. When do you celebrate New Year?

2- Midnight

полунощ
polunosht

The point in time when a day ends and a new one starts. Many New Year celebrants prefer to stay awake till midnight, and greet the new annum as it breaks with fanfare and fireworks!

3- New Year’s Day

Нова Година
Nova Godina

In most countries, the new year is celebrated for one whole day. On the Gregorian calendar, this falls on January 1st. On this day, different cultures engage in festive activities, like parties, parades, big meals with families and many more.

4- Party

парти
parti

A party is most people’s favorite way to end the old year, and charge festively into the new one! We celebrate all we accomplished in the old year, and joyfully anticipate what lies ahead.

5- Dancing

танцуване
tantsuvane

Usually, when the clock strikes midnight and the New Year officially begins, people break out in dance! It is a jolly way to express a celebratory mood with good expectations for the year ahead. Also, perhaps, that the old year with its problems has finally passed! Dance parties are also a popular way to spend New Year’s Eve in many places.

6- Champagne

шампанско
shampansko

Originating in France, champagne is a bubbly, alcoholic drink that is often used to toast something or someone during celebrations.

7- Fireworks

фойерверк
foyerverk

These are explosives that cause spectacular effects when ignited. They are popular for announcing the start of the new year with loud noises and colorful displays! In some countries, fireworks are set off to scare away evil spirits. In others, the use of fireworks is forbidden in urban areas due to their harmful effect on pets. Most animals’ hearing is much more sensitive than humans’, so this noisy display can be very frightful and traumatising to them.

8- Countdown

отброяване
otbroyavane

This countdown refers to New Year celebrants counting the seconds, usually backward, till midnight, when New Year starts - a great group activity that doesn’t scare animals, and involves a lot of joyful shouting when the clock strikes midnight!

9- New Year’s Holiday

Новогодишни празници
Novogodishni praznitsi

In many countries, New Year’s Day is a public holiday - to recuperate from the party the previous night, perhaps! Families also like to meet on this day to enjoy a meal and spend time together.

10- Confetti

конфети
konfeti

In most Western countries, confetti is traditionally associated with weddings, but often it is used as a party decoration. Some prefer to throw it in the air at the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

11- New Year’s Eve

Новогодишна нощ
Novogodishna nosht

This is the evening before New Year breaks at midnight! Often, friends and family meet for a party or meal the evening before, sometimes engaging in year-end rituals. How are you planning to give your New Year greetings in 2018?

12- Toast

тост
tost

A toast is a type of group-salutation that involves raising your glass to drink with others in honor of something or someone. A toast to the new year is definitely in order!

13- Resolution

решение
reshenie

Those goals or intentions you hope to, but seldom keep in the new year! Many people consider the start of a new year to be the opportune time for making changes or plans. Resolutions are those intentions to change, or the plans. It’s best to keep your resolutions realistic so as not to disappoint yourself!

14- Parade

парадно шествие
paradno shestvie

New Year celebrations are a huge deal in some countries! Parades are held in the streets, often to celebratory music, with colorful costumes and lots of dancing. Parades are like marches, only less formal and way more fun. At BulgarianPod101, you can engage in forums with natives who can tell you what Bulgarian New Year celebrations are like!

3. Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

So, you learned the Bulgarian word for ‘resolution’. Fabulous! Resolutions are those goals and intentions that we hope to manifest in the year that lies ahead. The beginning of a new year serves as a good marker in time to formalise these. Some like to do it in writing, others only hold these resolutions in their hearts. Here are our Top 10 New Year’s resolutions at BulgarianPod101 - what are yours?

Learn these phrases and impress your Bulgarian friends with your vocabulary.

1- Read more

Четете повече
Chetete poveche

Reading is a fantastic skill that everyone can benefit from. You’re a business person? Apparently, successful business men and women read up to 60 books a year. This probably excludes fiction, so better scan your library or Amazon for the top business reads if you plan to follow in the footsteps of the successful! Otherwise, why not make it your resolution to read more Bulgarian in the new year? You will be surprised by how much this will improve your Bulgarian language skills!

2- Spend more time with family

Прекарвайте повече време със семейството си.
Prekarvaite poveche vreme sas semeistvoto si.

Former US President George Bush’s wife, Barbara Bush, was quoted as having said this: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, a parent.” This is very true! Relationships are often what gives life meaning, so this is a worthy resolution for any year.

3- Lose weight

Намалете теглото си.
Namalete tegloto si.

Hands up, how many of you made this new year’s resolution last year too…?! This is a notoriously difficult goal to keep, as it takes a lot of self discipline not to eat unhealthily. Good luck with this one, and avoid unhealthy fad diets!

4- Save money

Спестявайте пари.
Spestyavayte pari.

Another common and difficult resolution! However, no one has ever been sorry when they saved towards reaching a goal. Make it your resolution to save money to upgrade your subscription to BulgarianPod101’s Premium PLUS option in the new year - it will be money well spent!

5- Quit smoking

Откажете се от тютюнопушенето.
Otkajete se ot tyutyunopusheneto.

This is a resolution that you should definitely keep, or your body could punish you severely later! Smoking is a harmful habit with many hazardous effects on your health. Do everything in your power to make this resolution come true in the new year, as your health is your most precious asset.

6- Learn something new

Учете нови неща.
Uchete novi nesta.

Science has proven that learning new skills can help keep brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s at bay! It can even slow down the progression of the disease. So, keep your brain healthy by learning to speak a new language, studying towards a qualification, learning how to sew, or how to play chess - no matter how old you are, the possibilities are infinite!

7- Drink less

Пийте по-малко.
Piite po-malko.

This is another health resolution that is good to heed any time of the year. Excessive drinking is associated with many diseases, and its effect can be very detrimental to good relationships too. Alcohol is a poison and harmful for the body in large quantities!

8- Exercise regularly

Правете редовно упражнения.
Pravete redovno uprajnenia.

This resolution goes hand-in-hand with ‘Lose weight’! An inactive body is an unhealthy and often overweight one, so give this resolution priority in the new year.

9- Eat healthy

Хранете се здравословно.
Hranete se zdravoslovno.

If you stick with this resolution, you will lose weight and feel better in general. It is a very worthy goal to have!

10- Study Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101

Учете български език с BulgarianPod101.com.
Uchete balgarski ezik s BulgarianPod101.com.

