Proverbs are short and straightforward sayings that express valuable life advice. Studying Bulgarian proverbs means digging deeper into the local culture—it also means that you’re an advanced Bulgarian language learner who’s ready to take their knowledge to the next level. And while proverbs can be quite valuable to language learners, they also teach people how to be wiser in different life situations.

It’s always a fascinating adventure to explore the proverbs and sayings of other cultures, so BulgarianPod101 has compiled this list of thirty proverbs in Bulgarian along with their English translations. We think you’ll step away from this article a little wiser than before…

Table of Contents

1. Bulgarian Proverbs About Success
2. Bulgarian Proverbs About Wisdom
3. Bulgarian Proverbs About Love
4. Bulgarian Proverbs About Friendship
5. Bulgarian Proverbs About Food
6. Bulgarian Proverbs About Health
7. Bulgarian Proverbs About Work and Language Learning Efforts
8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian

1. Bulgarian Proverbs About Success

We all strive to be successful in life, whatever that means to us. So what essential features must one develop to achieve success in life? Here are a few Bulgarian proverbs and sayings to offer you some cultural perspective on the topic. 

#1 

Bulgarian	Капка по капка, вир става.
Pronunciation	Kapka po kapka, vir stava.
Literal	Drop by drop turns into a pool.
Equivalent	Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
This Bulgarian saying means that diligence and persistence lead to success. Even a few drops of water, if collected instead of being wasted, can add up over time so that you have enough to fill an entire pot. The same concept applies to money, experience, and any life skill that requires endurance. If you want to be successful, you have to be patient.

#2 

Bulgarian	Който се учи, той ще сполучи.
Pronunciation	Koyto se uchi, toy shte spoluchi.
Literal	A person who learns will succeed.
Equivalent	Knowledge is power and power is success.
If you want to be successful, then learn, learn, learn. The more knowledge you gain, the more confidence you’ll have while meeting different challenges in your work. Although knowledge alone is not enough, it’s an important part of achieving success.  Now, let’s apply this proverb to Bulgarian language learning. In order to become a fluent Bulgarian speaker, you must learn more and more Bulgarian words. Add new words to your vocabulary every single day and you’ll succeed.

#3 

Bulgarian	Капката дълбае камъка не със сила, а с постоянство.
Pronunciation	Kapkata dalbae kamaka ne sas sila, a s postoyanstvo.
Literal	A drop carves a stone not with force, but with perseverance.
Equivalent	If you want a well, dig only in one place.
This Bulgarian saying means that people who would like to become real experts in something should work hard in their field until they’ve perfected their skills. There are many people out there who try hard in the beginning, only to give up once they get tired or discouraged, which prevents them from becoming successful. Everyone is able to be successful if he or she is persistent enough to continue even in the face of challenges.

#4 

Bulgarian	Ако не кърпиш вехтото, ново няма да носиш.
Pronunciation	Ako ne karpish vehtoto, novo nyama da nosish.
Literal	If you don’t patch your old cloth, you will not wear a new one.
Equivalent	Spending is quick, earning is slow.
Older Bulgarians in particular tend to prefer saving money over spending it on unnecessary things. Years of stringency made them frugal, and they respect people who know how to save money in order to spend it when a real need arises.

2. Bulgarian Proverbs About Wisdom

Bulgarians have many proverbs about wisdom. In fact, they even have a national folklore character named Хитър Петър (Hitar Petar), who is a symbol of cunning, wisdom, and wit. That said, let’s go over a few inspirational Bulgarian proverbs related to wisdom! 

#5

Bulgarian	Утрото е по-мъдро от вечерта.
Pronunciation	Utroto e po-madro ot vecherta.
Literal	The morning is wiser than the evening.
Equivalent	An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening.
On the one hand, this Bulgarian proverb suggests that the morning hours are the most productive ones. On the other hand, people in Bulgaria say this proverb when they have an important decision to make and it’s already late in the evening. They believe that making the decision should be postponed until the next morning, as the brain is tired in the evening and cannot think clearly. In the morning, when a person wakes up, he or she can consider problems much more efficiently and are more likely to make the right decision. That is why the morning is wiser than the evening.

#6

Bulgarian	Докато мъдрите се намъдруват, лудите се налудуват.
Pronunciation	Dokato madrite se namadruvat, ludite se naluduvat.
Literal	While the wise people philosophize, the mad people go crazy.
This Bulgarian proverb means that if the rulers are weak, the whole nation will suffer at the hands of offenders. In this case, the word “wise” is used in an ironic sense, because these “wise people” only philosophize instead of taking real actions to stop the criminals.

#7

Bulgarian	Ум царува, ум робува, ум патки пасе.
Pronunciation	Um tsaruva, um robuva, um patki pase.
Literal	The mind reigns, the mind is enslaved, the mind grazes ducks.
Equivalent	Some are wise and some are otherwise.
This Bulgarian saying means a few different things: A person can become engaged in various activities, whether it’s science, management, or anything else. It depends on his motivation, what kind of work he is going to choose, and what future he will have. Everyone is capable of being a shepherd, a hotel manager, a policeman, a builder, etc. The decisions you make can take you down from the position of a ruler to that of a slave.

#8

Bulgarian	По дрехите посрещат, по ума изпращат.
Pronunciation	Po drehite posreshtat, po uma izprashtat.
Equivalent	First impression is from your dress, last impression from your brains/wits.
The first thing people notice about you is your clothes, so they might initially be impressed by your appearance. But after talking with you, they’ll get an impression of your brain or wits. Wiser people don’t talk too much, and Bulgarians usually don’t welcome those who are too talkative. They like balanced conversations, so be aware of this if you’re ever invited to a Bulgarian’s home.

→ Need more motivation? Then check out our list of the Top 10 Inspirational Bulgarian Quotes!

3. Bulgarian Proverbs About Love

As a popular song states, “All you need is love.” In that vein, let’s explore some of the most popular Bulgarian love proverbs…

#9

Bulgarian	Любов хубост не гледа.
Pronunciation	Lyubov hubost ne gleda.
Literal	Love does not look for beautiful appearance.
Equivalent	Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.
When one person loves another, he or she doesn’t notice any defects in the appearance or character of the one they love. A Bible proverb written by Solomon says that “love covers over all wrongs.”

#10

Bulgarian	Старата любов ръжда не хваща.
Pronunciation	Starata lyubov razhda ne hvashta.
Equivalent	Old love does not rust.
This saying means that old feelings do not fade away. Metal may rust over time and waste away, but feelings of love typically don’t and can even stay as strong as they were in the very beginning!

It’s interesting to note that Bulgarians have another proverb which states exactly the opposite: 

#11

Bulgarian	Очи, които дълго не се виждат, се забравят.
Pronunciation	Ochi, koito dalgo ne se vizhdat, se zabravyat.
Literal	Eyes that have not seen each other for a long time can be forgotten.
Equivalent	Out of sight, out of mind.
If two lovers are separated for a long time, they might forget each other—especially if their love is not well-rooted.

#12

Bulgarian	Младост без любов — пролет без цвете.
Pronunciation	Mladost bez lyubov — prolet bez tsvete.
Literal	Youth without love is spring without a flower.
Equivalent	Without love, everything is in vain.
One cannot be happy without loving and being loved. This Bulgarian proverb states that love is the essence of life, making everything around it beautiful—just like flowers make springtime the most beautiful season.

→ Want to impress your Bulgarian sweetheart? Then study these 15 Bulgarian Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day!

4. Bulgarian Proverbs About Friendship

Bulgarians value true friendship, so it should come as no surprise that we have many proverbs on the topic. Who knows? Maybe they’ll help you understand who your true friends are! 

#13

Bulgarian	Приятел в нужда се познава.
Pronunciation	Priyatel v nuzhda se poznava.
Literal	A friend is recognized in need.
Equivalent	A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A true friend will always help out in times of need, and will never leave his or her friend to suffer alone. They’ll dedicate their time, money, and efforts to help you, doing everything they can to make you feel better. A false friend, on the other hand, will hide from you as soon as you run into troubles.

#14

Bulgarian	Кажи ми какви са приятелите ти, за да ти кажа какъв си.
Pronunciation	Kazhi mi kakvi sa priyatelite ti, za da ti kazha kakav si.
Equivalent	Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.
This Bulgarian saying means that the friends you hang out with can define you. This makes sense, as friends tend to share personality and behavioral traits. As such, you can tell a lot about a person based on who their friends are.

#15

Bulgarian	Лют човек приятел не държи.
Pronunciation	Lyut chovek priyatel ne darzhi.
Literal	A furious man does not keep any friends around.
It’s difficult for some people to find friends. They might think that the problem lies with other people, but often the problem is hidden within themselves. No one wants to hang around or be associated with an angry person.

#16

Bulgarian	Приятелството си е приятелство, но сиренето е с пари.
Pronunciation	Priyatelstvoto si e priyatelstvo, no sireneto e s pari.
Literal	Friendship is friendship, but cheese costs money.
Although a friend in need is a friend indeed, a true friend will not take advantage of a friend’s generosity. Just because your friend sells cheese doesn’t mean you should expect to get any for free!

→ This was only a small sample of what Bulgarians have to say on the topic. Check out our vocabulary list of the Top 10 Bulgarian Quotes About Friendship for even more words of wisdom!

5. Bulgarian Proverbs About Food

Food is an important detail of one’s life, so here are a few wise Bulgarian sayings related to food.

#17

Bulgarian	Никой не е по-голям от хляба.
Pronunciation	Nikoy ne e po-golyam ot hlyaba.
Literal	No one is larger than bread.
This saying reveals the attitude that Bulgarians have toward bread and how important it is to them. In Bulgaria, bread plays an important role and it’s always present on the table. It’s also considered the most holy of foods.

#18

Bulgarian	Умният навсякъде си изкарва хляба.
Pronunciation	Umniyat navsyakade si izkarva hlyaba.
Literal	A smart man earns his bread anywhere.
Equivalent	A smart man can earn a living anywhere.
The saying “to earn your own bread” in Bulgarian means to earn a living, which again underlines the importance of bread in Bulgarian culture. This saying means that the wise can overcome all challenges so that they always have enough to live on wherever they are.

#19

Bulgarian	Гладна кокошка просо сънува.
Pronunciation	Gladna kokoshka proso sanuva.
Literal	A hungry hen dreams of millet.
This proverb relates to wishful thinking. It means that some people dream of things greater than what they have, but they take no action to make it happen in reality.

#20

Bulgarian	Ден година храни.
Pronunciation	Den godina hrani.
Translation	A single day helps you get food for the whole year.
In the past, this saying meant that every day of the year was equally important for earning a living. But nowadays, it’s mostly associated with unfair traders who make their prices unrealistically high in order to make lots of money quickly and remain idle the rest of the year.

→ Head over to our free vocabulary list on Talking About Food and Ingredients in Bulgarian to further expand your vocabulary!

6. Bulgarian Proverbs About Health

Health is among the most valuable acquisitions a person can have, so let’s see what Bulgarian proverbs have to say about it. 

#21

Bulgarian	Здрав дух – здраво тяло.
Pronunciation	Zdrav duh – zdravo tyalo.
Equivalent	A healthy mind, a healthy body.
This Bulgarian proverb expresses the importance of inner peace, forgiveness, trust, etc., for people’s wellbeing. We should keep our spirit healthy in order to have a healthy body, as stress, anxiety, suspicion, and other negative feelings can increase our chances of getting sick.

#22

Bulgarian	Никой не може да бъде по-добър лекар от верния приятел.
Pronunciation	Nikoy ne mozhe da bade po-dobar lekar ot verniya priyatel.
Equivalent	No one is a better doctor than a faithful friend.
This Bulgarian saying is a continuation of the previous one. A faithful friend is able to bear our griefs, so we won’t feel alone in our sorrow.  A similar proverb goes:  Споделената мъка е половин мъка, а споделената радост е двойна радост.  Spodelenata maka e polovin maka, a spodelenata radost e dvoyna radost. “Shared sorrow is half the sorrow; shared joy is double the joy.”

#23

Bulgarian	Живот, здраве и добри помисли като има човек, пари не му трябват.
Pronunciation	Zhivot, zdrave i dobri pomisli kato ima chovek, pari ne mu tryabvat.
Translation	When a person has a good life, good health, and good thoughts, he does not need money.
Мoney can’t buy happiness! This saying is as old as money, but it’s true. You can find poor people barely earning a living who are constantly smiling and happy, as well as millionaires who are so miserable and depressed that they take their own lives. This Bulgarian proverb states that there are three factors involved in being happy: life, health, and good thoughts.

#24

Bulgarian	Здравето е най-големият имот.
Pronunciation	Zdraveto e nay-golemiyat imot.
Translation	Our health is our largest property.
No matter how many properties we have, and no matter how luxurious and large they are, we cannot enjoy them (or our lives) if we aren’t healthy. That’s why health is considered one of the most valuable and precious things in this world!

Do you have health problems you would like to share with your Bulgarian friends in their own language? BulgarianPod101 can help! Just head over to our vocabulary list of Bulgarian Vocabulary for Common Health Problems! 

7. Bulgarian Proverbs About Work and Language Learning Efforts

Those who are diligent and persistent in their language learning efforts will soon see progress and advance quickly. For extra motivation, let’s see what Bulgarian proverbs say about work and learning. 

#25

Bulgarian	Човек се учи, докато е жив.
Pronunciation	Chovek se uchi, dokato e zhiv.
Literal	A person learns while he is alive.
Equivalent	You are never too old to learn.
This popular Bulgarian proverb means that we never stop learning, as knowledge itself is endless and our life is too short to comprehend it all. On the other hand, this saying could also be applied to your Bulgarian language studies. The more you learn, the more successful you’ll be over time.

#26

Bulgarian	Без труд почивката не е сладка.
Pronunciation	Bez trud pochivkata ne e sladka.
Literal	Without work, rest is not sweet.
This saying encourages diligence. It suggests that those who don’t work cannot feel the sweetness of rest. They probably cannot sleep as well as those who work hard all day.

#27

Bulgarian	Работата на ум учи.
Pronunciation	Rabotata na um uchi.
Literal	The work teaches the mind.
One only gains practical skills and experience through working, and the same concept applies to language learning. Once you gain minimal knowledge of a language, you should start practicing it in real life to expand upon your skills and gain new ones. Passive learning is often in vain.

#28

Bulgarian	Лозето не ще молитва, а мотика.
Pronunciation	Lozeto ne shte molitva, a motika.
Literal	The vineyard does not need a prayer, but a hoe.
Equivalent	God helps those who help themselves.
This saying is quite popular in Bulgaria, and it conveys the importance of hard work in being successful. If you want your vineyard to give fruit, don’t just sit beside it and pray; take the hoe and start working. No matter how many prayers you say, you won’t receive a good crop unless you work for it.

8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian

In this Bulgarian proverbs guide, you’ve picked up some useful phrases and gained some valuable insight into the beauty of Bulgarian culture. Learning these proverbs will make it easier for you to communicate with the local people and help you better fit in during your stay in Bulgaria. 

If you would like to learn even more Bulgarian proverbs or dig deeper into Bulgarian grammar, we recommend you try our MyTeacher service for Premium PLUS members. You can choose a private teacher from our team of experienced Bulgarian language experts, who will give you additional information on any topics of your choosing and provide you with practical assignments to hone your skills. 

We hope you enjoyed today’s lesson on Bulgarian proverbs, and that you feel a little bit wiser now. 😉 Before you go, let us know in the comments which of these proverbs you can relate to the most right now. We look forward to hearing from you!

Bulgaria is an amazing country that has many adventures to offer foreigners. There are so many points of interest that the options can be overwhelming! 

In this Sofia travel guide, we’ll get you acquainted with some of the most interesting places to visit in Sofia and provide you with travel tips to give you more confidence during your very first visit to the Bulgarian capital.

BulgarianPod101 invites you on this intriguing virtual tour before you travel to Sofia, so you can feel the atmosphere of this big city before you even arrive.

Table of Contents

1. Before You Go
2. Sofia Travel Tips
3. 7 Must-See Places in Sofia for a 1-3 Day Trip
4. Highly Recommended Places for a 4-7 Day Trip (or Longer)
5. Bulgarian Survival Phrases for Travelers
6. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Master Bulgarian

Before You Go

Before you go on this exciting journey, you may want to learn more about the city you’ll be visiting. In the following sections, you’ll find some basic information about Sofia’s past, population, and climate.

History

Sofia is the capital city of Bulgaria. It’s an ancient city with a long history dating back to 7000 BC when Thracian tribes settled here. Over the following centuries, the Thracians were occupied by the Romans and the Ottomans. The city’s location at the foot of Vitosha Mountain has been considered strategic, thus very attractive for various conquerors. As this land has been inhabited by many tribes and cultures, the remnants of them can still be seen in Sofia. There are Roman ruins, an amphitheater, old churches, and many other sights in this large city.

The city’s name has also been changed many times by new conquerors. During the Roman reign, the city was known as Serdica. In those times, it was an important center that had influence over the whole region. Today, you can still see the Roman ruins around the Saint Sofia Church. There are glass windows in the church, through which you can see the old Roman theater. You can also see the big amphitheater’s ruins nearby, testifying that this lively cultural center was once located here, under modern Sofia. 

Before the city of Sofia received its modern name following its liberation from the Ottoman yoke in 1878 by the Russian Empire, the city was also called Sredets and Triaditsa. 

Population

Sofia was heavily populated in the late eighteenth century, home to about 70,000 people. In 1878, the population shrank to only 11,649 people (down from the 19,000 residents eight years prior). However, once Sofia became the new capital of Bulgaria, the number of residents started to increase. Today, the population of Sofia is about 1.23 million—almost 20% of the country’s total population.