Of course! You can only benefit from learning Bulgarian, especially with us! Learning how to speak Bulgarian can keep your brain healthy, it can widen your circle of friends, and improve your chances to land a dream job anywhere in the world. BulgarianPod101 makes it easy and enjoyable for you to stick to this resolution.

4. Inspirational New Year Quotes

Everyone knows that it is sometimes very hard to stick to resolutions, and not only over New Year. The reasons for this vary from person to person, but all of us need inspiration every now and then! A good way to remain motivated is to keep inspirational quotes near as reminders that it’s up to us to reach our goals.

Click here for quotes that will also work well in a card for a special Bulgarian new year greeting!

Make decorative notes of these in Bulgarian, and keep them close! Perhaps you could stick them above your bathroom mirror, or on your study’s wall. This way you not only get to read Bulgarian incidentally, but also remain inspired to reach your goals! Imagine feeling like giving up on a goal, but reading this quote when you go to the bathroom: “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” What a positive affirmation!

5. Inspirational Language Learning Quotes

Still undecided whether you should enroll with BulgarianPod101 to learn a new language? There’s no time like the present to decide! Let the following Language Learning Quotes inspire you with their wisdom.

Click here to read the most inspirational Language Learning Quotes!

As legendary President Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” So, learning how to say Happy New Year in Bulgarian could well be a way into someone special’s heart for you! Let this year be the one where you to learn how to say Happy New Year, and much more, in Bulgarian - it could open many and unexpected doors for you.

6. How To Say Happy New Year in 31 Languages

Here’s a lovely bonus for you! Why stop with Bulgarian - learn how to say Happy New Year in 31 other languages too! Watch this video and learn how to pronounce these New Year’s wishes like a native in under two minutes.

7. Why Enrolling with BulgarianPod101 Would Be the Perfect New Year’s Gift to Yourself!

If you are unsure how to celebrate the New Year, why not give yourself a huge gift, and enroll to learn Bulgarian! With more than 12 years of experience behind us, we know that BulgarianPod101 would be the perfect fit for you. There are so many reasons for this!

• Custom-tailored Learning Paths: Start learning Bulgarian at the level that you are. We have numerous Learning Pathways, and we tailor them just for you based on your goals and interests! What a boon!
• Marked Progress and Fresh Learning Material Every Week: We make new lessons available every week, with an option to track your progress. Topics are culturally appropriate and useful, such as “Learning how to deliver negative answers politely to a business partner.” Our aim is to equip you with Bulgarian that makes sense!
• Multiple Learning Tools: Learn in fun, easy ways with resources such 1,000+ video and audio lessons, flashcards, detailed PDF downloads, and mobile apps suitable for multiple devices!
• Fast Track Learning Option: If you’re serious about fast-tracking your learning, Premium Plus would be the perfect way to go! Enjoy perks such as personalised lessons with ongoing guidance from your own, native-speaking teacher, and one-on-one learning on your mobile app! You will not be alone in your learning. Weekly assignments with non-stop feedback, answers and corrections will ensure speedy progress.
• Fun and Easy: Keeping the lessons fun and easy-to-learn is our aim, so you will stay motivated by your progress!

There’s no reason not to go big in 2018 by learning Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101. Just imagine how the world can open up for you!

Do you know any ways to wish someone a ‘Merry Christmas’ in Bulgarian? BulgarianPod101 brings you easy-to-learn translations and the correct pronunciation of Bulgarian Christmas phrases!

Christmas is the annual commemorative festival of Christ’s birth in the Western Christian Church. It takes place on December 25th and is usually celebrated with much food and fanfare! However, not all cultures celebrate Christmas. In some countries, Christmas is not even a public holiday! However, many countries have adapted Christmas and its religious meaning to tally with their own beliefs, or simply in acknowledgment of the festival’s importance to other cultures. If you want to impress native Bulgarian speakers with culturally-appropriate Christmas phrases and vocabulary, BulgarianPod101 will teach you the most important ways to wish someone a ‘Merry Christmas’ in Bulgarian!

Table of Contents

1. How to Celebrate Christmas in Bulgaria
2. Holiday Greetings and Wishes
3. Must-Know Christmas Day Vocabulary
4. Twelve Days of Christmas
5. Top 10 Christmas Characters
6. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You

1. How to Celebrate Christmas in Bulgaria

“Christmas Eve” or Badni vecher in Bulgarian and “Christmas” or Koleda are holidays popular throughout the world. In Bulgaria, they are “family holidays,” or semeyni praznitsi, and are among the most important Christian holidays of the year. For this reason, Bulgarians celebrate the holiday for three consecutive days—from December 25 to December 27. On these days, everyone spends time with their nearest and dearest, and there are many special dishes and rituals for these holidays.

Now, before we get into more detail, I’ve got a trivia question for you-

What does the word Badni literally mean and why is Badni vecher a strange name for “Christmas Eve”?

If you don’t already know, keep reading! The answer will be revealed at the end!

The holiday called Badni vecher is an Orthodox Christian holiday with many traditional practices. On this day, an abundant feast is prepared but all meals must be meatless. The main dishes usually includes beans or bob, vine or cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, or in Bulgarian sarmi, boiled wheat or zhito, pumpkin pastry, or tikvenik, and dried fruit compote, or in Bulgarian oshav. There will also be fruits, garlic, walnuts, and honey. There must be an odd number of dishes. The most important element is the ceremonial bread. Each member of the family receives a piece of it. In this bread there are lucky charms, and the main one is a coin which brings health and good luck to the person who gets it.

On Christmas Eve, there are lots of folk enchantments and predictions. For example, everyone picks a walnut from those on the table, breaks it open, and, if the walnut is light-colored, it means good luck. At midnight, Christmas comes and, according to the tradition, the koledari will stop by. This is a group of young men led by an older man who go from house to house, dressed in traditional Bulgarian folk costumes. They sing ritual songs and wish happiness to the family, blessing the home at the end.
There is a belief that wishes come true on Christmas.

According to Christianity, Christmas is the day of Christ’s birth—the day when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born. That is why this day is also the Name Day or Imen den of everyone named “God’s Gift” or in Bulgarian Bozhidar, “Joyful,” or Hristo, “Glorious,” or in Bulgarian Radoslav, “God is with us” or Emanuil, and other derivative names.

On December 27, St. Stefan’s Day is celebrated, and the people with this name celebrate their Name Day. On these holidays, people go to the church in order to attend the solemn liturgical services.

At home, Bulgarians celebrate a lot like people in other countries around the world—with a Christmas tree, decorations, and, of course, with “Santa Claus” or in Bulgarian Dyado Koleda. During socialist rule, the “Santa Claus” was called “Grandfather Frost” or in Bulgarian Dyado Mraz and he brought presents on New Year’s Day instead of Christmas. However, it has always been a tradition for Dyado Koleda to pay visits to schools and kindergartens.

Now it’s time to answer our quiz question-

Do you know where the name Badni vecher for “Christmas Eve” comes from and what the word badni means?

According to tradition, a special log called badnik is blessed and set alight in the fireplace. The name badni comes from that. The meaning of the word itself is related to another word—badnina which has the meaning of “faith in the future.”

2. Holiday Greetings and Wishes for the Holiday Season

1- Merry Christmas!

Весела Коледа!
Vesela Koleda!

Do you know how to say ‘Merry Christmas’ in Bulgarian? Learn here how to pronounce it perfectly! ‘Merry’ means to be joyful, to celebrate and generally be in good spirits. So, with this phrase you are wishing someone a joyful, celebratory remembrance of Christ’s birth!

2- Happy Kwanzaa!

Весела Куанза!
Vesela Kuanza!

Surprise your African-American, or West African native friends with this phrase over the Christmas holidays! Kwanzaa is a seven-day, non-religious celebration, starting on Dec 26th each year. It has its roots in African American modern history, and many people celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas!

3- Have a happy New Year!

Щастлива Нова Година!
Shtastliva Nova Godina!

In countries where Christmas is not officially celebrated, but a Gregorian calendar is observed, this would be a friendly festive-season wish over New Year.

4- Happy Hanukkah!

Честита Ханука!
Chestita Hanuka!

Hanukkah is the beautiful Hebrew festival over November or December each year. It is also called the ‘Festival of Lights’ and is celebrated to commemorate the Jewish freedom of religion.

5- Have a great winter vacation!

Да си изкарате страхотно зимната почивка!
Da si izkarate strahotno zimnata pochivka!

This is a good phrase to keep handy if someone doesn’t observe any religious festival over the Christmas holidays! However, this will only be applicable in the Northern hemisphere, where it is winter over Christmas.

6- See you next year!

Ще се видим догодина!
Shte se vidim dogodina!

Going away on holiday over Christmas season, or saying goodbye to someone about to leave on vacation? This would be a good way to say goodbye to your friends and family.

7- Warm wishes!

С най-топли пожелания!
S nay-topli pozhelaniya!

An informal, friendly phrase to write in Bulgarian Christmas cards, especially for secular friends who prefer to observe Christmas celebrations without the religious symbolism. It conveys the warmth of friendship and friendly wishes associated with this time of year.

8- Happy holidays!

Весели празници!
Veseli praznitsi!

If you forget how to say ‘Merry Christmas!’ in Bulgarian, this is a safe, generic phrase to use instead.

9- Enjoy the holidays!

Насладете се на празниците!
Nasladete se na praznitsite!

After saying ‘Merry Christmas’ in Bulgarian, this would be a good phrase with which to wish Christmas holiday-goers well! It is also good to use for secular friends who don’t celebrate Christmas but take a holiday at this time of the year.

10- Best wishes for the New Year!

С най-сърдечни пожелания за Новата година!
S nay-sardechni pozhelaniya za Novata godina!

This is another way of wishing someone well in the New Year if they observe a Gregorian calendar. New Year’s day would then fall on January 1st.

3. Must-Know Christmas Day Vocabulary

Christmas is associated with many traditions and religious symbols in multiple countries across the world. It originated centuries ago in the West with the birth of Christianity, and the celebrations are often embedded with rich cultural significance. So, by now you know how to say Merry Christmas in Bulgarian! Next, learn pertinent vocabulary and phrases pertaining to Christmas, as well as how to pronounce them correctly. At BulgarianPod101, we make sure you sound like a native speaker!

1- Christmas

Рождество Христово
Rozhdestvo Hristovo

This is the Bulgarian word for ‘Christmas’. Most happy Christmas wishes in Bulgarian will include this word!

2- Snow

сняг
snyag

In most Northern-hemisphere countries, Christmas is synonymous with snow, and for Christmas, the snowman is often dressed as Santa Claus.

3- Snowflake

снежинка
snezhinka

Snowflakes collectively make up snow. A single snowflake is small, white, light like a feather and icy cold! When put under a microscope, the snowflake reveals itself to have the most beautiful, symmetrical patterns. These patterns have become popular Christmas decorations, especially in Western countries.

4- Snowman

снежен човек
snezhen chovek

As you guessed - a snowman is only possible to build if it is snowing! What a fun way to spend Christmas day outside.

5- Turkey

пуйка
puyka

Roast turkey is the traditional main dish on thousands of lunch tables on Christmas day, mainly in Western countries. What is your favorite Christmas dish?

6- Wreath

венец
venets

Another traditional Western decoration for Christmas, the wreath is an arrangement of flowers, leaves, or stems fastened in a ring. Many families like to hang a Christmas wreath outside on their houses’ front doors.

7- Reindeer

северен елен
severen elen

Reindeer are the animals commonly fabled to pull Santa Claus’ sled across the sky! Western Christmas folklore tells of Father Christmas or Santa Claus doing the rounds with his sled, carrying Christmas presents for children, and dropping them into houses through the chimney. But who is Santa Claus?

8- Santa Claus

Дядо Коледа
Dyado Koleda

Santa Claus is a legendary and jolly figure originating in the Western Christian culture. He is known by many names, but is traditionally depicted as a rotund man wearing a red costume with a pointy hat, and sporting a long, snow-white beard!

9- Elf

елф
elf

An elf is a supernatural creature of folklore with pointy ears, a dainty, humanoid body and a capricious nature. Elves are said to help Santa Claus distribute presents to children over Christmas!

10- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Рудолф - еленът с червения нос
Rudolf - elenat s cherveniya nos

‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ is a Christmas song based on an American children’s story book with the same name. Rudolph is one of Santa’s reindeer. The song became more famous than the book, and can still be heard playing in many shopping malls over Christmas time across the globe!

11- North Pole

Северен полюс
Severen polyus

The cold North Pole is where Santa Claus is reputed to live with his reindeer!

12- Sled

шейна
sheyna

A sled is a non-motorised land vehicle used to travel over snow in countries where it snows a lot, and is usually pulled by animals such as horses, dogs or reindeer. This one obviously refers to Santa’s sled! Another word for sled is sleigh or sledge.