Climate

You’ll find this information helpful if you would like to know the best time to visit Sofia. Let’s see what the weather is like in Sofia throughout the year.

The winter months in Sofia are December, January, and February. If you plan to visit Sofia in winter, be prepared for cold temperatures and snowy weather, especially in January and February which are considered the coldest months. The temperature can drop to below -15 °C (5 °F), but is usually about 0 – 5 °C (32 –  41 °F). The snow cover in Sofia lasts about sixty days.

Summers in Sofia (June through August) are sunny and hot. The temperature can exceed 35 °C (95 °F) near the end of July and the beginning of August. This is the time of year when the city receives the most tourists.

Spring and autumn have relatively mild weather, though the weather is more variable and dynamic during these seasons and there could be thunderstorms. There could be fog in Sofia, especially at the beginning of spring and winter, when the weather is subject to drastic changes.

Sofia Travel Tips

If you’re planning to travel to Sofia for the first time, these Sofia travel tips will be very helpful. In the following sections, we’ll discuss currency, accomodation prices, visa rules, food, and transportation.

Currency in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian lev is the national currency. 1 euro is pegged to 1.96 leva, which means that 2 Bulgarian leva make roughly 1 euro. So when you’re trying to figure out how much something in Bulgaria costs in euros, the easiest way is to divide the amount by two.

Accomodation Prices in Sofia

The price of your accommodation will depend on the level of luxury you prefer:

• Luxury: There are many five-star and four-star hotels that typically cost $100 or more per night.
• Mid-range: The mid-range price for accommodation, depending on the conditions, ranges from $40 to $80 per night.
• Budget: If you prefer to stay in a hostel, a bed in a dormitory will cost between $5 and $12 per night. If you would like to rent a double bed room, it may cost up to $40. 

You can learn some basic words and phrases for talking about accommodation in our lesson What Are Your Accommodation Options in Bulgaria? 

Visa Rules

Visa rules in Bulgaria differ based on the nationality of the traveler. If you’re an American, you’ll be allowed to stay for up to ninety days and renew your stay every six months. Bulgaria is not part of Schengen yet, but it is part of the EU. If you hold a valid Schengen visa, you’ll be able to take advantage of a visa-free regime and stay in Bulgaria for up to three months within any six-month period. The same conditions apply to residents of Romania, Cyprus, and Croatia.

There are three types of visas to Bulgaria:

• Visa A for airport transit, which costs $71
• Visa C for a short stay (up to ninety days), for transit or a planned stay, which costs about $71; however, the exact price may vary based on the international agreements
• Visa D for a long stay, which costs $118 when you’re planning a stay of six months, and $236 for a one-year stay

Food in Sofia

Vegetarians will find Bulgaria a great place to dine due to the numerous fruits, vegetables, and dairy products available in the stores and markets. Even vegans can find food here in every season, and there are some restaurants that offer solely vegan food (such as Edgy Veggy, Soul Kitchen, Loving Hut, and Colibri Kitchen).

Keep in mind that Bulgarians are obsessed with dairy foods like yogurt and cheese, which always have to be present on their tables (alongside bread). In vegetarian restaurants, you can order the national Shopska salad with cheese, stuffed peppers, banitsa, cold soup tarator, breaded cheese, guvech, etc.

Like most Balkan nations, the majority of Bulgarians are meat-lovers. If you prefer meat, there are so many dishes to choose from. We recommend you try the kapama, a traditional dish prepared with different types of layered meat and stuffed cabbage leaves. Kebapche (a minced meat stick with spices grilled on a barbeque) and shkembe chorba (tripe soup) are also great choices.

➢ BulgarianPod101 provides a helpful list of Bulgarian phrases to use in a restaurant for ordering food, and a list of the most popular Bulgarian foods. Check them out to brush up on some basic Bulgarian before your trip!

Transportation in Sofia

If you would like to use the cheapest possible transportation in Sofia, then use the Sofia metro. It can be a little bit confusing, but it will take you from the airport to the downtown area for less than 1 euro. This trip will take about thirty minutes. Always have your ticket within easy reach, as the ticket control might show up at any stop to check it.

The other options for transportation include taking a bus or a tram. In these cases, you’ll be able to buy tickets directly from the driver. Make sure to punch your ticket inside the yellow punchers located on the poles of the bus or tram, as this will validate it. Those who don’t have a valid ticket upon control check will be fined 30 leva.

7 Must-See Places in Sofia for a 1-3 Day Trip

It’s time to start our virtual journey of Sofia. To start, let’s look at seven places you must visit in Sofia if you’re short on time! 

#1: Boyana Church

In Bulgarian: Боянска църква музей (Boyanska tsarkva muzey)

This medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church is located at the base of Vitosha Mountain, in a region that is also called Boyana.

It was built in three stages, from the tenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century. There are 240 human images and 89 scenes depicted on its walls. UNESCO describes Boyana Church as “one of the most complete and perfectly preserved monuments of east European medieval art,” so it’s definitely worth visiting if you’re interested in medieval culture, architecture, and art. As this church is located in the outskirts of Sofia, it’s good to plan your visit ahead of time.

#2: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 

In Bulgarian: Катедрала “Свети Александър Невски” (Katedrala “Sveti Aleksandar Nevski”)

This Orthodox cathedral was built in a neo-Byzantine style in the nineteenth century and is named after Alexander Nevsky, a Russian saint. It displays the relics of the saint to the left of the altar. 

This church is located in the very center of Sofia, just behind the Bulgarian parliament and adjacent to St. Sofia Church. There are many other notable landmarks nearby, so you can plan to visit them all in a single day. Some of these locations include: 

• The National Art Academy
• The Sofia Opera and Ballet Hall
• The National Gallery of Foreign Art
• The Monument of the Unknown Soldier
• A park with a small flea market in it

#3: Rotunda of St. George 

In Bulgarian: Храм-ротонда “Св. Георги” (Hram-rotonda “Sveti Georgi”)

This small, round church was initially built as a Roman bath in the fourth century when the city of Serdica belonged to the Roman Empire, and was later transformed into an Orthodox church. Located in the city’s center, this is part of a larger archeological complex and is the oldest building in the Bulgarian capital. You’ll be able to see medieval frescoes inside and Roman streets outside.

#4: Earth and Man Natural Museum 

In Bulgarian: Национален музей “Земята и хората” (Natsionalen muzey “Zemyata i horata”)

This sight would definitely be attractive for geology-lovers as well as children who are interested in science, as it features collections of huge minerals and their derivatives. This museum is located in the neighborhood of Lozenets and is one of the largest mineralogical museums in the world.

#5: Kuklite (The Dolls) Art House 

In Bulgarian: Арт къща куклите (Art kashta kuklite)

This is a fascinating place for kids, containing more than 3,000 dolls from all over the world. It also offers weekly workshops explaining how to make a doll, though you’ll need to book in advance to attend one. If you’re traveling to Sofia with children, a visit here would be a great opportunity for them to see porcelain, ritual, modern, vintage, and antique dolls as well as marionettes. Young and old alike will be delighted by these whimsical doll displays! 

The museum is located in the center of Sofia, not too far from the Rotunda of St. George. You can add it into your schedule while you visit different landmarks located in this area. 

#6: Muzeiko 

In Bulgarian: Музейко (Muzeyko)

Muzeiko is a museum for children dedicated to science and the arts. The project cost twenty million dollars to get started, and today features over 130 games and activities that will help your little ones easily learn interesting science facts. There’s also a planetarium that has a show, so you can secure some time for this as well. This kids’ museum is located in the Students’ City neighborhood in Sofia.

#7: National Archaeological Museum 

In Bulgarian: Национален археологически музей (Natsionalen arheologicheski muzey)

The National Archaeological Museum is located in the center of Sofia, at the Atanas Burov Square.

This museum housed a mosque in the fifteenth century, but opened as a museum in 1905. It includes ancient Thracian, Greek, and Roman artifacts, as well as medieval books and collections. It’s appropriate for people of all ages who are interested in Bulgarian culture and history. A 3D virtual tour is available online.

Highly Recommended Places for a 4-7 Day Trip (or Longer)

Are you planning a longer stay? Great! This will give you ample time to see even more of the best places to visit in Sofia, Bulgaria. Here are a few that we recommend! 

#8: Eagles’ Bridge 

In Bulgarian: Орлов мост (Orlov most)

This bridge is located just below the Monument to the Soviet Army in the heart of Sofia. It’s called Eagles’ Bridge because of the four majestic iron eagles located on top of the pillars. Beneath the bridge, there’s a small river flowing. This bridge, together with the Lions’ Bridge, is among the most popular tourist destinations. Don’t miss it if you’re nearby!

#9: Lions’ Bridge 

In Bulgarian: Лъвов мост (Lavov most)

This gorgeous bridge is called Lions’ Bridge because of the four metal lions located on each of its pillars. The bridge goes over the Vladaya River, and it’s located on Maria Luiza Boulevard only a few meters from the Ladies Market (in Bulgarian: Женския пазар [Zhenskiya pazar]).

#10: Ivan Vazov National Theater 

In Bulgarian: Народен театър Иван Вазов (Naroden teatar Ivan Vazov)

This National Theater is built in a Viennese style and is located in the central City Garden. It’s decorated with statues of Apollo among the muses, which have golden instruments. The first play performed here was Vazov’s The Outcasts. The theater was damaged during World War II, but was later renovated to maintain the architecture and original appearance of the building. This landmark is one of the symbols of Bulgarian culture.

#11: Roman Wall 

In Bulgarian: Римска стена (Rimska stena)

The actual Roman ruins can be found inside the hotel lobbies and in the metro. Strangely enough, although it’s called the Roman Wall, this wall was built by the Ottomans in the sixteenth century. It was part of a religious complex, from which only this stone gate remains. It’s located in the Lozenets region near the Saturday “Roman Wall” farmers’ market.

#12: Sofia Opera and Ballet Hall 

In Bulgarian: Софийска опера и балет (Sofiyska opera i balet)

This hall has been occupied by the Sofia Opera since 1957. Tickets here are more affordable than those of halls in many other European cities. The building is decorated with multiple figures of performers, namely orchestra musicians and singers. It’s located in the city center.

#13: The Snail House 

In Bulgarian: Къща Охлюв (Kashta Ohlyuf)

The Snail House is the most extravagant building in Sofia, located in the district of Simeonovo. This colorful five-story building is built in the form of a giant snail, and its non-standard shape fits well with the surrounding environment. There are small butterflies and ladybugs on the roof, along with some other smaller snails. It was built in 2008 using entirely eco-friendly materials. It features no edges or corners, and no bricks were used in its construction.

#14: Sofia Graffiti Tour

In Bulgarian: София Графити Тур (Sofiya Grafiti Tur)

If you’re a graffiti-lover, this two-hour evening tour (Saturdays and Sundays only) would be an exciting experience. It takes you to the best urban art streets in Sofia with thriving graffiti scenes, and the best part is that you choose how much to pay for the tour!

#15: Borisova Gradina Park 

In Bulgarian: Княз-Борисова градина (Knyaz-Borisova Gradina)

This park is named after Bulgarian Tsar Boris III. It’s the most popular, the largest, and the oldest park in Sofia. Among the landmarks located in this park are: 

• Lake Ariana
• The national stadium “Vasil Levski”
• The Bulgarian Army Stadium
• The Lake with the Lilies
• Many monuments of prominent Bulgarians
• The Astronomical Observatory of Sofia University
• The Maria-Louisa Swimming Complex
• The Sofia TV Tower
• The Mound of Brotherhood
• The Japanese Corner

#16: Cherni Vrah 

In Bulgarian: Черни връх (Cherni vrah)

This is the highest peak of Vitosha Mountain, rising to 2290 meters (about 7513 feet). The best time for hiking this summit is in the summer, and there’s a guided hike offered for inexperienced climbers. Many locals enjoy spending a weekend on Vitosha Mountain while in the capital. This unforgettable hike will reveal amazing views over the city and other mountains.

Bulgarian Survival Phrases for Travelers

To conclude our Sofia travel guide, let’s look at the most important Bulgarian phrases you’ll need to know before you travel to Sofia. You could write these phrases down in your diary or notebook and look them up whenever you need to speak with a Bulgarian, though memorizing them may give you the best experience.

• Hello. – Здравейте (Zdraveyte)
• Thank you. – Благодаря (Blagodarya)
• Goodbye. – Довиждане (Dovizhdane)
• Sorry. – Извинете (Izvinete)
• Very good. (Perfect.) – Много добре (Mnogo dobre)
• I don’t/can’t understand. – Не разбирам (Ne razbiram)
• Where is the restroom? – Къде е тоалетната (Kade e toaletnata)
• How much is it? – Колко струва (Kolko struva)
• I want this. – Искам това (Iskam tova)
• Help! – Помощ (Pomosht)

You can learn more practical phrases in our Survival Phrases lesson series!

How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Master Bulgarian

BulgarianPod101 is excited to share with you this travel guide containing the best places to visit in Sofia, Bulgaria. Hopefully, this virtual tour around Sofia has given you the motivation and inspiration you need to make plans and visit Sofia yourself. 

If you need to learn some more survival phrases or conversational Bulgarian, our MyTeacher service would be of great help to you. You can choose your own private Bulgarian teacher, who will reveal to you the beauty of the language and make it easier for you to start understanding and speaking it.

Before you go, which of these Sofia attractions do you most want to see, and why? We look forward to hearing from you!

If you’ve just started studying the Bulgarian language, you might need additional motivation to cope with the initial shock that this language usually provokes in foreigners. To give you more confidence for your Bulgarian language learning journey, we have prepared this overview of Bulgarian words in English (and vice-versa).

You’ll definitely be surprised to learn how many words are the same in English and Bulgarian. But this is great news for all learners of the Bulgarian language! Why? Because it means you already know all of these words, their meanings, and how to use them in different situations. That’s a great start, isn’t it?

BulgarianPod101 has prepared this guide to help you quickly recognize these well-known words in Bulgarian so that you can easily enrich your vocabulary and have more effective communication with Bulgarians.

Table of Contents

1. Why is it Important to Study English Words Used in the Bulgarian Language?
2. Why Are There So Many English Words in Bulgarian?
3. The Use of Foreign Words in Bulgarian
4. English Words Used in Bulgarian Business Culture
5. English Words Used in the Bulgarian IT Sector
6. English Words Used in Professional Terminology
7. World-Famous Celebrity Names Translated to Bulgarian
8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn More Bulgarian

Why is it Important to Study English Words Used in the Bulgarian Language?

Let’s start with a quote by the great Bulgarian writer, Yordan Yovkov:

“The word is a scary thing. It contains the means of expression of all the arts: colors, lines, shapes, sounds, movements—everything, as long as you can handle these riches.”

View the Bulgarian language as a treasure trove and each new word you learn as a golden coin you have discovered. In this sense, BulgarianPod101.com will help you become rich with scores of golden coins—we’ll even show you how best to use them. 

This form of treasure hunting can be intimidating, but picking up a few English loanwords in Bulgarian is a great place to start. Because you’re already familiar with the meaning of these words, you can begin applying them to your Bulgarian conversations right away. 

So let’s get to it!

Why Are There So Many English Words in Bulgarian?

Globalization is the main reason there are so many English words in the Bulgarian language. Recent technologies such as the World Wide Web, social media, and global trading mediums facilitate the global spread of English words. Virtual communication encourages the use of many English words, which have become widely used in both spoken and written Bulgarian. 

As a result, many English words are used in the Bulgarian political, social, cultural, and economic spheres and people use them to describe services, products, and business information. There are also many professional terms in Bulgarian that originate from English vocabulary.

The Use of Foreign Words in Bulgarian

Like most other languages, Bulgarian adopts many foreign words for regular use in the language. When a foreign word is used often enough for a long enough period of time, it’s common for Bulgarians to perceive that word as being native to Bulgarian. For example, there are many Turkish words that are so widely used by Bulgarians that many of them don’t even realize they’re foreign. 

Such Turkish words include:

• чешма (cheshma) – faucet
• памук (pamuk) – cotton
• зехтин (zehtin) – olive oil

There are so many Turkish words in Bulgarian because Bulgarians were under the Turkish yoke for five centuries. The Russian, French, and German languages later influenced Bulgarian as well. 

Here are some examples of Russian words in the Bulgarian language:

• дружба (druzhba) – friendship
• хазяин (hazyain) – house owner
• болшинство (bolshinstvo) – majority
• съблюдавам (sablyudavam) – observe
• милосърдие (milosardie) – mercy

Here are examples of French words in the Bulgarian language. You’ll notice that these words are also used in English.

• трофей (trofey) – trophy
• меню (menyu) – menu
• майонеза (mayoneza) – mayonnaise
• бюро (byuro) – buro
• булевард (bulevard) – boulevard

Here are examples of German words in the Bulgarian language:

• вафла (vafla) – waffle
• курорт (kurort) – resort
• табела (tabela) – signboard
• ауспух  (auspuh) – muffler

Because of the common history between Bulgaria and Greece, there are many Greek words in the Bulgarian language, as well. Here are some of them:

• евтин (eftin) – cheap
• пирон (piron) – nail
• ангел (angel) – angel
• килер (kiler) – closet
• стомах (stomah) – stomach
• тиган (tigan) – frying pan
• тетрадка (tetradka) – notebook

After communism fell in 1990, Bulgaria opened up to the Western world—its food, music, culture, markets, and language. Naturally, more and more English words entered the Bulgarian language and even began to replace some Bulgarian words. Here are some examples:

Original Bulgarian Word/Phrase	English Replacement	Meaning
търсене в глобалната мрежа (tarsene v globalnata mrezha)	сърфиране в нета (sarfirane v neta)	surfing the Net
разговори (razgovori)	чатове (chatove)	chats
сприятеляване (spriyatelyavane)	aдване на френдове (advane na frendove)	to add friends
опит (оpit)	eкспириънс (ekspirians)	experience
публикувам информация във Фейсбук (publikuvam informatsiya vav Feysbuk)	поствам (postvam)	to post
изключвам от приятелите си (izklyuchvam ot priyatelite si)	ънфрендвам (аnfrendvam)	to unfriend

English Words Used in Bulgarian Business Culture

Each year, thousands of new foreign words enter the Bulgarian language. Some of them may not be well-accepted by people and will be forgotten over time. Others are widely used and end up becoming a part of the daily or business language. Over time, some of them can even take the place of existing Bulgarian words. 