13- Present

подарък
podarak

Gift or present giving is synonymous with Christmas Eve and the greatest source of joy for children over this festive time! This tradition signifies that Christ’s birth was a gift to mankind, but not all people who hand out presents over Christmas observe the religious meaning.

14- Bell

звънец
zvanets

On Christmas Day, or Christmas Eve, many religious celebrants enjoy going to church for a special sermon and Christmas rituals. The start of the sermon is often announced with bells or a bell, if the church has one. For this reason, the sound of ringing bells is often associated with Christmas Day.

15- Chimney

комин
komin

The chimney is the entrance Santa Claus uses to deliver children’s presents on Christmas Day, according to folklore! Wonder how the chubby man and his elves stay clean…?!

16- Fireplace

камина
kamina

In most countries where it snows, Christmas is synonymous with a fire or burning embers in houses’ fireplaces. Families huddle around its warmth while opening Christmas presents. Also, this is where Santa Claus is reputed to pop out after his journey down the chimney!

17- Christmas Day

Рождество Христово
Rozhdestvo Hristovo

This is the official day of commemorative celebration of Christ’s birth, and falls each year on December 25.

18- Decoration

украса
ukrasa

Decorations are the colourful trinkets and posters that make their appearance in shops and homes during the Christmas holiday season in many countries! They give the places a celebratory atmosphere in anticipation of the big Christmas celebration. Typical Christmas decorations include colorful photographs and posters, strings of lights, figurines of Santa Claus and the nativity scene, poinsettia flowers, snowflakes and many more.

19- Stocking

чорап
chorap

According to legend, Santa Claus places children’s presents in a red stocking hanging over the fireplace. This has also become a popular decoration, signifying Christmas.

20- Holly

бодлива зеленика
bodliva zelenika

Holly is a shrub native to the UK, and parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. It is characterised by glossy, spiny-toothed leaves, small, whitish flowers, and red berries. Ironically, its significance for Christmas relates to Christ’s crucifixion and suffering rather than his birth. However, the leaves’ distinctive shape and image have become popular Christmas decorations.

21- Gingerbread house

натруфена къща
natrufena kashta

According to legend, the gingerbread house synonymous with Christmas is related to Christ’s birth place, Bethlehem. Bethlehem literally means ‘House of Bread’. Over centuries, it has become a popular treat over Christmas time in many non-religious households as well.

22- Candy cane

захарно чадърче
zaharno chadarche

According to folklore, Christmas candy canes made their appearance first in Germany in the 16th century. A choir master gave children the candy canes to suck on in church in order to keep them quiet during the Christmas sermon! Apparently, the candy is shaped like a cane in remembrance of the shepherds who were the first to visit the baby Jesus. Today, like gingerbread houses, they are still a popular sweet over the festive season!

23- Mistletoe

имел
imel

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on certain trees. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the mistletoe has magical powers, and could protect a household from evil if hung above a door during December. The belief didn’t last but the habit did, and the mistletoe is another popular Christmas decoration!

4. Twelve Days of Christmas

Wow, you’re doing extremely well! You know how to wish someone a Merry Christmas in Bulgarian, and you learned pertinent vocabulary too! The Twelve Days of Christmas is not very well known in modern times, so, you’re on your way to becoming an expert in Christmas traditions and rituals. Well done!

The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a traditional festive period of 12 days dedicated to celebrate the nativity of Christ. Christmas Day is, for many who observe Twelvetide, the first day of this period.

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ is also a popular Christmas song about a series of gifts given on each day of Twelvetide. According to experts, these gifts were created as a coded reference to important symbols in the Christian church. Here is a list of those gifts mentioned in the song! Do you recognise them?

5. Top 10 Christmas Characters in American Culture

This is fantastic, you know how to explain almost everything about Christmas in Bulgarian! However, do you know the most popular Christmas characters in American culture? Your knowledge will not be complete without this list.

6. BulgarianPod101 Is One Of The Best Online Language Schools Available!

We don’t just say this - we can prove it! Geared to your personal needs and goals, we have several learning paths from which to choose. From Bulgarian for Absolute Beginners to Advanced Bulgarian, lessons are designed to meet you where you are, and increase your language abilities in fun, easy and interactive lessons! Mastering a new language has never been this easy or enjoyable.

We have over a decade of experience and research behind us, and it shows! With thousands of audio and video lessons, detailed PDF lessons and notes, as well as friendly, knowledgeable hosts, BulgarianPod101 is simply unbeatable when it comes to learning correct Bulgarian. Plenty of tools and resources are available when you study with us. New lessons are added every week so material remains fresh and relevant. You also have the option to upgrade and enjoy even more personalised guidance and services. This is a sure way to fast-track your learning!

So, this Christmas, why don’t you give yourself a present and enroll in BulgarianPod101? Or give an enrollment as a present to a loved one. It will be a gift with benefits for a whole lifetime, not just over Christmas!

In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as follows: it is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Giving a sincere, thankful response to someone’s actions or words is often the ‘glue’ that keeps relationships together. This is true in most societies! Doing so in a foreign country also shows your respect and appreciation for the culture. Words have great power - use these ones sincerely and often!

Table of Contents

1. 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian
2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes
3. Infographic & Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases - Thank You
4. Video Lesson: ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages
5. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You

So, how do you say ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian? You can learn easily! Below, BulgarianPod101 brings you perfect translations and pronunciation as you learn the most common ways Bulgarian speakers say ‘Thanks’ in various situations.

1. 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian

1- Thank you.

Благодаря!
Blagodarya!

The magical words that can bring a smile to any face. For one day, truly mean it whenever you say these words, and see how this lifts your spirit too!

2- That’s very kind of you.

Това е много мило от ваша страна.
Tova e mnogo milo ot vasha strana.

This phrase is appropriate when someone clearly goes out of their way to give good service, or to offer you a kindness.

3- Thanks for your kind words!

Благодарим ви за милите думи!
Blagodarim vi za milite dumi!

Someone paid you a compliment and made you feel good? That is kind of him/her, so express your gratitude!

4- Thank you for coming today.

Благодаря ви, че дойдохте днес.
Blagodarya vi, che doydohte dnes.

This welcoming phrase should be part of your arsenal if you’re conducting more formal meetings with Bulgarian speakers. If you’re hosting a party, this is also a good phrase when you greet your Bulgarian guests!

5- Thank you for your consideration.

Благодаря за вниманието, което отделяте.
Blagodarya za vnimanieto, koeto otdelyate.

This is a more formal, almost solemn way to thank someone for their thoughtfulness and sensitivity towards you. It is also suitable to use when a native speaker has to consider something you submit, like a job application, a project or a proposal. You are thanking them, in essence, for time and effort they are about to, or have spent on your submission.

6- Thanks a lot!

Благодаря много!
Blagodarya mnogo!

This means the same as ‘Thank you’, but with energy and enthusiasm added! It means almost the same as ‘thank you so much’ in Bulgarian. Use this in an informal setting with your Bulgarian friends or teachers.

7- Teachers like you are not easy to find.

Трудно е да се намерят учители като вас.
Trudno e da se nameryat uchiteli kato vas.

Some phrases are compliments, which express gratitude by inference. This is one of them. If you’re particularly impressed with your BulgarianPod101 teacher, this is an excellent phrase to memorize!

8- Thank you for spending time with us.

Благодарим ви, че ни отделихте от времето си.
Blagodarim vi, che ni otdelihte ot vremeto si.

Any host at a gathering with Bulgarian speakers, such as a meeting or a party, should have this under his/her belt! Use it when you’re saying goodbye or busy closing a meeting. It could also be another lovely way to thank your Bulgarian language teacher for her time.

9- Thank you for being patient and helping me improve.

Благодаря ви за търпението и за това, че ми помагате да се развивам.
Blagodarya vi za tarpenieto i za tova, che mi pomagate da se razvivam.

This phrase is another sure way to melt any formal or informal Bulgarian teacher’s heart! Teaching is not easy, and often a lot of patience is required from the teacher. Thank him/her for it! It’s also a good phrase to use if you work in Bulgaria, and want to thank your trainer or employer. You will go a long way towards making yourself a popular employee - gratitude is the most attractive trait in any person!

10- You’re the best teacher ever!

Вие сте най-добрият учител на света.
Vie ste nay-dobriyat uchitel na sveta.

This is also an enthusiastic way to thank your teacher by means of a compliment. It could just make their day!

11- Thank you for the gift.

Благодаря ви за подаръка. Благодаря ви за подаръка.
Blagodarya vi za podaraka.

This is a good phrase to remember when you’re the lucky recipient of a gift. Show your respect and gratitude with these words.

12- I have learned so much thanks to you.

Научих толкова много, благодарение на вас.
Nauchih tolkova mnogo, blagodarenie na vas.

What a wonderful compliment to give a good teacher! It means they have succeeded in their goal, and you’re thankful for it.

2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes

Wherever your destination maybe, manners are a must! And in this respect, Bulgaria is no different.

1- благодаря. Blagodaria
In Bulgarian, “thank you” is blagodaria” (благодаря). This compound word is made up of two parts. The first, blago (благо), means “prosperity” or “well-being”. This is followed by daria (даря), which in Bulgarian means, “to give a gift”. This phrase is neither too formal nor too informal and will be your safe bet in situations where you are not to sure what way of saying “thank you” would be most appropriate.

2- мерси. Merci
In Bulgarian, the casual way of expressing gratitude, for example, “thanks” is merci (мерси). Yes, that’s right! It is similar to French and this is exactly where this word was borrowed from. Keep in mind that the original French pronunciation has mutated and Bulgarians say it with the hard Slavic r. This expression might come in handy among friends and in other casual situations, for example, when collecting your change from the cashier at a supermarket or when picking up your mail at the post office. A word of caution: a limited number of Bulgarians still consider merci (мерси) a foreign word which shouldn’t be used as there are enough “pure” Bulgarian expressions available. Also, to be on the safe side, make sure you use the higher-level expression blagodaria (благодаря) when dealing with officials in a formal context.

3- благодаря ви много. Blagodaria Vi Mnogo
For very special occasions when someone goes above and beyond the call of being kind, when someone is extremely generous, or for any other time you’re extremely grateful, use the following phrase to express deep gratitude: blagodaria vi mnogo (благодаря ви много). The first word blagodaria(благодаря), as we already know means “to give prosperity”. The second, vi (Ви), is the polite second person plural of the English “you”. If the person you are thanking is a friend, you can switch to a deeper level of closeness by using ti (ти), the second person singular equivalent of the English “you”. Then the whole phrase becomes blagodaria ti mnogo (благодаря ти много). The last word in our expression is mnogo (много), which in Bulgarian is “much”. To recap, the formal version of the phrase is blagodaria vi mnogo (благодаря ви много) while the version we use with friends is blagodaria ti mnogo (благодаря ти много).

Cultural Insights

Quick Tip 1
What to do when someone thanks you in Bulgarian using one of the phrases we just learned? Very easy: just say molyah/mo-lyah/ (моля) which literally means “please” but has the effect of “you are welcome.”

Quick Tip 2
As we saw in the case of merci (мерси), Bulgarian has borrowed words from many European languages like French, German, Italian, and English. Their original pronunciation, however, was “Bulgarianized.” Hence, if you want to be understood in Bulgaria, make sure that you know how to say those foreign words with Bulgarian accent.

On the run to Bulgaria? Wait! You can’t go without some basic language phrases under your belt! Especially if you’re heading to meet your prospective employer! Either in person or online, knowing how to say ‘Thank you’ in the Bulgarian language will only improve their impression of you! BulgarianPod101 saves you time with this short lesson that nevertheless packs a punch. Learn to say ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian in no time!

3. Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases - Thank You

Perhaps you think it’s unimportant that you don’t know what ‘Thank you’ is in Bulgarian, or that it’s too difficult a language to learn. Yet, as a traveler or visitor, you will be surprised at how far you can go using a little bit of Bulgarian in Bulgaria!

Click Here to Listen to the Free Audio Lesson!

At BulgarianPod101, we offer you a few ways of saying ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian that you have no excuse not knowing, as they’re so simple and easy to learn. The lesson is geared to aid your ‘survival’ in formal and informal situations in Bulgaria, so don’t wait! You will never have to google ‘How do you say thanks in Bulgarian’ again…!

4. ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages

For the global traveler in a hurry, here are 31 ways to say ‘Thank you’! These are the first words you need to learn in any foreign language - it is sure to smooth your way with native speakers by showing your gratitude for services rendered, and your respect for their culture! Learn and know how to correctly say ‘Thank you’ in 31 different languages in this short video.