Below is a list of twenty Bulgarian words replaced by English words in the business world. People who know English will find this information very useful when speaking with their Bulgarian business partners.

Original Bulgarian Word/Phrase	English Replacement	Meaning
започвам (zapochvam)	стартирам (startiram)	I start
в брой (v broy)	в кеш (v kesh)	in cash
връзка (vrazka)	контакт (kontakt)	contact
положение (polozhenie)	ситуация (situatsiya)	situation
място (myasto)	локация (lokatsiya)	location
среща с журналисти (sreshta s zhurnalisti)	брифинг (brifing)	briefing
финансова проверка (finansova proverka)	одит (odit)	audit
наблюдение (nablyudenie)	мониторинг (monitoring)	monitoring
майстор-готвач (maystor-gotvach)	мастър-шеф (mastar-shef)	chef
курс (kurs)	мастър-клас (mastar-klas)	master class
изложба (izlozhba)	експозиция (ekspozitsiya)	exposition
събитие (sabitie)	евент (event)	event
представяне (predstavyane)	презентация (prezentatsiya)	presentation
осъществявам (osashtestvyavam)	реализирам (realiziram)	I realize / I achieve
представление (predstavlenie)	шоу (shou)	show
съдържание (sadarzhanie)	контент (kontent)	content
желание (zhelaniye)	мотивация (motivatsiya)	motivation

→ If you would like to learn useful Bulgarian phrases to use in your conversations with Bulgarian business partners, you can take a look at our list of Essential Phrases for Doing Business Successfully.

→ Also see our free vocabulary lists on Jobs / Work and The Workplace for some practical supplementary vocab!

English Words Used in the Bulgarian IT Sector

The Bulgarian IT sector is probably the field that’s most influenced by English terminology. This is understandable, since computer science borrows heavily from the English language. As a result, foreigners will be able to quickly recognize these famous English words in Bulgarian. Take a look at these examples, keeping in mind that the Bulgarian versions are pronounced almost identically to the original English words. 

English Word	Bulgarian Equivalent
organizer	органайзер (organayzer)
timer	таймер (taymer)
scanner	скенер (skener)
printer	принтер (printer)
router	рутер (ruter)
monitor	монитор (monitor)
sensitive	сензитивен (senzitiven)
canceling	канселиране (kanselirane)
to click	кликам (clikam)
developer	дивелъпър (diveloper)
digital	дигитален (digitalen)
header	хедър (heder)
font	фонт (font)
user	юзър (user)

→ Here is another useful list of Bulgarian Words Related to Computers.

English Words Used in Professional Terminology

There are many newly coined words and phrases related to professional terminology that originate from the English language. Here is a list of some of the most popular English words in Bulgarian that may sound very familiar to you.

English Word	Bulgarian Equivalent
voucher	ваучер (vaucher)
action	екшън (ekshan)
integration	интеграция (integratsiya)
globalization	глобализация (globalizatsiya)
anti-globalism	антиглобализъм (antiglobalizam)
Euroscepticism	евроскептицизъм (evroskeptitsizam)
dollarization	доларизация (dolarizatsiya)
sponsor	спонсор (sponsor)
image	имидж (imidzh)
logo	лого (logo)
training	тренинг (trening)
trend	тренд (trend)
media	медия (mediya)
weekend	уикенд (uikend)

→ Want to learn more vocabulary related to the professional world? You can get acquainted with 20 Common Bulgarian Words for Occupations on our website.

World-Famous Celebrity Names Translated to Bulgarian

Have you ever wondered how Bulgarians pronounce the names of world-famous celebrities? Then you’re going to enjoy this section! 

Celebrity names are most often transliterated into Bulgarian instead of receiving a brand-new translation. We’ll provide you with some examples of how this works, using the names of several popular celebrities. 

★ Before proceeding, we would like to give you a task: Cover the right side of the screen with a sheet of paper in order to hide the English translation of the names, and read them in Bulgarian on the left side. Try to guess who they are and then check the answers in the right column. Good luck!

Bulgarian Names of Celebrities	English Names of Celebrities
Бийонсе	Beyoncé
Дуейн Джонсън	Dwayne Johnson
Тейлър Суифт	Taylor Swift
Дженифър Анистън	Jennifer Aniston
Анджелина Джоли	Angelina Jolie
Том Ханкс	Tom Hanks
Брад Пит	Brad Pitt
Риана	Rihanna
Уил Смит	Will Smith
Леонардо ди Каприо	Leonardo DiCaprio
Ким Кардашян	Kim Kardashian
Джони Деп	Johnny Depp
Джъстин Бийбър	Justin Bieber
Бен Афлек	Ben Affleck
Мадона	Madonna
Джулия Робъртс	Julia Roberts

How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn More Bulgarian

BulgarianPod101 was created with one goal in mind: to help people learn Bulgarian more easily. We know how tough a foreign language can seem, but we believe that the process of learning can be fun and simple. In fact, that’s why we put together this overview of English words in the Bulgarian language—this way you can start adding words you already know to your Bulgarian vocabulary arsenal. And as you can see, they are not few!

If you believe that at this stage of your learning, you need a professional native Bulgarian teacher to give you individualized assignments and guidance, then you might be interested in our MyTeacher service for Premium PLUS members.

We hope that you were able to successfully complete the task about celebrity names. If not, don’t get discouraged—just head over to our Alphabet lesson where you’ll find our Free Guide to Beginner Bulgarian. 

Before you go, please share with us whether you found this article useful and how you did guessing the celebrity names. We’re always happy to read your comments and help out the best we can!

Just like every other country in the world, Bulgaria has a very specific culture influenced by its past and origins. The history of Bulgaria is fascinating and sheds some light on the various aspects of Bulgarian culture and customs, from the way Bulgarians live to their mindset and common character traits. Learners of the Bulgarian language can greatly benefit from knowing more about this country, which some consider to be “The Cradle of Civilization.”

BulgarianPod101 invites you to join us on this intriguing adventure through the culture of Bulgaria. Who knows, maybe this special overview of Bulgarian culture will prompt you to come and experience everything for yourself!

Table of Contents

1. How Bulgarian History Has Influenced Our Culture
2. Philosophies and Religions
3. Family & Work
4. Art
5. The Hospitality of Bulgarian People
6. Traditional Bulgarian Holidays
7. Cultural Taboos
8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian

1. How Bulgarian History Has Influenced Our Culture

Bulgaria boasts a long history that has influenced its folklore and ancient rituals, some of which are still preserved to this day. The nation’s religious background has also shaped the character, traditions, and cuisine of the Bulgarian people. Let’s explore the relationship between Bulgarian history and culture in more detail.

What makes Bulgaria special?

Bulgaria is a country located on the Black Sea’s western shore. This land is full of riches and has a very diverse landscape. Here you will find fruitful plains, valleys, and lowlands where lush rivers flow, as well as multiple seaside summer resorts, rural villages, ancient settlements, and high mountains and mountain ranges. The territory of Bulgaria includes all types of relief, and the diversity of its natural resources attracts millions of tourists every year.

Bulgaria is definitely a place worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. Just imagine: spending a nice summer vacation at the beach or by a swimming pool…taking advantage of healing thermal springs and mud baths…exploring artifacts left by the ancient Thracians, Romans, Greeks, and Proto-Bulgarians…or even enjoying mountain resorts that are open to tourists year-round. Yes, please!

History of Bulgaria

According to ancient historical reports, Bulgarian territory was once inhabited by different tribes who built settlements here as early as 500 BC. They were united by the Odrysian King Teres and later conquered by Alexander the Great. Then, in 46 AD, the Roman Empire took possession of the land, followed by the Byzantine Empire in the fifth century.

The First Bulgarian Empire began in 681 when a treaty with Byzantium was concluded. The first Bulgarian capital was the city of Pliska, and the country was ruled by Khans, who expanded the nation’s territory and strength.

A noble moment in early Bulgarian history was the Bulgarian people’s baptism in the Christian faith. Prior to this, Bulgarians believed in various pagan gods. The Christianization of Bulgaria began in 864, thanks to Khan Boris (who then received the title Knyaz). During the reign of his son Simeon the Great, Bulgaria entered its Golden Age and expanded its territory to reach three seas: the Aegean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, and the Black Sea.

The First Bulgarian Empire ended in 1018 when the Byzantine conquered the entire territory. However, in 1185 the Asen dynasty built the Second Bulgarian Empire after a successful revolt. Unfortunately, this empire also fell, being conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the fourteenth century.

The Ottoman Yoke continued for five centuries, during which there were many unsuccessful revolts. The most popular of them was the 1876 April Uprising, which was severely suppressed by the Ottomans; this resulted in thousands of victims from the Bulgarian population. One year later, in 1877, Russia declared a war against the Ottomans and helped Bulgarians liberate their land. This is how the Third Bulgarian State was established in 1878.

In 1946, Bulgaria became a communist republic. The communist regime remained until late 1989 and was followed by a democracy. This was when Bulgaria opened to the entire world. In the thirty years that followed, Bulgarian culture, customs, art, and heritage were promoted and gained worldwide fame. In 2004, Bulgaria joined NATO; in 2007, it became a European Union member.

→ To gain even more insight into Bulgarian history and culture, you can head over to our lesson on Historical Figures!

Influence on Bulgarian culture

Bulgarian culture and traditions have been greatly influenced by those of the Thracians, Slavs, and Bulgars. After Bulgaria’s Christianization, the Eastern Orthodox Church also began to shape the culture, though numerous ancient customs were preserved and are now recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Examples include the Thracian barefoot ember dancing known as Nestinarstvo, the dance of the Kukeri, Bulgarian Folklore, and Martenitsa. 

The Bulgarian folkloric tradition is so strong that it has influenced many fields, including art, music, literature, celebrations, and even the daily lives of Bulgarians in certain territories of the country.

→ Are you interested in learning more about the History of the Bulgarian Language? Then make sure you check out our relevant lesson to gain more insight on the topic.

2. Philosophies and Religions

Religion plays an important role in society, which makes it a key component in understanding Bulgarian culture. In this section, we’ll look at the different ethnic groups in Bulgaria, the prominent religions of the past, and what religion looks like in modern Bulgaria.

Ethnic groups in Bulgaria

Obviously, the majority of Bulgaria’s population consists of Bulgarians, who make up 76.9% of the total population. Turkish people make up another 8% and Romani 4.4%. These are the main ethnic groups in the country. However, you can find many other ethnic groups in different parts of the country, which amount in total to more than 10% of the population. These include Greeks, Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Vlachs, etc.

It is interesting to note that in recent years, morе and more foreigners from Western Europe are settling in the rural areas of Bulgaria. They prefer to live in this country, or to spend long summer vacations here.

Before moving on, let’s look at the population’s age demographics:

Age	%
<14	14.6%
15 to 24	9.43%
25 to 40	43.12%
55 to 64	13.3%
65+	19.54%

Religions in the past

As we mentioned earlier, ancient Bulgars practiced paganism. They believed in the pagan god Tangra, which is why their religion was called Tengrism. The Slavs and the Thracians who also inhabited this land worshipped different pagan gods, which created a sort of separation between the groups. This separation made them unable to withstand attacks from their surrounding enemies in the face of Byzantium. 

One of the main reasons Khan Boris I decided to introduce Christianity into the state was to unite these different tribes into one strong nation. And he succeeded. The unity created by this new religion caused the Byzantine Empire and other great nations to recognize Bulgaria as a kingdom.

Religions in Bulgaria today

The main religion in Bulgaria is still Eastern Orthodox Christianity, to which about 60% of the population adheres. Some of the minorities in the country, such as Russians, Romanians, Greeks, Ukrainians, and Armenians also practice this religion. The Bulgarian Calendar is rich in Orthodox holidays, some of which we’ll discuss later in this lesson.

Islam is Bulgaria’s second largest religion with about 8% of the total population identifying as Muslim. This portion of the population mainly consists of Turkish people, Pomaks, and Roma. There are many villages and cities in Bulgaria with mosques.

Only 0.8% of the Bulgarian population identifies as Catholic; 0.9% (and the number is growing) are Protestants. It is interesting to note that after communism ended, the membership of various Protestant churches in Bulgaria tripled in a matter of ten years. This was due to the foreign missionaries who converted many atheists and Muslims to Christianity. Today, about 10% of Bulgarians are declared atheists or agnostics.

3. Family & Work

In any country, work and family life play significant roles in society. Let’s explore the different facets of work and family in Bulgaria!

Family Values

The most popular family structure in Bulgaria is the nuclear family. Couples normally have one or two children, and it’s rare to see a Bulgarian family with more than three children (with the exception of Roma families). 

During the years of communism, family was among the most important values in Bulgaria. In those times, 95% of women believed that a full and satisfying life could be obtained only by having a family. Before democracy was declared in 1989, there were almost no divorces in the country; the few that did happen were looked upon with resentment by society. Things have changed since the start of our democracy and the number of divorces has reached about 10,000 per year. 

Western culture has significantly influenced Bulgarian society. According to some sociologists, this has led to the degradation of family values and has made cohabitation a popular choice. In 2011, about 82% of young people aged between 20 and 30 preferred to stay unmarried.

Another change in society is reflected in the relationship between younger and older generations. In the past, elders were widely respected and their children took care of them. Nowadays, the intense speed of our daily routines, as well as the deviation from our traditional family values, have made more and more people rely on hospices and homes to take care of their elderly parents.

Working in Bulgaria

There has been a recent increase in the number of working people over 45 years of age in Bulgaria, which is a logical consequence of the nation’s aging demographics. Another interesting fact about Bulgarian work culture is that more and more Bulgarians who emigrated to work in foreign countries are returning to Bulgaria. While Bulgaria still has a low salary standard compared to other European countries, the salary is gradually increasing in some sectors, such as IT and outsourcing. This is a motivating factor for job seekers. 

The bigger the city, the more jobs there are available. This means that it is more difficult for people who live in the countryside to find a job. Usually, they cultivate the land and raise livestock to produce and sell food.

Bulgaria as an agricultural country

Agriculture is well-developed in Bulgaria and the country is an exporter of many kinds of agricultural products. These include different kinds of cereals, technical crops, vegetables, fruits, viticulture, herbs, honey, and even edible mushrooms. The most common cereals include wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Other popular crops include beans, rice, corn, lentils, and alfalfa. 

Bulgaria is one of the biggest producers of rose oil and lavender oil in the world. The country is also famous for its tasty and quality dessert and wine grapes. The country’s climate is favorable for an abundance of vegetables and fruits, such as: 

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Peppers
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Carrots
• Apples
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Cherries
• Sour cherries
• Watermelons
• Melons 
• All kinds of berries

As for livestock, Bulgarians grow sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, horses, and so on. As a consequence, over 250 thousand tons of milk, 211 thousand tons of meat, and 1.2 million eggs are produced yearly.

4. Art

Bulgarians have contributed to the world’s art development through their great athletes, musicians, opera singers, writers, actors, artists, sculptors, and other personalities who have dedicated their lives to art. Let’s look at three areas of Bulgarian art for which the country is especially famous.

Traditional Bulgarian music

Bulgarian folk music is unique not only because of the special folk instruments used to perform it, but also because of its irregular rhythms, complex harmonies, and the difficulty of the performance. In previous centuries, Bulgarians lived mainly in rural areas, where this was the most popular type of music they created and listened to. Many of the songs and melodies have been passed down from generation to generation until today. 

Among the most common musical instruments used in Bulgarian folk music are: 

• the gaida (a goatling- or lamb-skin bagpipe)
• the kaval (an end-blown flute)
• the gadulka (a bowed stringed instrument)
• the tupan (а large double-headed drum)
• the tambura (similar to the mandolin)

There are some Bulgarian villages and small towns that have special schools or clubs to teach children and young people how to play these instruments.

One of the most famous Bulgarian folk singers is Valya Balkanska, who was awarded with the highest Bulgarian award “Orden Stara Planina” in 2002. The song Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin, which she performed in 1977, was selected as part of the Golden Record located aboard the two identical spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. It is a part of a sound message that the Earth is sending to potential civilizations in the universe. You can hear this popular song here.

Popular sports

Many Bulgarians have gained worldwide fame thanks to their incredible achievements in the world of sports.

Let’s start with Hristo Stoichkov, who is the best-known Bulgarian soccer player of all time. His achievements were so great that many foreigners started to associate Bulgaria with his name. Other popular soccer players of Bulgaria are Dimitar Berbatov and the deceased Georgi Asparuhov, known as Gundi.

Among the most popular Bulgarian boxers are Kubrat Pulev and the late Dan Kolov. Kolov was the first European freestyle wrestling champion from Bulgaria and a mixed martial artist who lived most of his life in the USA.

Another famous name is that of the Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov, who won the World Chess Championship in 2005 and 2006. Fans of tennis will also be familiar with the name Grigor Dimitrov. Finally, we should mention Stefka Kostadinova, whose World Record of a 209-centimeter high jump in 1987 still remains unbeaten.