5. Why would BulgarianPod101 be the perfect choice to learn Bulgarian?

However, you need not stop at ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian - why not learn to speak the language?! You have absolutely nothing to lose. Research has shown that learning a new language increases intelligence and combats brain-aging. Also, the ability to communicate with native speakers in their own language is an instant way to make friends and win respect! Or imagine you know how to write ‘Thank you’ to that special Bulgarian friend after a date…he/she will be so impressed!

BulgarianPod101 Has Special Lessons, Tools and Resources to Teach You How to Say Thank You and Other Key Phrases

With more than a decade of experience behind us, we have taught thousands of satisfied users to speak foreign languages. How do we do this? First, we take the pain out of learning! At BulgarianPod101, students are assisted as they master vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation through state-of-the-art and fun online learning methods. A library replete with learning resources allows for you to learn at your own pace and in your own space! Resources include thousands of video and audio recordings, downloadable PDF lessons and plenty of learning apps for your mobile devices. Each month, we add benefits with FREE bonuses and gifts to improve your experience.

We accommodate all levels and types of learners, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, and BulgarianPod101 is free for anyone to sign up. However, you can choose to fast track your fluency with lesson customization and increased interactive learning and practicing. Upgrade to Premium, or Premium PLUS to enhance your experience and greatly expedite your learning. With this type of assistance, and pleasurable effort on your part, you will speak Bulgarian in a very short period of time!

Click Here to Visit BulgarianPod101!

Best of all is that you’re never alone! We believe that practice is the holy grail of learning any new language, and we gear our courses to ensure lots of it. Enroll with us, and you gain immediate access to our lively forum where we meet and greet, and discuss your burning questions. Our certified teachers are friendly and helpful, and you are very likely to practice your first ‘Thanks!’ in Bulgarian on him/her, AND mean it! Hurry up, and sign up now - you will thank us for it.

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Bulgarian

Going through Bulgarian lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of Bulgarian, but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in Bulgarian. This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons.

We naturally translate in our heads because it’s viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you’re learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object the connection will not be nearly as strong. When you bypass the original translation between Bulgarian and your native language then there is a more basic and strong connection between just the Bulgarian vocabulary word and the tangible object.

In this blog post, you will learn the 4 important techniques to easily and naturally begin to speculate about the daily occurrences in your life. The best part is all of these techniques are supported and can be achieved through BulgarianPod101.com.

Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Bulgarian Language from the Beginning!

1. Surround yourself with Bulgarian

By surrounding yourself with Bulgarian constantly you will completely immerse yourself in the language. Without realizing it you’ll be learning pronunciation, sentence structures, grammar, and new vocabulary. You can play music in the background while you’re cooking or have a Bulgarian radio station on while you study. Immersion is a key factor with this learning process because it is one of the easiest things to do, but very effective. Even if you are not giving the program your full attention you will be learning.

One great feature of BulgarianPod101.com is the endless podcasts that are available to you. You can even download and listen to them on the go. These podcasts are interesting and are perfect for the intention of immersion, they are easy to listen to as background noise and are interesting enough to give your full attention. Many of them contain stories that you follow as you go through the lessons which push you to keep going.

2. Learn through observation

Learning through observation is the most natural way to learn. Observation is how we all learned our native languages as infants and it’s a wonder why we stop learning this way. If you have patience and learn through observation then Bulgarian words will have their own meanings rather than meanings in reference to your native language. Ideally, you should skip the bilingual dictionary and just buy a dictionary in Bulgarian.

BulgarianPod101.com also offers the materials to learn this way. We have numerous video lessons which present situational usage of each word or phrase instead of just a direct translation. This holds true for many of our videos and how we teach Bulgarian.

3. Speak out loud to yourself

Speaking to yourself in Bulgarian not only gets you in the mindset of Bulgarian, but also makes you listen to how you speak. It forces you to correct any errors with pronunciation and makes it easy to spot grammar mistakes. When you speak out loud talk about what you did that day and what you plan to do the next day. Your goal is to be the most comfortable speaking out loud and to easily create sentences. Once you feel comfortable talking to yourself start consciously thinking in your head about your daily activities and what is going on around you throughout the day.

With BulgarianPod101.com you start speaking right away, not only this, but they have you repeat words and conversations after a native Bulgarian speaker. This makes your pronunciation very accurate! With this help, you are on the fast path to making clear and complex sentences and then actively thinking about your day.

4. Practice daily

If you don’t practice daily then your progress will be greatly slowed. Many people are tempted to take the 20-30 minutes they should be practicing a day and practice 120 in one day and skip the other days. This isn’t nearly as effective because everyday you practice you are reinforcing the skills and knowledge you have learned. If you practice all in one day you don’t retain the information because the brain can realistically only focus for 30 minutes at most. If you’re studying for 120 minutes on the same subject little of the information will be absorbed. Studying everyday allows you to review material that you went over previous days and absorb a small amount of information at a time.

It’s tough to find motivation to study everyday, but BulgarianPod101.com can help. It’s easy to stay motivated with BulgarianPod101.com because we give you a set learning path, with this path we show how much progress you’ve made. This makes you stick to your goals and keep going!

Conclusion

Following the steps and having patience is the hardest part to achieving your goals, it’s not easy learning a new language. You are essentially teaching your brain to categorize the world in a completely new way. Stick with it and you can do it just remember the 4 tools I taught you today! With them, conversations, reading, and understanding will become much easier. The most important thing to remember is to use the tools that BulgarianPod101.com provides and you will be on your way to being fluent!

Learn Bulgarian With BulgarianPod101 Today!

Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface

Your learning is about to get a whole lot easier.

More than ever, learners are choosing mobile as the platform to study Bulgarian. Mobile has always been a part of our DNA. We began our life on your iPod, and have remained by your side ever since.

In our 11th year, we’re returning to our roots as a way to learn Bulgarian on-the-go. How? With a brand-new lesson interface just for you.

Hint: It will launch in beta later this month!

If you want to secure access to this brand new upgrade, take advantage of the upcoming All Access Pass Sale! Click Here to Get 25% OFF All BulgarianPod101 Subscriptions!

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

It’s built from the ground-up to be a great experience on your phone, tablet, and computer.

You don’t have to compromise anymore.

Take the whole lesson experience with you wherever you go.

Our lessons are the heart of our learning system and now they’re the heart of the interface as well. Just tap the big play button to start learning right away.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

As you scroll through the lesson contents, the player sticks with you at the bottom of your screen.

Pause, rewind or adjust your speed and volume without losing your place.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

Navigation is also just a tap away.

Quickly jump to the dialogue, vocabulary, or lesson notes with our new lesson navigation bar. Available at the top of your screen wherever you are.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

And for the first time ever, you don’t need to download a PDF or jump between tabs to read the lesson notes and transcript. Read it all on your mobile browser as you listen.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

There are many more small improvements but the end result is this: a drastically improved lesson experience on mobile and desktop.

Spend less time squinting at your screen and more time reaching your Bulgarian goals.

The new lesson interface will launch in beta this month.

We can’t wait to hear what you think. Keep on studying!

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To your fluency,

Team BulgarianPod101

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Have you ever returned to BulgarianPod101 lessons you’ve completed?

Accessing a lesson once is enough to learn more Bulgarian. But to master what you’ve learned, to understand Bulgarian the second you hear it, to read with just a quick glance, and to speak smoothly, without thinking… you need to review.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the 5 review tactics and learning tools that will truly sharpen your Bulgarian (all of which I’ve been able to resources for on BulgarianPod101.com).

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1. Listen to lines over and over again!

One of the best ways to learn Bulgarian (or any language) is to listen to native speakers over and over again until you understand what they are saying. By listening closely and often, you start to pick up the rhythm of a language and pronunciation from a native speaker. It’s not surprising, then, that Innovative Language offers a great line-by-line feature that lets you listen (and read along!) as many times as you’d like. I really recommend taking advantage of this feature— aside from moving to Bulgaria, it is the best way to immerse yourself in the language.

2. Use a voice-recording tool to perfect pronunciation.

No one likes to hear themselves recorded, but it is a great way to perfect your pronunciation! Record yourself and compare against a fluent speaker. If you sound different, repeat after the fluent speaker until your pronunciation matches. Innovative Language has a great voice-recording feature that makes recording super easy. Never hesitate or be shy about your pronunciation again.

3. Master recorded conversations.

Another excellent way to review your Bulgarian is to record conversations and go over them again and again until you have the entire conversation mastered and can repeat it line by line. Now, it might be kind of awkward trying to explain to someone why you are recording them speak so it is fortunate that Innovative Language has dialogues available for download right off of their website. I found these also come with transcripts of the entire conversation, which is great if you don’t want to spend tons of time translating the conversation yourself.

4. Use mobile devices to reinforce previously learned conversations.

It might sound redundant at this point, but constant review is the best, and only, way to perfect Bulgarian. In that spirit, I strongly recommend downloading the recorded dialogue to your mobile device and incorporating it into your music playlist. You’ll be amazed how effectively quick reviews throughout a day can reinforce what you’ve learned.

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5. Read with line by line notes.

The guaranteed accurate transcript of the recorded dialogues is one of the most useful features Innovative Language offers. You can read along with a fluent speaker to really master pronunciation and natural conversation. You should start slow at first, then slowly increase the speed with each pass through. Every time you read through, your pronunciation will become more intuitive and your ability to understand fluent speakers will greatly increase.

Imagine a child who just learned how to read. At first, they slowly struggle through a sentence, but on the second try, they know what the most of the words sound like and so they read a bit faster and easier and on the third try, they read that sentence at normal, native speed.

Improve Now your Reading Skills by Learning More Vocabulary

Using these five simple review techniques the most challenging parts of learning Bulgarian will become your areas of comfort. Conversations will no longer be excruciating and embarrassing, but rather offer a chance to show off your new skills and communicate with someone from a different culture in their natural language. You will be able to casually listen to Bulgarian and understand everything. Reading, too, will become natural and enjoyable.

Learning any language takes time and dedication. With the right focus, however, you can ensure the maximum impact of your efforts. Consistently listening to fluent speakers, recording your own voice and comparing it against fluent speakers, mastering conversations, listening to them on go, and following along with written transcripts will put you on the path to becoming fluent in Bulgarian. Learn from the mistakes that so many have made, myself included, don’t let what you’ve already learned slip away.

Review, review, review!

Hi Listener,

Want to speak more Bulgarian in 2017?

You need exposure to native Bulgarian conversation from day 1. You need a native Bulgarian speaker to explain it all – the words, the grammar, and cultural nuances.

And you get all of that in every single BulgarianPod101 lesson.

In fact, we’re starting up a brand new season just in time for the New Year!

Starting January 2nd, 2017, we’ll be publishing brand new seasons of Audio and Video Lessons to get you mastering Bulgarian the fast, fun and easy way! Want to know what you can expect?

Here’s BulgarianPod101’s Lesson Schedule:

Monday:
- Absolute Beginner - 3-Minutes Bulgarian

Tuesday:
- Video Series - Listening Comprehension

Thursday:
- Throwback Thursday Lessons (Get a free random lesson from the past sent directly to your e-mail inbox.)

Friday:
- New Video Series

Saturday:
- Video Series - Reading Comprehension

Sunday:
- News & Announcement - Sunday News
- Bonus Courses - Bulgarian Vocab Builder

Remember, BulgarianPod101’s newest lessons are free for the first three weeks! You have three weeks worth of lessons at any given time. Oh, and the first 3 lessons of every series are free too!

Check out the newest BulgarianPod101 lessons for free!

Click here to learn Bulgarian with the newest lessons for FREE!

To your fluency!
Team BulgarianPod101

Every Bulgarian learner will have these fears – “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” Bulgarian learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of?

In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 Bulgarian learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them!

Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users:

1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.”

Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it:

The best way to get good at speaking is to start speaking from day 1.
So if you’re holding yourself back, because you think you’re not good enough, well, that’s exactly why you’re not good enough. You need to open your mouth and start talking!

If you think you’re not good enough, just learn Bulgarian lines you want to say!
In our lessons, you get the exact phrases and scripts for introducing yourself making small talk, ordering food, expressing opinions, and much more! So if you think you’re not good enough, the lessons will give you the exact lines to say.

Want to speak Bulgarian with confidence? With Learning Paths, get your personalized courses based on your goals and interests. Check it now!

2. “I’m afraid I’ll never be fluent.”

Many successful Bulgarian learners worried about that, only as a beginner. They started learning Bulgarian and, it’s funny because the better their Bulgarian got, the less they were worried about that. So, how can you overcome this?