Bulgarian literature

There are many notable Bulgarian writers. We’ll start by mentioning Paisiy Hilendarski, who wrote Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya in 1762, which was the first written report of Bulgarian history up to that time. Some of the more popular writers include Ivan Vazov with his famous novel Under The Yoke, Emiliyan Stanev with The Peach Thief, and Nikolay Haytov, whose book Wild Stories is included in the Historical Collection of UNESCO.

5. The Hospitality of Bulgarian People

Bulgaria, among other Balkan nations, is famous for its hospitality. Sometimes, Bulgarians еven invite strangers and random visitors for lunch or dinner. However, this kind of hospitality is seen less in the cities and more in rural villages like Ribaritsa (the longest Bulgarian village in Stara Planina), Delchevo (a beautiful village in Pirin, where instead of “Hello,” old people greet with “God bless you”), Leshten (with its nineteenth-century architectural style), Kovachevitsa, and Ognyanovo (where a popular thermal spring is located).

People who offer you hospitality might be offended if you don’t accept their invitation, so it is polite to accept it. Once you enter their home, you are considered a friend. Bulgarians can be very curious about how foreigners live, so be prepared to answer their multiple questions about your country. You can also expect them to reciprocate: most Bulgarians are very garrulous, so you’ll be able to learn many things about Bulgaria in your conversation with them.

Bulgarians who invite foreigners are usually happy to prepare traditional Bulgarian food for them to sample. Common dishes include tarator, banitsa, guvech, and shkembe chorba. This would be a great chance to try authentic Bulgarian dishes cooked by a skilled homemaker who would probably be happy to share the recipes with you—and even give you tips on how to cook them properly.

→ To learn more about the most popular Bulgarian foods and beverages, you can view our lesson on the Top 5 Bulgarian Foods and our vocabulary list titled What’s Your Favorite Bulgarian Food?

6. Traditional Bulgarian Holidays

Knowing about the most popular Bulgarian holidays will allow you to plan your visit for a period when the most important cultural events in Bulgaria are happening. Taking part in the festive atmosphere will help you experience the culture, personality, and history of this country better. However, be aware that some restaurants and shops, and most public institutions, are closed during the official holidays.

Liberation Day (March 3)

This day celebrates the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 from the Ottoman Rule. This took place after the Russian Empire won the last Russian-Turkish War. From that day on, Bulgaria was a free country again.

St. George’s Day (May 6)

May 6 is associated with the Christian martyr St. George, who killed the dragon. In Bulgaria, it is also celebrated as the day of the Bulgarian Army and bravery. To celebrate, Bulgarians usually prepare a whole lamb as a traditional meal for the entire family. Moreover, the name George (Георги) is very common in Bulgaria and those with this name celebrate their name day on May 6 as well.

Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet (May 24)

The alphabet created by the Slavonic brothers Cyril and Methodius is called Glagolitsa. It was later simplified by their students, who named the new alphabet after Cyril: Cyrillic alphabet. On May 24, all students and teachers in Bulgaria have a special celebration.

Easter

This is among the most important religious holidays in Bulgaria, celebrating the Resurrection of Christ. If you are in the country during this period, your Bulgarian friends will probably give you a painted hard-boiled egg and a special sweet Easter bread called kozunak.

→ In this article, you can learn more about another Bulgarian holiday related to Easter: Tsvetnitsa.

Christmas Eve (December 24)

This is another religious holiday in Bulgaria, celebrating the birth of Christ on Earth. According to Bulgarian traditions for this holiday, we only eat lean dishes on Christmas Eve, and there should be a specific number of dishes: 7, 9, or 11/12 different kinds. A festive bread or banitsa should be made with a coin hidden inside; whoever finds the coin in his piece is considered lucky and will have prosperity and health in the next year.

7. Cultural Taboos

Bulgarians accept people of different countries, social levels, professions, etc. They are generally open to foreigners, which is why the country is home to so many minorities from many different countries. But there are still a couple of things to consider in order to be polite while visiting someone’s house.

When you’re invited to be a guest in someone’s house, it is considered impolite to enter without taking off your shoes. Even Bulgarians take off their shoes when entering the home, even if the housewife insists that they don’t have to do that. This is a sign of respect toward the housewife’s work. She will probably offer you slippers, but some Bulgarians prefer to take their own slippers from home when visiting friends, so you could opt to do the same. It is also impolite to refuse any food or drink offered to you by the host.

8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian

There are certainly many fascinating aspects of Bulgarian culture, and we hope that our brief overview has inspired you to continue learning. There is so much more for you to discover, and the more you know Bulgaria, the more effective and immersive your language studies will be.

If you would like to continue studying the Bulgarian language with a personal teacher, you can choose one from MyTeacher by creating a Premium PLUS account. Native Bulgarian linguists will not only lead you through the grammar points, but will also share with you more interesting facts about Bulgarian history and culture. 

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there’s anything we missed in this lesson. Is there anything you still want to know about Bulgarian culture? We’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Many foreign language learners give up as soon as they reach the grammar. Learning grammar seems like Mission: Impossible to them!

But guess what? Thanks to BulgarianPod101, you can now learn all of the Bulgarian grammar basics in a fun and easy-to-understand way. We think that the most challenging part of your language learning journey should also be the most fun and intriguing! 

On this page, you’ll find a breakdown of the most important Bulgarian grammar rules. We’ll cover topics ranging from word order to tenses, providing you with insight and examples to make your learning experience as painless as possible. Make sure to complete each of the Bulgarian grammar exercises we’ve included, as they will help you better understand the rules and how to apply them.

Table of Contents

1. General Rules
2. Vocabulary
3. Special Grammar Point 1: Gender
4. Special Grammar Point 2: Number
5. Special Grammar Point 3: Definite Articles
6. Special Grammar Point 4: Case
7. Special Grammar Point 5: Tenses
8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn More Bulgarian
9. Answers to the Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises

1. General Rules

Before we move on to the heavy stuff, let’s go over a couple of basic Bulgarian grammar points every learner should be familiar with: word order and vocabulary.

Word Order

Let’s start with word order and how to properly build Bulgarian sentences. We have good news for you: Bulgarian word order is flexible, so you have fewer chances to make a mistake! The rather free word order of Bulgarian is possible thanks to subject-verb agreement. Take the following example:

• Той (S) видя (V) момичето (O) в далечината (A).
  Toy vidya momicheto v dalechinata.
  “He saw the girl in the distance.”

So the pattern of this sentence is:

S (Subject) + V (Verb) + O (Object) + A (Adjunct)

Now, let’s try to change the word order of the same sentence and see what the possible options are.

• В далечината той видя момичето.
  V dalechinata toy vidya momicheto.
  “In the distance, he saw the girl.”
  A + S + V + O

• Момичето той видя в далечината.
  Momicheto toy vidya v dalechinata.
  “The girl he saw in the distance.”
  O + S + V + A

• Той видя в далечината момичето.
  Toy vidya v dalechinata momicheto.
  “He saw in the distance the girl.”
  S + V + A + O
  
  You can find more insight on this topic in our Bulgarian word order article!

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Word Order

Do you like puzzle games? The following word order task is very similar to completing a puzzle, so why not try it? 

We’ll give you a sentence with its pattern explanation. Your task is to change the order of the words in that sentence according to the patterns we list. 

If you can’t wait till the end to check whether your answers are correct, you can scroll directly to the bottom of this page and find the answers under the appropriate heading.

Here’s your exercise:

• Ана (S) занесе (V) цветя (O) на майка си (A).
  Ana zanese tsvetya na mayka si.
  “Anna brought flowers to her mother.”

The pattern of the sentence above is:

S + V + O + A

Now, try to change the order of the sentence to follow each of these patterns:

S + V + A + O
O + V + S + A 
A + S + V + O

Done? Great!

Now, try to translate the following sentence into Bulgarian:

• I study the Bulgarian language from a textbook.

After you’re done, change the word order to match these English equivalents:

1. From a textbook I study the Bulgarian language.
2. The Bulgarian language I study from a textbook.
3. I study from a textbook the Bulgarian language.

When you’re ready, try to make a scheme for each Bulgarian sentence, the same way they’re done above. The answers can be found at the very end of this article.

2. Vocabulary

Another crucial element of Bulgarian grammar for beginners to learn early is the vocabulary. Here, we’ll briefly look at the different parts of speech.

Parts of Speech	Bulgarian	English
Nouns	жена (zhena)	woman
Adjectives	красив (krasiv)	beautiful
Verbs	вървя (varvya)	to go
Adverbs	бавно (bavno)	slowly
Pronouns: Personal	аз, ти, той, тя, то, ние, вие, те (az, ti, toy, tya, to, nie, vie, te)	I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they
Pronouns: Demonstrative	това (tova)	this
Pronouns: Possessive	мой, твой, негов, неин, негов, наш, ваш, техен (moy, tvoy, negov, nein, nash, vash, tehen)	my, yours, his, her, its, our, yours, theirs
Conjunctions	и, но  (i, no)	and, but
Prepositions	в, над, зад, пред, под, между (v, nad, zad, pred, pod, mezhdu)	in, over, behind, before, under, between

Now, let’s try to make Bulgarian sentences using the words from the table above.

Adjective + Noun
красива жена
krasiva zhena
“beautiful woman”

Noun + Verb + Adjective
Жената е красива.
Zhenata e krasiva.
“The woman is beautiful.”

Noun + Verb + Adverb 
Жената върви бавно.
Zhenata varvi bavno.
“The woman walks slowly.”

Adjective + Noun + Verb + Adverb 
Красивата жена върви бавно.
Krasivata zhena varvi bavno.
“The beautiful woman walks slowly.”

Demonstrative Pronoun + Verb + Possessive Pronoun + Noun
Това е моята жена.
Tova e moyata zhena.
“This is my wife.”

Personal Pronoun + Verb + Adjective + Noun
Аз съм красива жена.
Az sam krasiva zhena.
“I am a beautiful woman.”

Adjective + Noun + Verb + Adverb + Preposition + Noun
Красивата жена върви бавно в парка.
Krasivata zhena varvi bavno v parka.
“The beautiful woman walks slowly in the park.”

→ Are you struggling to memorize vocabulary? See BulgarianPod101’s lesson How Do You Remember Bulgarian Words? for some great suggestions on how to improve your memorization!

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Vocabulary

Now, it’s your turn to practice. First, study this table.

Parts of Speech	Bulgarian	English
Nouns	мъж (mazh)	man
Adjectives	умен (umen)	smart
Verbs	работя (rabotya)	to work
Adverbs	бързо (barzo)	quickly
Pronouns: Personal	аз, ти, той, тя, то, ние, вие, те (az, ti, toy, tya, to, nie, vie, te)	I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they
Pronouns: Demonstrative	този [for masculine] (tozi)	this
Pronouns: Possessive	мой, твой, негов, неин, негов, наш, ваш, техен (moy, tvoy, negov, nein, nash, vash, tehen)	mine, yours, his, her, its, ours, yours, theirs
Conjunctions	и, но (i, no)	and, but
Prepositions	в, над, зад, пред, под, между (v, nad, zad, pred, pod, mezhdu)	in, over, behind, before, under, between

Now, write the following phrases and sentences in Bulgarian:

Adjective + Noun  
smart man

Noun + Verb + Adjective
The man is smart.

Noun + Verb + Adverb 
The man works quickly.

Adjective + Noun + Verb + Adverb 
The smart man works quickly.

Demonstrative Pronoun + Noun + Verb + Possessive Pronoun
This man is mine.

Personal Pronouns + Verb + Adjective + Noun
You are a smart man.

3. Special Grammar Point 1: Gender

Like many languages, Bulgarian has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. A word’s gender can often be determined by its ending. 

1. Nouns of masculine gender typically end in a consonant

Examples:

➢ мъж (mаzh) – man
➢ син (sin) – son
➢ стол (stol) – chair
➢ кон (kon) – horse

2. Nouns of feminine gender typically have the endings -а/-я

Examples:

➢ жена (zhena) – woman
➢ ябълка (yabalka) – apple
➢ кола (kola) – car
➢ чиния (chiniya) – plate

3. Nouns of neuter gender typically have the endings -е/-о

Examples:

➢ море (more) – sea
➢ поле (pole) – field
➢ месо (meso) – meat
➢ село (selo) – village

There are some exceptions for each grammatical gender that you should take into account. These are:

Exceptions for the masculine gender

Some common nouns of masculine gender may have the endings -а or -я.

➢ баща (bashta) – father
➢ старшина (starshina) – sergeant-major
➢ съдия (sadiya) – judge

Other nouns of masculine gender may have the ending -о (when they refer to close relatives) or -и (when they refer to months of the year).

➢ чичо (chicho) – uncle
➢ дядо (dyado) – grandpa
➢ януари (yanuari) – January
➢ февруари (fevruari) – February

You can learn more of these words in our article on How To Talk About Family in Bulgarian and our vocabulary list for Talking About Months in Bulgarian!

Exceptions for the feminine gender

Some common nouns of feminine gender may have the endings -ст or -есен.

➢ младост (mladost) – youth
➢ радост (radost) – joy
➢ песен (pesen) – song
➢ есен (esen) – autumn

Some common nouns of feminine gender may end in a consonant.

➢ любов (lyubov) – love
➢ нощ (nosht) – night
➢ смрад (smrad) – stink

Exceptions for the neuter gender

Some common nouns of neuter gender may end in -и, -у, or -ю. Usually, these words have a foreign origin.

➢ такси (taksi) – taxi
➢ жури (zhuri) – jury
➢ бижу (bizhu) – jewel

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Genders

Now, try to categorize the following words into the table below based on their gender:

крак, младост, воля, корен, море, селище, колело, кожа, кино, мрак, мравка, такси, март, нощ, чичо, корона, слънце, януари, бижу, корен, майка, баща, обица, бюро

Masculine gender	Feminine gender	Neuter gender
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.
.	.	.

4. Special Grammar Point 2: Number

Bulgarian language grammar recognizes nouns as being either singular or plural. 

It’s interesting to note that Old Bulgarian also had the so-called dual number, which ended in -a. It was used for referring to a pair of things. Today, it’s still used for countable nouns of masculine gender, but only for inanimate objects. Animated objects end in -и when in their countable forms. Here are a few examples:

Singular	Countable Noun Form	Plural
стол  stol “a chair”	пет стола  pet stola “five chairs”	много столове  mnogo stolove “many chairs”
домат  domat “a tomato”	два домата  dva domata “two tomatoes”	много домати  mnogo domati “many tomatoes”

Let’s now look at the endings for plural and singular nouns for each gender:

	Singular	Plural
Masculine gender Samples:	-consonant студент (student) – student кон (kon) – horse стол (stol) – chair	-и, -е, ове студенти (studenti) – student sконе (kone) – horses столове (stolove) – chairs
Feminine gender Samples:	-а, -я, -ст, -есен вода (voda) – water чиния (chiniya) – plate радост (radost) – joy песен (pesen) – song	-и води (vodi) – waters чинии (chiniyi) – plates радости (radosti) – joys песни (pesni) – songs
Neuter gender Samples:	-о, -е, -и, -у, -ю село (selo) – village море (more) – sea такси (taxi) – taxi бижу (bizhu) – jewel	-а, -та села (sela) – villages морета (moreta) – seas таксита (taxita) – taxies бижута (bizhuta) – jewelry

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Number

Try to make the plural form of the following nouns:

майка –
баща –
кино –
такси –
мравка –
обица –
слънце –
корен –
кожа –
море –

*Tip: If you find it difficult, you can refer to the previous exercise to see the gender of these nouns first. You can also check the correct answers at the end of this page.

5. Special Grammar Point 3: Definite Articles

In contrast to English and other languages where the definite article is written in front of the word, the definite article in Bulgarian is postfixed and looks like this:

	Indefinite	Definite
Masculine gender Samples:	студент (student) – student кон (kon) – horse	Definite article: –ът, -ят студентът (studentat) – the student конят (konyat) – the horse
Feminine gender Samples:	вода (voda) – water чиния (chiniya) – plate радост (radost) – joy	Definite article: –та водата (vodata) – the water чинията (chiniyata) – the plate радостта (radostta) – the joy
Neuter gender Samples:	село (selo) – village море (more) – sea такси (taxi) – taxi	-тo селото (sela) – the village морето (moreta) – the sea таксито (taxita) – the taxi

Note that the definite article for plural nouns is -те for masculine and feminine, and -та for neuter gender.

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Definite Articles

Let’s return to our list from the previous section and try to add a definite article to each word. Please note that although баща (bashta), or “father,” is masculine, we add the feminine definite article to it because of its -a ending.

майка –
баща –
кино –
такси –
мравка –
обица –
слънце –
корен –
кожа –
море –

Once you complete the task above, make a summary of what you’ve learned so far by filling in the following table. The first row is filled out for you as an example.

*Tip: Determine the correct definite articles by looking at your answers from Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Number where you made the list of singular words plural.

Singular	Singular- Definite	Plural	Plural – Definite
майка	майката	майки	майките
баща
кино
такси
мравка
обица
слънце
корен
кожа
море

6. Special Grammar Point 4: Case

In Bulgarian grammar, cases are used only for personal nouns. There are three cases:

• Nominative – аз, ти, той, тя, то, ние, вие, те
• Accusative – ме, те, го, я, го, ни, ми, ги
• Dative – ми, ти, му, й, му, ни, ви, им

Here’s a table with translations to make things clearer:

Nominative	Accusative	Dative
аз – I	ме – me	ми – to me
ти – you	тe – you	ти – to you
той – he	го – him	му – to him
тя – she	я – her	й – to her
то – it	го – it	му – to it
ние – we	ни – us	ни – to us
вие – you	ви – you	ви – to you
те – they	ги – them	им – to them

Examples:

• Аз го попитах как се чувства. (го – Accusative)
  Az go popitah kak se chuvstva.
  “I asked him how he was feeling.”

• Аз му дадох моята книга. (му – Dative)
  Az mu dadoh moyata kniga.
  “I gave my book to him.”

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Case

Use the table and examples above to translate the following sentences into Bulgarian:

• He asked her how he was feeling. (Accusative)
• She gave my book to me. (Dative)
• We asked them how they were feeling. (Accusative)
• They gave the book to us. (Dative)

7. Special Grammar Point 5: Tenses

The toughest part of Bulgarian grammar is related to the tenses. There are nine main tenses, but the most used ones are present tense, future tense, past aorist tense, and past imperfect tense. 

Let’s see all nine tenses in a table:

Bulgarian Tenses	Example	Translation
Present tense	Аз уча български. Az ucha balgarski.	“I study Bulgarian.”
Future tense	Аз ще уча български. Az shte ucha balgarski.	“I will study Bulgarian.”
Past aorist tense	Аз учих български. Az uchih balgarski.	“I studied Bulgarian.”
Past imperfect tense	Аз учех български. Az ucheh balgarski.	“I was studying Bulgarian.”
Past future tense	Аз щях да уча български. Az shtyah da ucha balgarski.	“I was going to study Bulgarian.”
Present perfect tense	Аз съм учил български. Az sam uchil balgarski.	“I have studied Bulgarian.”
Past perfect tense	Аз бях учил български. Az byah uchil balgarski.	“I had studied Bulgarian.”
Future perfect tense	Аз ще съм учил български. Az shte sam uchil balgarski.	“I will have studied Bulgarian.”
Past future perfect tense	Аз щях да съм учил български. Az shtyah da sam uchil balgarski.	“I would have studied Bulgarian.”

Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Tenses

Now, let’s practice tenses! Think of it as a game. Just take the table above and change the verb уча (ucha), or “study,” with ходя (hodya), meaning “go.” 

Bulgarian Tenses	Example	Translation
Present tense	Аз ходя в парка. Az hodya в parka.	“I walk in the park.”
Future tense		“I will walk in the park.”
Past aorist tense		“I walked in the park.”
Past imperfect tense		“I was walking in the park.”
Past future tense		“I was going to walk in the park.”
Present perfect tense		“I have walked in the park.”
Past perfect tense		“I had walked in the park.”
Future perfect tense		“I will have walked in the park.”
Past future perfect tense		“I would have walked in the park.”

8. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn More Bulgarian

BulgarianPod101 prepared this extensive guide to the basic Bulgarian grammar rules to help you more easily get used to this foreign language. We hope that you found our overview helpful and have successfully completed all of the practical exercises. However, if you still have any questions or concerns about a topic we covered, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible! 

Do you feel ready to learn Bulgarian grammar in more detail? 

We provide a range of learning tools and materials for learners at every level. From free vocabulary lists to audio and video lessons, there’s something for everyone on BulgarianPod101.com. 

You can also choose your own Bulgarian teacher from MyTeacher when you sign up for a Premium PLUS account. Your teacher will help you successfully overcome all the grammar challenges you might encounter. 

And now, let’s check your answers!

9. Answers to the Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Word Order

• Ана занесе цветя на майка си.
  Ana zanese tsvetya na mayka si.
  “Anna brought flowers to her mother.”
  S + V + O + A

Answers

S + V + A + O
Ана занесе на майка си цветя.
Ana zanese na mayka si tsvetya.
“Anna brought to her mother flowers.”

O + V + S + A 
Цветя занесе Ана на майка си.
Tsvetya zanese Ana na mayka si.
“Flowers brought Anna to her mother.”

A + S + V + O
На майка си Ана занесе цветя.
Na mayka si Ana zanese tsvetya.
“To her mother Anna brought flowers.”

I study the Bulgarian language from a textbook.
Аз уча български език от учебник.
Az ucha balgarski ezik ot uchebnik.
S + V + O + A

From a textbook study I the Bulgarian language.
От учебник аз уча български език.
Ot uchebnik az ucha balgarski ezik.
A + S + V + O

The Bulgarian language I study from a textbook.
Български език аз уча от учебник.
Balgarski ezik az ucha ot uchebnik.
O + S + V + A

I study from a textbook the Bulgarian language.
Аз уча от учебник български език.
Az ucha ot uchebnik balgarski ezik.
S + V + A + O

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Vocabulary

Adjective + Noun  
smart man
умен мъж
umen mazh

Noun + Verb + Adjective
The man is smart.
Мъжът е умен.
Mazhat e umen.

Noun + Verb + Adverb 
The man works quickly.
Мъжът работи бързо.
Mazhat raboti barzo.

Adjective + Noun + Verb + Adverb 
The smart man works quickly.
Умният мъж работи бързо.
Umniyat mаzh raboti barzo.

Demonstrative Pronoun + Noun + Verb + Possessive Pronoun
This man is mine.
Този мъж е мой.
Tozi mazh e moy.

Personal Pronouns + Verb + Adjective + Noun 
You are a smart man.
Ти си умен мъж.
Ti si umen mazh.

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Genders

Masculine gender	Feminine gender	Neuter gender
крак	младост	кино
корен	воля	море
мрак	кожа	селище
март	мравка	колело
чичо	нощ	такси
януари	корона	бижу
корен	майка	бюро
баща	обица	слънце

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Number

майка – майки 
баща – бащи
кино – кина
такси – таксита
мравка – мравки
обица – обици
слънце – слънца
корен – корени
кожа – кожи море – морета

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Definite Articles

майка – майката 
баща – бащата
кино – кинотo
такси – такситo
мравка – мравката 
обица – обицата 
воля – волята 
слънце – слънцетo
корен – коренът
кожа – кожата
море – моретo

Singular	Singular- Definite	Plural	Plural – Definite
майка	майката	майки	майките
баща	бащата	бащи	бащите
кино	киното	кина	кината
такси	таксито	таксита	такситата
мравка	мравката	мравки	мравките
обица	обицата	обици	обиците
слънце	слънцето	слънца	слънцата
корен	коренът	корени	корените
кожа	кожата	кожаи	кожите
море	морето	морета	моретата

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Cases

• He asked her how he was feeling. (Accusative)
  Той я попита как се чувства. (я – Accusative)
  (Toy ya popita kak se chuvstva)

• She gave my book to me. (Dative)
  Тя ми даде моята книга. (ми – Dative)
  Tya mi dade moyata kniga.

• We asked them how they were feeling. (Accusative)
  Ние ги попитахме как се чувстват. (ги – Accusative)
  Nie gi popitahme kak se chuvstvat.

• They gave the book to us. (Dative)
  Тe ни дадоха книгата. (ни – Dative)
  Te ni dadoha knigata.

Answers to: Practical Bulgarian Grammar Exercises: Tenses

Bulgarian Tenses	Example	Translation
Present tense	Аз ходя в парка. Az hodya v parka.	“I walk in the park.”
Future tense	Аз ще ходя в парка. Az she hodya v parka.	“I will walk in the park.”
Past aorist tense	Аз ходих в парка. Az hodih v parka.	“I walked in the park.”
Past imperfect tense	Аз ходех в парка. Az hodeh v parka.	“I was walking in the park.”
Past future tense	Аз щях да ходя в парка. Az shtyah da hodya v parka.	“I was going to walk in the park.”
Present perfect tense	Аз съм ходил в парка. Az sam hodil v parka.	“I have walked in the park.”
Past perfect tense	Аз бях ходил в парка. Az byah hodil в parka.	“I had walked in the park.”
Future perfect tense	Аз ще съм ходил в парка. Az she sam hodil в parka.	“I will have walked in the park.”
Past future perfect tense	Аз щях да съм ходил в парка Az shtyah da sam hodil в parka.	“I would have walked in the park.”

Sometimes, life is not easy! Everyone has gone through many challenges in life. In such moments, it is helpful to know that other people have gone through the same things and overcame them successfully. 

In this article, we’ll show you Bulgarian quotes from some of the most popular Bulgarian heroes, poets, writers, and fighters for Bulgarian liberty who lost their lives without seeing their most cherished dream coming true. Their lives weren’t easy either, and their wisdom inspires the Bulgarian people to this day. 

The quotes in this article are from well-known Bulgarians who loved their country. One thing is for sure: after reading these inspirational Bulgarian quotes, you’ll definitely walk away with a better understanding of Bulgarian history and culture, which will help you a lot in your language studies. You’ll also get better acquainted with the authors of these amazing quotes and learn more about their life and works.

BulgarianPod101 has decided to divide the Bulgarian quotes in this comprehensive guide into different categories, from success to friendship and everything in-between. This will make it easier for you to find your favorite ones. Each of these Bulgarian expressions and quotes has been translated into English, which gives you the opportunity to learn more Bulgarian words and add them to your daily practice. So let the inspiration begin now!

Table of Contents

1. Quotes About Bulgaria
2. Quotes About Life
3. Quotes About Love
4. Quotes About Family
5. Quotes About Friendship
6. Quotes About Work
7. Quotes About Success
8. Quotes About Language Learning
9. How Can BulgarianPod101 Help You Learn Bulgarian?

1. Quotes About Bulgaria

We’ll start with quotes about Bulgaria simply because all of the legendary Bulgarians loved their country. Most of them died fighting to see it free from the Ottoman yoke. Some of their sayings reveal that their love for Bulgaria surpassed their love for their own families. Many of them were killed before they reached forty years of age. Let’s see how their deep love for Bulgaria is reflected in these quotes.

#1

Bulgarian	Опознай Родината, за да я обикнеш!(Opoznay Rodinata, za da ya obiknesh!)
Author	Aleko Konstantinov
Meaning	“Get to know your motherland and you will fall in love with it!”
Aleko Konstantinov is a popular Bulgarian writer who lived in the nineteenth century and whose pseudonym was Щастливеца (Shtastlivetsa), meaning “The Lucky Man.” His most popular books are Бай Ганьо (Bai Ganyo) and the travelogue До Чикаго и назад (To Chicago and Back).  Interestingly, the Lucky Man was not so lucky, as he was mistakenly killed by assassins at the age of 34, having swapped seats with a politician friend while on a journey. This quote of his is so popular that it can even be seen on some road signs while you travel across Bulgaria. Bulgaria boasts a beautiful and diverse natural environment, which looks like a piece of paradise. It’s worth traveling across the mountains, the rural areas, and the ancient cities to watch the wildlife and admire the crystal-clear rivers, the Black Sea resorts, and the majestic natural scenery. There are also great fields of wheat, corn, sunflowers, lavender, and vines. If you get to know Bulgaria, you’ll definitely fall in love with it!

#2

Bulgarian	Ако спечеля, печеля за цял народ—ако загубя, губя само мене си.(Ako spechelya, pechelya za tsyal narod—ako zagubya, gubya samo mene si.)
Author	Vasil Levski
Meaning	“If I win, I win for the whole nation—if I lose, I only lose myself.”
Vasil Levski is a national hero, also known as the Apostle of Freedom. He was a founder of the Internal Revolutionary Organization, whose goal was to unite all Bulgarians in the fight against the Ottoman Empire.  This quote reveals his belief that his death would not affect the nation, but that his victory would give Bulgaria its long sought-after freedom. He was killed before seeing his dreams come true, but his death was a loss for the whole nation. Levski remains one of Bulgaria’s most-loved national heroes.

#3

Bulgarian	Предателите на Отечеството не заслужават милост.(Predatelite na Otechestvoto ne zasluzhavat milost.)
Author	Stefan Stambolov
Meaning	“The Fatherland’s traitors deserve no mercy.”
Stefan Stambolov is probably one of the most popular Bulgarian politicians of the past, and he was also a poet, a journalist, and a revolutionist. After the liberation of Bulgaria, he was nominated a Prime Minister and regent. He, too, was killed by a group of assassins. His quote shows that he placed Bulgaria ahead of everything else and had no tolerance for traitors of the country. That’s probably why he was so loved by some people and hated by others.

#4

Bulgarian	Главата ми да отсекат, пак ще викам: “Да живее България!(Glavata mi da otsekat, pak shte vikam: “Da zhivee Balgariya!”)
Author	Nikolay Haytov
Meaning	“Even if they cut off my head, I will still shout: ‘Long live Bulgaria!’”
Nikolay Haytov was a popular fiction writer who lived in the twentieth century. This quote reveals his patriotism. Apart from his popular books, he wrote ten plays, 800 articles, and reviews. He also saw success as a screenplay writer, with his films and TV series being very popular.  It might be interesting for you to watch some of the most popular ones, among which are: The Goat Horn (1972)—which is considered one of the outstanding achievements of Bulgarian cinema—Manly Times (1977), and the Captain Petko Voivode series.

2. Quotes About Life

For most popular Bulgarian heroes, life meant Bulgaria and Bulgaria meant life. Still, there’s no shortage of Bulgarian quotes about life that touch on the various experiences and lessons we learn as we live.

#5

Bulgarian	Човек е дълго изречение, написано с много любов и вдъхновение, ала пълно с правописни грешки.(Chovek e dalgo izrechenie, napisano s mnogo lyubov i vdahnovenie, ala palno s pravopisni greshki.)
Author	Jordan Radichkov
Meaning	“A man is a long sentence, written with much love and inspiration, but full of spelling errors.”
Jordan Radichkov was another great Bulgarian writer of the twentieth century. He was also a dramatist, a screenwriter, and a representative of magical realism. This satirical quote reveals the essence of life in one short but wise saying.

#6

Bulgarian	Човек е роб на свойта воля, но господар на своето дело.(Chovek e rob na svoyta volya, no gospodar na svoeto delo.)
Author	Colonel Boris Drangov
Meaning	“The man is a slave of his own will, but a master of his own work.”
Colonel Boris Drangov was a Bulgarian officer, a military educator, and a prolific writer who lived during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This amazing quote was written by him to his fiancée instead of a love letter. Later, he became a faithful husband and a loving father, as well as a talented writer. He participated in both Balkan wars and was a commander during World War I. He was killed in the war at the age of 45.

#7

Bulgarian	Идеалът на земното щастие е в труда, в здравето и в природата.(Idealat na zemnoto shtastie e v truda, v zdraveto i v prirodata.)
Author	Ivan Vazov
Meaning	“The ideal of earthly happiness is in work, in health, and in nature.”
Ivan Vazov is also known as the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature. He lived from the middle of the nineteenth century to the first quarter of the twentieth century, so his poems reflect two historical epochs: the Renaissance and post-liberation Bulgaria.  This awarded author reveals what happiness is for him. It’s interesting to note that he lists not only health and nature as being important for people, but also work; he considered work to be a blessing leading to happiness.

#8

Bulgarian	Такава е човеческата натура! Хората забравят всичко, даже и угризението на своята собствена съвест.(Takava e chovecheskata natura! Horata zabravyat vsichko, dazhe i ugrizenieto na svoyata sobstvena savest.)
Author	Lyuben Karavelov
Meaning	“Such is human nature! People forget everything, even the remorse of their own conscience.”
Lyuben Karavelov, who lived in the nineteenth century, is a national hero and was a fighter for the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman rule. He was also a poet, ethnographer, writer, encyclopedist, and journalist. This popular quote is from his short novel Old Time’s Bulgarians, where it serves as the conclusion of the long narrative. Fun fact: The best character in this novel is an old man named Liben, who says: “Nothing is better in this world than doing good.”

3. Quotes About Love

All of us need to love and be loved. Learn what some famous Bulgarians thought about this topic through these Bulgarian quotes about love.

#9

Bulgarian	Да обича, това е работа на душата. Не се бъркайте в нейните работи.(Da obicha, tova e rabota na dushata. Ne se barkayte v neynite raboti.)
Author	Petar Deunov
Meaning	“To love is the work of the soul. Don’t interfere in its work.”
Peter Deunov, who lived 100 years ago, founded the White Brotherhood religious doctrine and was called the “Master” by his followers. He was also a popular Bulgarian philosopher. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church declared his doctrine to be heretical because of its connection to occultism. Some of his teachings include the belief that light is alive and has consciousness; he believed that atoms have consciousness, as well. Knowing these facts, it’s easier to understand his quote about love.

#10

Bulgarian	Най-силна е онази любов, която може да проявява слабости.(Nay-silna e onazi lyubov, koyato mozhe da proyavyava slabosti.)
Author	Elin Pelin
Meaning	“The strongest is the love that can show weakness.”
The author’s real name is Dimitar Stoyanov, but all Bulgarians know him by his pen-name Elin Pelin. He was a Bulgarian writer, also known as the Singer of the Bulgarian village. This is because the Bulgarian village takes the central place in his works. Along with this quote, there is one more famous love quote from his short novel Geratsite, where Elin Pelin wrote words that apply to today: Любовта бяга от човешките сърца, хората не са вече братя. (Lyubovta byaga ot choveshkite sartsa, horata ne sa veche bratya.) This means: “Love runs away from the human hearts, people are no longer brothers.”

#11

Bulgarian	На любовта трябва да се наложи карантина, както на холерата и чумата, от които Тя прави по-големи опустошения.(Na lyubovta tryabva da se nalozhi karantina, kakto na holerata i chumata, ot koito Tya pravi po-golemi opustosheniya.)
Author	Ivan Vazov
Meaning	“Love must be quarantined, as cholera and plague, from which the Love makes greater devastation.”
This quote from the great writer Ivan Vazov is found in the narration of Kardashev on the Hunt. In it, a man named Kardashev says the following:  “To you poets, love in the world may be much needed as the main building block in your creations; but humanity doesn’t need it. A person doesn’t need love but reason and bills to be happy. Love is an enemy of peace and human virtue.” These words are then followed by our featured quote. These are the words of Vazov’s character who denies the necessity of love; Vazov himself doesn’t agree with this philosophy. Ivan Vazov wrote many love poems, one of which is named Love is Needed.