You’ve got to set small, specific goals.
Fluency is a big vague goal. Arguably, we don’t even speak fluent in our native language. There are over a million words and we use about 2,000 words only. So you should focus on smaller goals like being able to introduce yourself or having a 5-minute conversation. Or 10 minutes. Something you can measure so you know you reached it because you can’t really measure fluency. It’s a pretty vague goal! But you can measure small goals like having a 5-minute conversation. And as these small goals add up, you’ll be speaking very comfortably!

Discover now 10 Monthly Goals that will help you on your way to Bulgarian fluency!

3. “I’m afraid that I’m not making any progress.”

In other words, getting stuck. If you’re afraid you’re not making progress, there are two things you can do right now.

Use the dashboard to track your progress.
If you need numbers to believe it, our dashboard tracks all the lessons you’ve completed and shows how much you’ve accomplished.

Try a harder lesson on the site.
It sounds crazy and you might not understand it but you will in minutes. Our lessons come with line-by-line translations and the lesson hosts explain everything. THEN, you’ll be making progress because you now understand something you didn’t minutes ago.

From Beginner to Advanced, get the lesson that is perfect for you! Start learning Bulgarian now!

4. “I’m afraid of not understanding anything I hear”.

This is very common. You hear advanced grammar and vocabulary and it goes completely over your head. To beat this…

If you’re taking an advanced lesson, simply read along.
Reading along with our line-by-line tool is the best way to instantly understand advanced conversations. The translations and scripts are right in front of you.

For real-life situations, learn useful phrases.
Like “Can you say it more slowly?,” “Can you use simpler words?” or “I don’t understand what that meant.” There’s nothing wrong with saying that you didn’t understand something or with asking for help. And our Survival Phrases lessons cover must-know phrases like this.

So, these are the top 4 fears and how to overcome them. And if you want to have the perfect tools to overcome them, don’t forget to create your Free Lifetime Account at BulgarianPod101.com!

Discover 3 ways that Bulgarian learning games and video games can help you learn and master Bulgarian faster, retain more, and enhance your language skills.

Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Bulgarian Language from the Beginning!

Can You Learn Bulgarian Using Games?

Yes, Bulgarian learning games and even video games can help you learn and master Bulgarian faster and improve overall comprehension. Research studies have concluded that video games enhance traditional learning methods and make mastering a new language like Bulgarian fun and exciting. Without the firm foundation in grammar and vocabulary provided by conventional learning programs, however, you will not be able to learn Bulgarian with games alone. But when you combine the solid educational foundation like you’ll get at BulgarianPod101 with the benefits of Bulgarian learning games, you learn faster and retain more than with traditional learning alone.

Let’s now take a look at three of the biggest benefits of using video games to learn Bulgarian:

Video Games Help Improve Linguistic Skills and Cognitive Development

When combined with a solid foundation in vocabulary and grammar, video games help students improve reading, comprehension, and even speaking skills. The results are even more pronounced in struggling students. According to a recent national survey, more than 78% of teachers noted that learning games, even video games, were effective in helping struggling students compensate for learning gaps in their traditional studies.

So how do Bulgarian learning games, or even video games, help students improve their linguistic skills and cognitive development? The key is practice, practice, and more practice!
Learning games and video games naturally require the integration of several linguistic skills including reading, listening, speaking, and even writing in some games. And by removing the fear of making mistakes so common in students in traditional classroom settings, students are free to practice the language and further develop their linguistic and cognitive abilities in the process.

Do a compliment in Bulgarian? Break-Up Lines? Our Vocabulary Lists are Made for You!

Learning Games/Video Games Provide In-Context Learning

Students naturally learn faster and comprehend more when they are forced to use the information often and in real-world situations, even the fake ones created by Bulgarian learning games and video games. Essentially, this is immersion-based learning or contextual learning very similar to what one experiences when living abroad and being forced to interact with people in another language. So by providing both context and constant feedback, video games allow students to actually use the knowledge they gain in classrooms or conventional study to learn and master Bulgarian or any new language faster.

Bulgarian Learning Games Make Studying Fun and Alleviate Stress

Homework, quizzes, tests, and even in-class assignments can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety in students, particularly those who may be struggling to keep up. This stress and anxiety can actually derail a student’s progress and cause them to feel isolated from their more successful peers. But video games and even most learning games are the great equalizer because they help alleviate stress, increase social engagement, and yes, even help students have fun while learning Bulgarian or any new language.
In fact, research recently published in The Washington Post shows a wide range of health benefits from video games and learning games including the fact that they:

Help Reduce or Alleviate Symptoms of Depression

Help Reduce or Alleviate Symptoms of Insomnia

Help Alleviate Transitory Stress Symptoms

Scientists have indeed discovered that not only can you learn Bulgarian or any new language faster thanks to video games, they can also provide a wide range of potential health benefits as well. However, learning languages through video games alone is not really a feasible alternative to progressive, structured learning like you find in classrooms or programs like BulgarianPod101.

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The Limitations of Learning Languages Through Video Games

While great supplemental learning tools, video games and even more formal learning games are simply no substitute for structured learning programs for two reasons:

Learning Games Not Designed to Provide a Foundation in Grammar or Vocabulary: Without the foundation provided by structured Bulgarian learning (classroom or online), video games or even language learning games only teach specific phrases and concepts. Now within the context of the video game, these phrases and concepts make sense but most would have little practical value in the real world.

Lessons Are Not Structured or Progressive in Nature: Structured learning requires students to be provided with basic building blocks of knowledge (like grammar or vocab lessons) that are then expanded upon in a progressive fashion until mastery. Video games and even many language learning games really only quiz and reinforce what students already know instead of providing structured lessons that can be built upon for future learning.

Bulgarian learning games and even video games are great supplemental tools to help students learn and master a language faster. Scientific studies and recent research reveal that video games can help contextualize formal lessons from structured learning, enhance linguistic skills, alleviate stress, and even provide a wide range of potential health benefits. However, learning languages through video games (even learning games) has limitations and is no substitute for structured lessons that provide a firm foundation in vocabulary and grammar.

BulgarianPod101 is the world’s most advanced online learning system with tons of HD video lessons created by real Bulgarian instructors. With more than 500 million lesson downloads and 10,000’s of success stories, BulgarianPod101 can provide you with a world-class foundation in vocabulary and grammar.

Combined with Bulgarian learning games, our cutting edge online language system can propel you to mastering the language faster, more easily, and at far less expense than traditional classroom instruction.