#12

Bulgarian	Никога не ги карай да те обичат, дете мое. Настоявай да те оставят. И знай, че този, който устои и остане, те обича истински.(Nikoga ne gi karay da te obichat, dete moe. Nastoyavay da te ostavyat. I znay, che tozi, koyto ustoi i ostane, te obicha istinski.)
Author	Dimitar Talev
Meaning	“Never make them love you, my child. Insist that they leave you. And know that he, who endures and stays, really loves you.”
The life of the famous Bulgarian writer Dimitar Talev was not easy. His father died when he was only nine; after that, Talev survived three wars, including World War I. Then, because of his patriotic views, the communists arrested him and sent him to the labor camps. The grief and hunger of these years are reflected in his works. This unique love quote is from his historical novel Железният светилник (Zhelezniyat svetilnik), or The Iron Candlestick, which is part of a tetralogy that also includes The Bells of Prespa, Ilinden (St. Ilia’s Day), and Your Voices I Hear.

➢ Want more? BulgarianPod101 has a list of some great romantic Bulgarian love quotes on our website.

4. Quotes About Family

Not all Bulgarian national heroes were able to have their own families, as they were killed very young in the fight for Bulgaria’s liberation. However, all of them respected and deeply loved their parents, as seen in the following Bulgarian quotes about family. Maybe we can take something from these wise words.

#13

Bulgarian	Този, който не обича майка си, баща си, жена си и децата си, то той не обича и своето Отечество!(Tozi, koyto ne obicha mayka si, bashta si, zhena si i detsata si, to toy ne obicha i svoeto Otechestvo!)
Author	Hristo Botev
Meaning	“He who does not love his mother, his father, his wife, and his children, does not love his Fatherland either!”
Hristo Botev was a Bulgarian national hero, as well as a poet, a publicist, and a revolutionary killed by the Ottoman Army at the age of 28. Although Botev wasn’t able to write many poems during his short life, his works are considered the best of Bulgarian Renaissance literature.  He was a patriot who was very closely attached to his family. This is reflected not only in this quote, but also in some of his poems: To My Mother, To My Brother, To My First Love.

#14

Bulgarian	Стари обичаи не презирай! Бащино огнище не забравяй!(Stari obichai ne preziray! Bashtino ognishte ne zabravyay!)
Author	Georgi Sava Rakovski
Meaning	“Do not despise old customs! Don’t forget your father’s fireplace!”
Georgi Sava Rakovski is mostly known as the founder of the organized national revolutionary struggle for the liberation of Bulgaria, but he was also an historian, ethnologist, ethnographer, journalist, publicist, writer, and poet. He was one of the few patriots not killed during the wars, but instead died at the age of 46 from tuberculosis. His wisdom can be seen in this short quote that reminds us to keep the customs and beliefs of our parents, as this will help us survive as a nation.

➢ There are ten more great Bulgarian quotes about family on our website. Check them out for more words of wisdom!

5. Quotes About Friendship

Vasil Levski had a lot to say about friendship during those uncertain times when people weren’t sure who was a friend and who was a traitor or enemy. 

#15

Bulgarian	Всичко се състои в нашите задружни сили.(Vsichko se sastoi v nashite zadruzhni sili.)
Author	Vasil Levski
Meaning	“Everything is in our joint forces.”
Levski’s goal of winning Bulgaria’s liberation would have been impossible to accomplish without the joint forces of the entire nation. That’s why he went from village to village and from city to city all across the country to organize secret committees. He believed that the entire nation must be united to win its liberation. This quote can also apply, in a broader sense, to faithful friends.

#16

Bulgarian	Време за помагане е сега—закъснелите не ще бъдат наши приятели.(Vreme za pomagane e sega—zakasnelite ne shte badat nashi priyateli.)
Author	Vasil Levski
Meaning	“The time to help is now—those who are late will not be our friends!”
This is another quote related to the fight for liberation. It means that Levski’s so-called friends, should they fail to support the fight at its most difficult, would no longer be considered friends. There’s an English saying that describes this quote well: False friends are worse than open enemies.

#17

Bulgarian	Трябва изпит за всеки. Защото има примери: Днес е човек, а утре – магаре.(Tryabva izpit za vseki. Zashtoto ima primeri: Dnes e chovek, a utre – magare.)
Author	Vasil Levski
Meaning	“There should be a test for everyone. Because there are examples: Today he is a human and tomorrow he is a donkey.”
The biggest advantage of a true friendship is that you can count on your friend in difficult moments. False friends who won’t encourage or support you during those times are like donkeys, as Vasil Levski said in this quote.

➢ If you need more inspirational friendship quotes, we have you covered.

6. Quotes About Work

To make sure we offered you the best Bulgarian quotes concerning work, we chose two from the great Bulgarian Colonel Boris Drangov—who knew how to work and do his duty faithfully—and one quote from the philosopher Petar Deunov.

#18

Bulgarian	Работи спокойно, отчетливо, разумно и толкова по-спокойно, колкото опасността е по-близо.(Raboti spokoyno, otchetlivo, razumno i tolkova po-spokoyno, kolkoto opasnostta e po-blizo.)
Author	Colonel Boris Drangov
Meaning	“Work calmly, clearly, reasonably, and calmer as the danger is getting closer.”
What a great thought! When the danger is closer, there should be less panic and stress. In order to overcome the danger, just work calmer than ever!

#19

Bulgarian	За да служиш достойно и полезно, отречи се от себе си.(Za da sluzhish dostoyno i polezno, otrechi se ot sebe si.)
Author	Colonel Boris Drangov
Meaning	“To serve worthily and usefully, renounce yourself.”
This thought is undoubtedly a reference to Christianity and the sacrifice of Christ. According to the Bible, God, in the face of Christ, has renounced Himself for the good of man and calls us to do so. Colonel Boris Drangov followed this Christian principle during his life, and maybe this is why he became a great man!

#20

Bulgarian	Единственото нещо, което повдига човека, е работата. За да се проявите в каквото и да е направление, трябва да работите. Работата е свещено нещо. Работа, вършена с любов, е щастие.(Edinstvenoto neshto, koeto povdiga choveka, e rabotata. Za da se proyavite v kakvoto i da e napravlenie, tryabva da rabotite. Rabotata e sveshteno neshto. Rabota, varshena s lyubov, e shtastie.)
Author	Petar Deunov
Meaning	“The only thing that elevates the person is work. You need to work in order to succeed in any direction. Work is a sacred thing. Work done with love is happiness.”
According to this Bulgarian philosopher, work is needed to prevent people’s destruction. If you would like to find your happiness in work, do what you love to do. Indeed, if you love your work, it won’t be a burden to you. For this reason, many people at some stage in their lives change their professions, seeking the work they love most, which brings them true satisfaction!

7. Quotes About Success

The following success quotes represent the strategies of young Bulgarians who achieved success in different business spheres in Bulgaria. These words could serve as a great motivation to other young people who have not yet entered the workforce.

#21

Bulgarian	Ако спрем за момент да се оплакваме и вземем живота в свои ръце, всичко ще стане по-лесно и по-ясно!(Ako sprem za moment da se oplakvame i vzemem zhivota v svoi ratse, vsichko shte stane po-lesno i po-yasno!)
Author	Katerina Arsova
Meaning	“If we stop complaining for a moment and take our lives in our own hands, everything will become easier and clearer!”
Complaining makes things harder than they actually are. People who don’t want to assume an active role in their own lives tend to complain, but this is a surefire way to fail.

#22

Bulgarian	Смисълът на израстването е моята мотивация за успех.(Smisalat na izrastvaneto e moyata motivatsiya za uspeh.)
Author	Aleksandra Zhekova
Meaning	“The meaning behind growth itself is my motivation for success.”
Motivation to be successful is a great power that should be used during your journey toward a successful career.

#23

Bulgarian	Никога не изневерявайте на специфичния си талант.(Nikoga ne izneveryavayte na spetsifichniya si talant.)
Author	Radoslav Gizgindzhiev
Meaning	“Never betray your specific talent.”
Every person has a specific talent (or talents) that can lead them to success if he or she develops that talent.

#24

Bulgarian	Възрастта не е определящ фактор, а духът!(Vazrastta ne e opredelyasht faktor, a duhat!)
Author	Evgeniya Peeva
Meaning	“Age is not the determining factor, but the spirit is!”
There’s a wise saying that goes: A person learns while he or she is alive. Whatever your age, never stop developing your skills and knowledge, and your spirit will stay forever young!

#25

Bulgarian	Просперитетът не е функция на местоположението, а начин на мислене.(Prosperitetat ne e funktsiya na mestopolozhenieto, a nachin na mislene.)
Author	Neli Georgieva
Meaning	“Prosperity is not a function of location, but a way of thinking.”
No matter where you live, if you believe in your strength, you will succeed! Just consider yourself a winner before the end of the battle and you will become a winner regardless of the circumstances.

8. Quotes About Language Learning

BulgarianPod101 has compiled a few quotes about language learning from popular Bulgarians. We hope that these words motivate you to proceed in your Bulgarian studies, regardless of your age or skill level. Let these quotes shine along your path to a deeper understanding of the Bulgarian language and culture.

#26

Bulgarian	Науката е светилото на един народ, литературата е животът му.(Naukata e svetiloto na edin narod, literaturata e zhivotat mu.)
Author	Ivan Vazov
Meaning	“Science is the luminary of a nation, and its literature is its life.”
You’ll never be able to fully understand Bulgarian literature if you read the translated versions. To really extend your knowledge and learn more about the Bulgarian culture and view of life, start reading Bulgarian books in the original language. It could be hard at first, and there will be many unknown words that you’ll have to search for in a dictionary, but it will be a rewarding exercise that will greatly accelerate your language knowledge.

#27

Bulgarian	И ний сме дали нещо на света, на славяни книга да четат.(I niy sme dali neshto na sveta, na slavyani kniga da chetat.)
Author	Ivan Vazov
Meaning	“We have also given something to the world, to the Slavic people to read books.”
With this quote, Ivan Vazov says that the early Cyrillic alphabet was developed during the First Bulgarian Kingdom; later, Cyril’s and Methodius’ disciples Kliment and Naum finalized and spread it among the Slavic nations. These nations now have a script thanks to these self-sacrificing Bulgarians.

#28

Bulgarian	Бъди строг, но най-първо и най-много към себе си!(Badi strog, no nay-parvo i nay-mnogo kam sebe si!)
Author	Colonel Boris Drangov
Meaning	“Be strict, but firstly and mostly toward yourself!”
Self-discipline—that is what, according to Colonel Boris Drangov, leads to success in whatever you do, including your language learning. Be a very strict language teacher to yourself and you’ll soon notice your improvement.

➢ Want more inspirational Bulgarian quotes about language learning? Check out our related vocabulary list!

9. How Can BulgarianPod101 Help You Learn Bulgarian?

We hope you enjoyed this overview of some of the most fascinating Bulgarian quotes. We believe that they can motivate you to start reading Bulgarian books on your own to obtain even deeper knowledge of Bulgarian culture, history, customs, and characteristics.

If you would like to have a teacher by your side, you can choose one through our MyTeacher feature, which allows you to take advantage of the professional guidance of experienced native Bulgarian teachers.

BulgarianPod101 is always here for you! We want to help you learn more intriguing and motivating facts about the Bulgarian language. 

Before you go, please share your favorite quote with us in the comments. We eagerly look forward to hearing from you!

The number of foreigners who visit Bulgaria for business purposes is increasing. The statistics announced by the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria show that about twenty percent of the total visitors in 2019 were in the country for business purposes. Maybe you plan on joining that number in the near future!

Although the majority of Bulgarians speak some English, learning Bulgarian business phrases will help you more freely interact with Bulgarian business partners, build closer connections, and ensure that you’re properly understood.

Usually, advanced language learners study Bulgarian business words and phrases after they have a more solid foundation to step on. But even if you don’t have this solid foundation yet, you can start learning the most important Bulgarian business phrases with BulgarianPod101’s extensive guide. Start communicating right away with your Bulgarian business partners in their native language, and make a great impression!

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Nailing a Job Interview
3. Interacting with Coworkers
4. Sounding Smart in a Meeting
5. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails
6. Going on a Business Trip
7. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian Business Language

1. Getting Started

To start communicating in Bulgarian with your business partners or coworkers, you have to learn the most important rule related to Bulgarian business language.

The Most Important Bulgarian Business Rule

It’s obligatory to use the formal style for every verb you use in your business communications. Let’s examine a few examples:

Instead of: 

• Здравей, как си? 
  Zdravey, kak si?
  “Hello, how are you?” (informal style)

You have to use the polite form:

• Здравейте, как сте?
  Zdraveyte, kak ste?
  “Hello, how are you?” (formal style)

Instead of: 

• Как върви твоят бизнес? 
  Kak varvi tvoyat biznes?
  “How is your business going?” (informal style)

You have to use the polite form:

• Как върви Вашият бизнес?
  Kak varvi Vashiyat biznes?
  “How is your business going?” (formal style)

As you can see from the examples, the formal and informal expressions are the same in English, which is often a cause for error when foreigners speak Bulgarian in business settings. You have to pay extra attention and use only the formal style in your business communications!

The Most Common Bulgarian Business Words and Phrases

There are certain business Bulgarian phrases and words that you should know if you plan on doing business in Bulgaria. Here’s a list of the most common ones. We recommend that you learn them by heart using flashcards or other methods of effective language learning.

Bulgarian	English
купувач (kupuvach)	“buyer”
продавач (prodavach)	“seller”
представител (predstavitel)	“representative”
запитване (zapitvane)	“inquiry”
преговори (pregovori)	“negotiations”
среща (sreshta)	“meeting”
цена (tsena)	“price”
търсене (tarsene)	“search”
приемам офертата (priemam ofertata)	“I accept the offer”
условия за доставка (usloviya za dostavka)	“terms of delivery”
условия за плащане (usloviya za plashtane)	“payment terms”
приемлив (priemlif)	“acceptable”
намаляване на цените на стоките (namalyavane na tsenite na stokite)	“reduction in commodity prices”
уговарям си среща (ugovaryam si sreshta)	“to make an appointment”
на едро (na edro)	“wholesale”
на дребно (na drebno)	“retail”
производител (proizvoditel)	“manufacturer”
доставчик (dostavchik)	“supplier”

Practical Language Exercise

Try to make a basic dialogue with the Bulgarian business words and phrases from above.

Ready? Below, we’ve prepared a quick dialogue example for you to review. How does yours compare?

A:

Здравейте, аз съм представител на фирма за техническо оборудване на офиси. Търся продавач на офис столове на едро.

(Zdraveyte, az sam predstavitel na firma za tehnichesko oborudvane na ofisi. Tarsya prodavach na ofis stolove na edro.)

“Hello, I am a representative of an office equipment company. I’m looking for wholesale office chairs.”

B:

Здравейте, попаднали  сте на правилното място. Ние сме най-големият доставчик на офис столове в града. 

(Zdraveyte, popadnali ste na pravilnoto myasto. Nie sme nay-golemiyat dostavchik na ofis stolove f grada.)

“Hello, you have come to the right place. We are the city’s largest supplier of office chairs.”

A: 

Бих желал да си уговоря среща с Вас за договаряне на условията за плащане и доставка.

(Bih zhelal da si ugovorya sreshta s vas za dogovaryane na usloviyata za plashtane i dostavka.)

“I would like to make an appointment with you to negotiate the payment and delivery terms.”

B: 

Разбира се! В понеделник в 9:30 ч. сутринта удобно ли е?

(Razbira se! V ponedelnik v 9:30 chasa sutrinta udobno li e?)

“Of course! Is it convenient on Monday at 9:30 a.m.?”

Business Bulgarian: Ways to Say Hello

It’s important to learn how to greet your business partner in Bulgarian when you meet with him or her. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Здравейте! Добре дошли!
  Zdraveyte! Dobre doshli!
  “Hello! Welcome!”

• Добро утро!
  Dobro utro!
  “Good morning!”

• Добър вечер!
  Dobar vecher!
  “Good evening!”

• Радвам се да Ви видя отново.
  Radvam se da Vi vidya otnovo.
  “I am glad to see you again.”

• Как сте?
  Kak ste?
  “How are you?”

Business Bulgarian: Ways to Say Goodbye

It’s equally important to know how to properly end your business conversation, especially if your interlocutor is long-winded and you have other tasks to do. In that case, you can choose one of the following phrases, or even combine a couple of them:

• Извинете, но сега трябва да тръгвам!
  Izvinete, no sega tryabva da tragvam!
  “Sorry, but I have to leave now!”

• Приятен ден!
  Priyaten den!
  “Have a nice day!”

• Очаквам с нетърпение следващата ни среща!
  Ochakvam s netarpenie sledvashtata ni sreshta!
  “I look forward to our next meeting!”

• Беше ми приятно, че се срещнахме!
  Beshe mi priyatno, che se sreshtnahme!
  “It was a pleasure to meet you!”

• Всичко най-добро! Успех!
  Vsichko nay-dobro! Uspeh!
  “All the best! Good luck!”

Do you feel like you need more phrases up your sleeve? BulgarianPod101 provides you with a valuable list of phrases for doing business successfully.

2. Nailing a Job Interview

Having a job interview with a Bulgarian employer is probably one of the biggest challenges for the foreigner. For this reason, we’ve included here the five most common questions and answers to help you nail your job interview.

Question #1 

Разкажете ми за себе си.
Razkazhete mi za sebe si.
“Tell me about yourself.”

Answer: 

Завършил съм магистратура по икономика и финанси и съм работил 5 години в банка.
Zavarshil sam magistratura po ikonomika i finansi i sam rabotil 5 godini v
“I have a Master’s degree in economics and finance and I have worked for five years in a bank.”

Obviously, you’ll need to change the information based on your own specialization and work experience. You can check out our Jobs / Work vocabulary list to find out the name of your occupation!

Question #2 

Защо кандидатствате за тази работа?
Zashto kandidatstvate za tazi rabota?
“Why are you applying for this job?”

Answer: 

Мисля, че с опита си на финансист бих могъл да съдействам за развитието на фирмата Ви.
Mislya, che s opita si na finansist bih mogal da sadeystvam za razvitieto na firmata Vi.
“I think that with my experience as a financier, I could contribute to your company’s development.”

Question #3 

Къде се виждате след пет или десет години?
Kade se vizhdate sled pet ili deset godini?
“Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?”

Answer: 

Аз съм перфекционист и се стремя постоянно да научавам нови умения и знания. Надявам се след 5 или 10 години да заемам по-висока длъжност във фирмата Ви.
Az sam perfektsionist i se stremya postoyanno da nauchavam novi umeniya i znaniya. Nadyavam se sled pet ili deset godini da zaemam po-visoka dlazhnost vav firmata Vi.
“I am a perfectionist and I constantly strive to learn new skills and knowledge. I hope that in five or ten years, I will be in a higher position in your company.”

Question #4 

Как бихте реагирали в стресова ситуация?
Kak bihte reagirali v stresova situatsia?
“How would you react in a stressful situation?”

Answer: 

Ще опитам да запазя спокойствие и да се мобилизирам максимално, за да завърша поставената задача в срок.
Shte opitam da zapazya spokoystvie i da se mobiliziram maksimalno, za da zavarsha postavenata zadacha v srok.
“I will try to stay calm and mobilize myself to complete the task on time.”

Question #5 

Какво заплащане очаквате?
Kakvo zaplashtane ochakvate?
“What payment do you expect?”

Answer: 

Справедливо, в зависимост от длъжността, която заемам и от натоварването.
Spravedlivo, v zavisimost ot dlazhnostta, koyato zaemam i ot natovarvaneto.
“Fair, depending on my position and workload.”

Being able to answer these questions in Bulgarian will ensure that you stand out among the other foreign candidates for the same position.

 

→ Need more? Find several valuable phrases and vocabulary words for Bulgarian job interviews on our website.

3. Interacting with Coworkers

If you’ve been approved for the position and will soon start working with your new Bulgarian team, it will be crucial to pick up even more business Bulgarian. In conjunction with a good knowledge of Bulgarian business etiquette, the phrases below can help you be well-liked by your new coworkers. The situations we outline are things you’ll likely encounter on a day-to-day basis, so memorizing even a few of these phrases can help you a lot in the long run!

Being Kind to Your Coworkers

The following sentences and phrases will help you show your gratitude toward your colleagues and will shorten the distance between you and the person you’re speaking to. Even if you don’t know much Bulgarian yet, learning how to communicate in your coworkers’ native language would be a great surprise for them, and they’ll appreciate this gesture of attention.

• Много благодаря за помощта!
  Mnogo blagodarya za pomoshtta!
  “Thank you very much for your help!”

• Оценявам съветите ти!
  Otsenyavam savetite ti!
  “I appreciate your advice!”

• Благодаря ти, че винаги мога да разчитам на теб.
  Blagodarya ti, che vinagi moga da razchitam na teb.
  “Thank you for always being dependable.”

• Радвам се, че мога да работя с теб!
  Radvam se, che moga da rabotya s tep!
  “I’m glad I can work with you!”

• Ти си страхотен колега!
  Ti si strahoten kolega!
  “You are a great coworker!”

You can find even more kind words in our list of the top 15 compliments in Bulgarian.

How to Politely Agree and Disagree with Your Coworkers

Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, you’re likely to be in disagreement with your coworkers at some point. Prepare yourself for such a situation by learning practical phrases for politely disagreeing.

• Не споделям това мнение.
  Ne spodelyam tova mnenie.
  “I do not share this opinion.”

• Не мога да се съглася с тази идея.
  Ne moga da se saglasya s tazi ideya.
  “I can’t agree with this idea.”

• Бих казал точно обратното.
  Bih kazal tochno obratnoto.
  “I would say exactly the opposite.”

• Това не винаги е вярно.
  Tova ne vinagi e vyarno.
  “This is not always true.”

• Не мисля така.
  Ne mislya taka.
  “I do not think so.”

And here are a couple of phrases you can use to express agreement!

• Съгласен съм с теб.
  Saglasen sam s tep.
  “I agree with you.”

• И аз мисля така.
  I az mislya taka.
  “I think so, too.”

How to Politely Interrupt Your Interlocutor

If your interlocutor is talkative or getting the conversation off-track, there are a few ways to politely interrupt to get the conversation on the right path again. 

• Мога ли да добавя нещо?
  Moga li da dobavya neshto?
  “Can I add something?”

• Съжалявам, че ще Ви прекъсна, но…
  Sazhalyavam, che shte vi prekasna, no…
  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but…”

• Преди да продължите, бих искал да кажа нещо.
  Predi da prodalzhite, bih iskal da kazha neshto.
  “Before you go on, I’d like to say something.”

• Ако мога да добавя нещо…
  Ako moga da dobavya neshto…
  “If I may add something…”

• Само за момент, бих искал да кажа…
  Samo za moment, bih iskal da kazha…
  “Just a moment, I’d like to say…”

4. Sounding Smart in a Meeting

Now, let’s go over some useful Bulgarian for business meetings. These phrases will help you get your point across and make a lasting impression on your coworkers, partners, or boss.

Bulgarian	English
Според мен… (Spored men…)	“According to me…”
Според моя опит…. (Spored moya opit…)	“In my experience…”
От моя гледна точка… (Ot moya gledna tochka…)	“In my point of view…”
Ако питате мен… (Ako pitate men…)	“If you ask me…”
Това, което искам да кажа е… (Tova, koeto iskam da kazha e…)	“What I want to say is…”
Струва ми се, че… (Struva mi se, che…)	“I believe that…”
Искам да отбележа, че… (Iskam da otbelezha, che…)	“I want to point out that…”
Бих предложил, че… (Bih predlozhil, che…)	“I would suggest that…”

5. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails

Business phone calls and emails often contain certain business vocabulary. The following tables will help you know which phrases and sentences to include in your business communications with Bulgarians.

Business Phone Calls

Following are the most common business Bulgarian phrases that you may hear or use during business phone calls with Bulgarians.

Bulgarian	English
Здравейте, бихте ли ме свързали с г-н…? (Zdraveyte, bihte li me svarzali s gospodin…?)	“Hello, can you put me through to Mr. …?”
Останете на линия, моля. (Ostanete na liniya, molya.)	“Hold the line, please.”
Съжалявам, не успях да Ви чуя ясно. (Sazhalyavam, ne uspyah da Vi chuya yasno.)	“I am sorry, I couldn’t hear you clearly.”
Кой се обажда, моля? (Koy se obazhda, molya?)	“Who’s calling, please?”
Можете ли да повторите, моля? (Mozhete li da povtorite, molya?)	“Can you repeat, please?”
Мога ли да си уговоря среща с г-н…? (Moga li da si ugovorya sreshta s gospodin…?)	“Can I make an appointment with Mr. …?”
Благодаря Ви, дочуване! (Blagodarya Vi, dochuvane!)	“Thank you, goodbye!”
Ще се обадя по-късно.(Shte se obadya po-kasno.)	“I will call you later.”

➢ You can find more useful phrases for a business phone call on BulgarianPod101.com.

Business Emails

If you have to write business emails, you can include the following Bulgarian business letter phrases to give them a more formal appearance.

Bulgarian	English
Уважаеми г-н/ Уважаема г-жо, (Uvazhaemi gospodin/ Uvazhaema gоspozho,)	“Dear Mr./Mrs.,”
Благодаря за Вашето писмо/предложение. (Blagodarya za Vasheto pismo/predlozhenie.)	“Thanks for your letter/proposal.”
Бих желал да Ви представя накратко нашата компания. (Bih zhelal da Vi predstavya nakratko nashata kompaniya.)	“I would like to briefly introduce you to our company.”
Интересувате ли се от…? (Interesuvate li se ot…?)	“Are you interested in…?”
При интерес, моля, отговорете на това писмо. (Pri interes, molya, otgovorete na tova pismo.)	“If interested, please reply to this letter.”
С най-добри пожелания! (S nay-dobri pozhelaniya!)	“Best regards!”
С уважение.(S uvazhenie.)	“With respect.”

6. Going on a Business Trip

Your business trip in Bulgaria will be successful if you learn and use the following words and sentences:

Bulgarian	English
резервация (rezervatsiya)	“booking”
Мога ли да направя резервация за хотел? (Moga li da napravya rezervatsiya za hotel?)	“Can I book a hotel?”
Колко време трае пътуването? (Kolko vreme trae patuvaneto?)	“How long does the journey take?”
Кога пристигаме? (Koga pristigame?)	“What time do we arrive?”
Бих искал да пътувам до… (Bih iskal da patuvam do…)	“I’d like to travel to…”
Може ли два билета за… (Mozhe li dva bileta za…)	“May I have two tickets to…”
еднопосочен билет (ednoposochen bilet)	“one-way ticket”
двупосочен билет (dvuposochen bilet)	“round trip”

To learn even more vocabulary for your next business trip, listen to BulgarianPod101’s lesson on talking about travel plans.

7. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn Bulgarian Business Language

As a Bulgarian language platform that consists of materials and lessons to help you improve your language skills, BulgarianPod101 can be a great source for studying the most common business phrases in Bulgarian. If you enjoyed this comprehensive lesson, be sure to create your free lifetime account. This will allow you to study our database for free for seven days before upgrading. If you feel the need for personal guidance by a native language professional, you can upgrade to Premium PLUS and utilize our MyTeacher service. Your Bulgarian teacher will help you learn everything you need to know about using Bulgarian phrases for business in real life.

Before you go, please let us know if you found this guide helpful and what additional questions it raises for you. We look forward to hearing from you and will help out the best we can!

Happy learning, and good luck with your business endeavors.

Is it possible to make studying a foreign language fun? Yes, it is! 

Studies show that the more entertaining your language practice is, the quicker and easier you’ll pick that language up. 

So, what’s one way you can make learning Bulgarian fun again? Watching YouTube.

Here are just a few benefits of supplementing your regular studies with Bulgarian language YouTube content:

• Watching Bulgarian YouTube channels is a great way to practice your listening skills.

• You choose the topic and the time. By picking channels or videos that interest you, you’ll learn new vocabulary related to those topics in a more natural way.

• You’ll get a sense of how the language works without studying all of those boring grammar rules.

• Bulgarian YouTube channels are a great way to replace real-life communication with Bulgarians, especially when you don’t have the opportunity to meet and interact with the local people.

• Sometimes, textbooks contain old phrases that are no longer used in everyday life. But Bulgarian YouTubers will keep you up-to-date with the language as it’s used today.

BulgarianPod101 gives you the opportunity to take advantage of all these benefits and learn Bulgarian in the easiest and most fun way: by watching your favorite Bulgarian YouTube channels. This comprehensive guide contains not only a list of the best YouTube channels for learning Bulgarian, but also tips on how to use these resources effectively. 

What are you waiting for? Start familiarizing yourself with spoken Bulgarian right away!

Table of Contents

1. How to Learn Effectively with Bulgarian YouTube Channels
2. Господари на ефира I Gospodari na efira
3. HeyKids – Детски Песни
4. Кухнята на Звездев – La Cocina Búlgara
5. The Clashers
6. academico
7. LILI IVANOVA
8. Новините на NOVA
9. Learn Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101.com
10. Why is BulgarianPod101 the Best Place to Learn Bulgarian?

1. How to Learn Effectively with Bulgarian YouTube Channels

Our list of the top Bulgarian YouTube channels will do you little good if you don’t know how to make the most of your watching time. To take full advantage of these resources, BulgarianPod101 suggests that you follow the steps below.

Step 1: Get used to the language!

Getting used to the spoken language takes time! Don’t expect to get something from the very first video. 

But this doesn’t mean that you have to give up! There are numerous resources out there that can make the adaptive process easier for you, such as our vocabulary lists and audio lessons. 

➢ BulgarianPod101 has also prepared this list of the most common Bulgarian phrases you need to learn!

Step 2: Prepare for the specific topic beforehand!

Getting prepared upfront for the topic you’re going to watch will help you a lot. In particular, we recommend that you learn the most common vocabulary related to that topic. For example, if you intend to watch a culinary show, you can learn the following Bulgarian words and try to recognize them in the dialogue:

• рецепта (retsepta) – recipe
• продукти (produkti) – products
• ястие (yastie) – dish
• картофи (kartofi) – potatoes
• месо (meso) – meat
• фурна (furna) – oven
• минути (minuti) – minutes

➢ Of course, your list could be much more extensive than this one. You can get more words for your list from BulgarianPod101’s cooking vocabulary list.

Step 3: Make use of the subtitles!

One of YouTube’s greatest features is the option of turning the subtitles on, which will enable you to read the Bulgarian text while it’s spoken. Just think what a great reading, listening, and comprehension exercise this could be! Moreover, if you find it difficult to comprehend the meaning of something, turn on the English subtitles instead. This will help you understand the meaning of any unknown words and memorize them better.

Step 4: Turn off the subtitles!

As soon as you’ve started to understand the greater part of the dialogue and have memorized some of the most commonly used phrases, it’s time to turn off the subtitles and move on to the next level: pure listening.

Step 5: Adjust the speed when needed!

YouTube’s speed regulation button is of great help to foreign language learners. It allows you to adjust the speed of speech, meaning that you can slow down any parts that you’re struggling to understand and listen word-for-word. 

We recommend that you understand at least eighty percent of the video before you go on to the next one. This means that you’ll have to watch the same video multiple times, until you get used to most of the words and phrases. This will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes you to understand Bulgarian.

Now, it’s time to present you with our picks for the best YouTube channels for learning the Bulgarian language!

2. Господари на ефира I Gospodari na efira

Category: Humoristic TV show
Link to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Wyun_X7gtPavYKL-_i-7Q
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5okwH6V1eqI
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Everyone needs a good laugh now and then, so we’ll start our list with this popular Bulgarian TV YouTube channel. With more than 178 thousand followers, this show is well-known across Bulgaria for its humorous (and oftentimes silly) content. 

We recommend this channel for intermediate and advanced learners, as it can help you practice real-life conversational phrases. In addition, you’ll gain some insight into Bulgarian humor!

3. HeyKids – Детски Песни

Category: Children’s songs
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Beginner – Intermediate

This channel is a great option for beginners who would like to learn the Bulgarian language basics on YouTube. The children’s songs featured on this channel can be easily memorized, making it a great resource for growing your Bulgarian vocabulary.

One great feature of this channel is its Bulgarian subtitles, which will help learners better understand the song lyrics—plus, they’ll make it easier for you to start singing along. If you already know the basics, you can still enjoy listening to a few tales in Bulgarian and practice your listening comprehension.

4. Кухнята на Звездев – La Cocina Búlgara

Category: Culinary TV series
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Beginner – Intermediate

Do you enjoy watching culinary shows? You can combine your interests with your Bulgarian studies by watching this popular cooking show, featuring masterchef Ivan Zvezdev. 

Watching this Bulgarian food YouTube channel will not only teach you how to make great recipes, but it will also familiarize you with important Bulgarian vocabulary related to ingredients and kitchen utensils. Although there are no subtitles, written Bulgarian instructions often appear on the screen. And, as the title of the channel suggests, you can also find a few Spanish series with Bulgarian subtitles.

5. The Clashers

Category: Interesting facts
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

If you’re curious about the world around you and love to discover new things, we think you’ll enjoy watching The Clashers. This channel’s main host, Slavi, is among those YouTubers that can help you learn Bulgarian in an entertaining way, especially if you’re already at the intermediate level.

Much of their content consists of Top 10 charts, 50 amazing facts videos, product reviews, and vlogs. This variety of fascinating content can help Bulgarian learners practice the vocabulary they’ve learned so far and learn more new words related to a specific topic.

6. academico

Category: Short school lessons
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Beginner – Intermediate

The academico channel provides short lessons on school subjects for Bulgarian students up to seventh grade. Because these videos are designed for younger viewers, they’re easy to understand, funny, and feature clearly spoken language. This combination of factors makes the channel perfect for Bulgarian language learners! 

Additionally, learners can begin picking up new Bulgarian vocabulary in a simple format, starting with first grade videos and moving up to seventh.

7. LILI IVANOVA

Category: Pop songs
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

If you’re interested in discovering Bulgarian songs, YouTube has a plethora of channels to help you out! But we recommend Lili Ivanova’s channel for a few reasons.

Lili is a beloved pop singer in Bulgaria, with a beautiful voice and touching music. In addition to hearing some of Bulgaria’s best music, you’ll be able to test your listening comprehension skills and pick up new vocabulary by following along with the lyrics.

8. Новините на NOVA

Category: TV news
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Новините на NOVA is the most popular news channel in Bulgaria, providing updated information about all areas of life in Bulgaria. This Bulgarian news YouTube channel allows you to improve your language skills while staying up-to-date on things going on in the country. 

The news presenters speak clearly, making it easier for learners to improve their own pronunciation. This channel is also a great way to learn the economical, political, tourist, and social situation in the country before traveling there.

9. Learn Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101.com

Category: Language learning
Link to the YouTube Channel
Example Video Link
Level: Beginner – Advanced

The BulgarianPod101 YouTube channel provides learners with the opportunity to improve their Bulgarian skills, regardless of their current level. We help people learn basic, intermediate, and advanced Bulgarian—without needing to pay for a private Bulgarian teacher.

Our channel offers a lot of unit lessons, grammar and vocabulary learning videos, exercises, and more. Moreover, you can turn on the subtitles to understand the content in your own language. In addition to listening, reading, and overall comprehension practice, we implement learning strategies that will help you learn Bulgarian better and faster.

10. Why is BulgarianPod101 the Best Place to Learn Bulgarian?

Whether you have three minutes a day to study Bulgarian or an hour, systematic learning is the best approach for gaining new knowledge. Our channel, Learn Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101.com, offers three-minute lessons for those who don’t have much time, as well as ten-minute educational videos and twenty- to thirty-minute videos for those with more time. You’ll even find videos with a duration of two hours or more!

Our videos are made by professional linguists who are native Bulgarians, so you can be sure that their pronunciation is correct. Moreover, the channel provides a free way to start learning the language, from Absolute Beginner all the way up to Advanced. Whether you want to learn basic vocabulary for daily conversations or need phrases for business negotiation—or anything in-between—we have you covered.

We provide a rich variety of content, and regularly update our channel with new videos. The practical lessons and exercises on our channel can help you overcome your language barriers and start communicating freely with native Bulgarians. 

If you would like to dig even deeper into the grammar, you can turn to the BulgarianPod101 website, which offers great guides for everyone. We also offer a MyTeacher service for Premium PLUS members, where you can find a professional Bulgarian teacher to speed up your learning. You can also use our free app, which is available for all kinds of smartphones.

Did you like our comprehensive guide on the ten best Bulgarian YouTube channels for learners? We would love to hear from you in the comments. Also feel free to share with us which of these channels you want to watch first, and why. We look forward to hearing from you!

Imagine that you were just introduced to someone, talked with them for a few minutes, and then left the conversation without saying goodbye. What would this person think about you? Saying goodbye in Bulgarian is as important as saying hello and introducing yourself. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Saying goodbye in the Bulgarian language will show that you respect your new Bulgarian friend and his or her language (even if you know very little Bulgarian).  
• In addition, it will show your interlocutor that you’re willing to meet him or her again and that you’re interested in pursuing a friendship with them.
• Saying goodbye in their language will make it easier for you to build close relationships with Bulgarians, and they’re likely to trust you more. 

In this article, BulgarianPod101.com will teach you everything you need to know about bidding native Bulgarians farewell in their own language. From how to give a formal goodbye in Bulgarian to the best ways to say goodbye to your new besties, we’ll provide you with the words and phrases you need to sound more like a native! Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye
2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye
3. Common Goodbye Phrases in Bulgarian That Do Not Contain the Word “Goodbye”
4. Cultural Insights Related to Saying Hello and Goodbye
5. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn the Specifics of Bulgarian

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye

There are many different ways to say hello and goodbye in Bulgarian depending on the situation. It’s important to note that Bulgarian differentiates between formal and informal language, meaning that you should choose your words carefully. Here, we’ve divided the most common Bulgarian goodbye phrases based on whether they’re formal or informal, so you can always choose the perfect parting words.

How to Give a Formal Goodbye in Bulgarian

Before we go any further, how do you know if your relationship with someone is formal? There are generally three stages in a formal relationship:

• The introduction
• Working together
• Getting closer

Now, here are the most common ways to say goodbye in the Bulgarian language for each of these three stages.

Phase 1: Introduction

After you’ve been introduced to someone in a formal situation and talked a while, the best Bulgarian word for goodbye is:

• Довиждане!
  Dovizhdane!
  “Goodbye!”

This word actually consists of two different words: до (do), meaning “until,” and виждане (vizhdane), meaning “seeing.” It means: “Until I see you again.” Because this is a common Bulgarian word for goodbye, it’s versatile and can be used any time of the day.

Phase 2: Working together

Here’s another formal phrase, which can be used among colleagues or in other formal situations:

• До утре!
  Do utre!
  “See you tomorrow!”

In particular, you should use this phrase when you know you’ll be meeting the other person frequently. Although Довиждане! is a great phrase to use during your initial acquaintance with someone, it can be considered too formal once you become closer to that colleague. It’s better to use До утре! in this phase of your formal relationship. 

До скоро! is another popular phrase:

• До скоро!
  Do skoro!
  “See you soon!”

You could use this one, for example, on a Friday evening before you leave work for the weekend.

Phase 3: Getting closer

After you’ve become more friendly with your colleagues, it’s time to move forward to less formal goodbyes in Bulgarian. A couple of good options are:  

• Ще тръгвам.
  Shte tragvam.
  “I’ll be going.”

• Приятна вечер! 
  Priyatna vecher!
  “Have a nice evening!”

How to Give an Informal Goodbye in Bulgarian

The most casual way to say goodbye in the Bulgarian language is to say:

• Чао! 
  Chao!
  “Bye!”

Although this word was taken from Italian, it’s probably the most common word Bulgarians use to say bye. 

Now, let’s see how to end three different types of informal conversations: with a friend, with a family member, and with your boyfriend/girlfriend.

Situation 1: Conversation with a friend

If you say Довиждане! to your close friend, he or she might find it a bit distant or cold. So here are three ways to say bye to your friends:

• Ще се видим по-късно! 
  Shte se vidim po-kasno!
  “See you later!”

• До по-късно! 
  Do po-kasno!
  “See you later!”

• Чао-чао! 
  Chao-chao!
  “Bye-bye!”

The last expression (Чао-чао!) creates a warm and close atmosphere and shows that you would like to see your friend again in the near future.

Situation 2: Conversation with a family member

If you’re married to a Bulgarian, you’ll have a lot of Bulgarian relatives—from your mother-in-law all the way down to your sister-in-law. Imagine that you bump into them on the street and you start a short conversation: 

→ Как си?
Kak si?
“How are you?”

→ Добре съм. Как са децата?
Dobre sam. Kak sa detsata?
“I am fine. How are the kids?”

→ Ходят на училище, учат.
Hodyat na uchilishte, uchat.
“They go to school and study.”

→ Съжалявам, но бързам за работа!
Sazhalyavam, no barzam za rabota!
“Sorry, but I’m in a hurry for work!”

And now’s the time to politely say goodbye in Bulgarian without offending them. Here are two great ways to do that:

• До скоро! Поздрави вкъщи! 
  Do skoro! Pozdravi vkashti!
  “See you soon! Greetings at home!”

• Радвам се, че се видяхме! 
  Radvam se, che se vidyahme!
  “I’m glad to see you!”

➢ On BulgarianPod101.com, you can find even more informal phrases to use in your conversations with close friends and relatives.

Situation 3: Conversation with your boyfriend/girlfriend

There are a few specific phrases for goodbye that should only be used between people in an intimate relationship. They’re intended to show your partner that you really care about and love them. 

• Пази се!
  Pazi se!
  “Take care!”

• Ще се видим утре! Обичам те! 
  Shte se vidim utre! Obicham te!
  “See you tomorrow! I love you!”

• Ще си мисля за теб!
  Shte si mislya za teb!
  “I’ll think about you!”

• Ще ми липсваш!
  Shte mi lipsvash!
  “I’ll miss you!”

➢ You can find some other common ways to say goodbye in Bulgarian on BulgarianPod101.com.

2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye

Depending on the situation, there are several different ways you can say goodbye in Bulgarian. For example, if you’re only leaving for a few hours, you’ll say goodbye differently than if you were leaving for a long time (or even forever). Here are common Bulgarian goodbye sayings that you can use in a variety of contexts.

Short-Term Goodbyes

Here are five phrases that Bulgarians often use when they’re leaving for only a short while: 

• Чао! До скоро! 
  Chao! Do skoro!
  “Bye! See you soon!”

• Ще се видим скоро! 
  Shte se vidim skoro!
  “See you soon!”

• Чао-чао! Пази се! 
  Chao-chao! Pazi se!
  “Bye-bye! Take care!”

• Довиждане! Всичко най-хубаво! 
  Dovizhdane! Vsichko nay-hubavo!
  “Goodbye! All the best!”

• Довиждане! Приятен ден! 
  Dovizhdane! Priyaten den!
  “Goodbye! Have a nice day!”

You might have already noticed that the first three examples are used in informal situations, while the second two are more formal. Below is a situation where you could use one of the formal goodbyes.

Let’s say you’ve just finished eating at a restaurant, and you’re paying for your meal. How would you thank your waiter in Bulgarian, and say goodbye? Here’s what to say to anyone who’s offered you services:

• Благодаря Ви за обслужването! Довиждане и лека работа! 
  Blagodarya Vi za obsluzhvaneto! Dovizhdane i leka rabota!
  “Thank you for your service! Goodbye and good luck!” (Literally: “I wish you an easy job!”)

➢ At BulgarianPod101.com, you can learn some more essential Bulgarian vocabulary related to shops and services.

Long-Term Goodbyes

When parting for long periods of time, Bulgarians usually express their hope of seeing each other again. Here are four examples of what you can say:

• Надявам се някой ден да се видим отново!
  Nadyavam se nyakoy den da se vidim otnovo!
  “I hope to see you again someday!”

• Желая ти всичко най-добро!
  Zhelaya ti vsichko nay-dobro!
  “I wish you all the best!”

• Остани със здраве!
  Ostani sas zdrave!
  “Stay healthy!”

• На добър час!
  Na dobar chas!
  “Good luck!”

➢ On BulgarianPod101.com, you can listen to a conversation between Bulgarian friends who are parting ways at the airport.

Saying Goodbye Forever

Parting forever is never a happy event, especially if you love that person. Bulgarians have a special word for this occasion. It’s used when a friend is moving to live abroad, or when they’re dying. 

• Сбогом!
  Sbogom!
  “Farewell!”

This expression consists of two words: the preposition с (s), meaning “with,” and Богом (bogom), meaning “God.” Together, it means “with God,” and it’s like saying “I leave you in God’s hands.”

Ending a Phone Call in Bulgarian

English-speakers often use the common phrases “See you” or “Bye” when ending a phone call. In contrast, Bulgarians have a specific word for ending phone calls. It literally means: “Hear you soon!”

• Дочуване!
  Dochuvane!
  “Bye!”

Because people don’t “see” each other over the phone, Bulgarians use the word “hear” instead. So instead of Довиждане (До – виждане) (Dovizhdane), they say Дочуване (До – чуване) (Dochuvane).

➢ Listen to a real-life phone call that ends with the word Дочуване (Dochuvane).

3. Common Goodbye Phrases in Bulgarian That Don’t Contain the Word “Goodbye”

Did you know that Bulgarians can say goodbye without actually using goodbye phrases like Довиждане (Dovizhdane) or Чао (Chao)? It’s good to know at least some of them, so you can recognize them in your conversations with native Bulgarian-speakers.

• Приятен ден!
  Priyaten den!
  “Have a nice day!”

• Всичко най-хубаво!
  Vsichko nay-hubavo!
  “All the best!”

• Всичко добро!
  Vsichko dobro!
  “All the best!”

• До следващия път!
  Do sledvashtiya pat!
  “Until next time!”

• До нови срещи!
  Do novi sreshti!
  “See you soon!”

• Хайде!
  Hayde!
  “Bye!”

The word Хайде (Hayde) is typically used to mean “Let’s” as in “Let’s do something.” Here’s an example:

• Хайде да отидем на кино.
  Hayde da otidem na kino.
  “Let’s go to the cinema.”

But when someone says Хайде (Hayde) at the end of a conversation, it means “Bye.” In response, you can simply say:

• Хайде!
  Hayde!
  “Bye!”

Or:

• Хайде! Ще се видим пак!
  Hayde! Shte se vidim pak!
  “Bye! See you soon!”

4. Cultural Insights Related to Saying Hello and Goodbye

Bulgarian people are open to foreigners and often invite them into their homes to show their hospitality. If you find yourself invited to a native’s home, be mindful to take off your shoes at the door as this is customary in Bulgaria. If you don’t, you’ll offend your host and they’ll take it as a sign of disrespect.

You should also bring a gift with you; we recommend some fruits or something you cooked. It’s a good Bulgarian custom, showing that you thought of the person who invited you, and prepared something special for him or her.

When it comes to saying goodbye in Bulgarian, you’ll be just fine as long as you know how to use the most common formal and informal phrases. You can use the same phrases regardless of gender, age, or status, which makes things much easier than in other languages like Korean. 

The word до (do) helps create a range of goodbye phrases in Bulgaria. Let’s examine some of them here, keeping in mind that you’ve already seen some of these earlier in the article: 

• Довиждане!
  Dovizhdane!
  “Goodbye!”

• Дочуване!
  Dochuvane!
  “Bye!”

• До скоро!
  Do skoro!
  “See you soon!”

• До утре!
  Do utre!
  “See you tomorrow!”

• До нови срещи!
  Do novi sreshti!
  “See you soon!”

• До понеделник!
  Do ponedelnik!
  “Until Monday!”

Here, you can replace понеделник (ponedelnik), or “Monday,” with any other day of the week.

5. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Learn the Specifics of Bulgarian

BulgarianPod101 is a great source of practical examples and cultural insights, designed to help foreigners know how to use the words and phrases they’ve learned. For example, our goal for this article was to teach you not only Bulgarian goodbye phrases, but how and when to use them correctly. 

If you feel like you’ll need some personal guidance to master this topic (or any other topic you’re struggling with!), you can choose a teacher from our MyTeacher program. This native Bulgarian expert will help you get a deeper understanding of the language-related and cultural nuances you’ll need to succeed! 

Does saying goodbye in Bulgarian seem easier now than it did before? Or is there something you still have questions about? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll help you out the best we can!

Learning a new language is like starting a new journey! It opens up hundreds of opportunities for you and acquaints you with different ways of thinking, unknown cultures, unique people, a rich history, and ways of life you may not be familiar with. By learning a country’s language, you also learn about that country’s cuisine, festivals, traditions, and customs. And considering the rich cultural heritage of Bulgaria, Bulgarian is one language you’ll love learning. 

That said, how hard is it to learn Bulgarian? 

If you start by learning the grammar—all those endless verb forms and conjugations, as well as the adjectives and their forms—there’s a good chance that you’ll soon become lost in the multiple rules and give up. This is not a good way to start, especially if you’re an absolute beginner.

As you can see, how difficult Bulgarian is for you depends on how you choose to learn. Yes, learning a new language can be a challenge, but anyone can do it! BulgarianPod101 is here not only to motivate you in your studies and to dispel all your doubts, but also to make the process of learning fun and pleasurable—just like each new journey should be. 

So let’s take a look at what things might make the Bulgarian language hard to learn and how to overcome them. See for yourself that it is easy to learn Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101.

Table of Contents

1. Is it Hard to Learn Bulgarian?
2. What are the Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning Bulgarian?
3. I Want to Learn Bulgarian. Where Should I Start?
4. Five Tips for New Bulgarian Learners
5. Why Don’t You Start Learning Bulgarian Right Away? (4 Practical Exercises)
6. Why is BulgarianPod101 Great for Learning Bulgarian?

1. Is it Hard to Learn Bulgarian?

The very first challenge that new Bulgarian-learners face is studying the Cyrillic alphabet. Yes, it’s completely different from the Latin alphabet, but fortunately, there’s an easy way to learn the Bulgarian alphabet. Let’s study it together!

How to Learn the Bulgarian Alphabet Easier

To make the learning process easier, let’s review the Bulgarian alphabet in chunks. We’ll start with the similarities that you can easily recognize between the two alphabet systems.

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
Аа	Аа
Бб	Bb
Дд	Dd
Ее	Ee
Зз	Zz (note that this Bulgarian letter looks like the cursive ‘Z’ in English)
Кк	Kk
Мм	Mm
Оо	Oo
Тт	Tt

Isn’t it great that you already know nine Bulgarian letters? Let’s move on.

The next thing to remember is that:

• The Bulgarian В is not the English B
• The Bulgarian H is not the English H
• The Bulgarian P is not the English P 

Here’s how to remember them:

Bulgarian Вв	English Vv
Bulgarian Hн	English Nn
Bulgarian Pр	English Rr

So far, we’ve covered twelve out of thirty Bulgarian letters. Not bad, right? Let’s move forward.

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
Гг	Gg
Пп	Pp
Фф	Ff
Лл	Ll
Уу	Uu (pronounced like “oo” in “tool”)
Хх	Hh
Ии (like opposite N)	Ii (pronounced like “i” in “igloo”)
Cc	Ss

Twenty letters so far. Let’s practice their pronunciation! Try to read the following words, and then check their pronunciation in parentheses below! To get a headstart in your vocabulary learning, you can also make flashcards for these words. 

• баба, каза, мама, коза, мотор, паун, доктор, ухо
  (baba, kaza, mama, koza, motor, paun, doktor, ooho)
  grandma, said, mom, goat, motor, peacock, doctor, ear

Excellent! Now, let’s study ten more Bulgarian letters. 

Although English-speakers are not accustomed to these next letters (as most of them are pronounced as a combination of two or more sounds), we believe that you’ll get used to them with some practice. For example, you can study two letters a day (one in the morning and one in the evening) and have them memorized in just five days!

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
Жж	Pronounced like ZH or like S in “treasure”
Йй	Pronounced like Y in “yes”
Цц	Pronounced like TS in “fits”
Чч	Pronounced like CH in “church”
Шш	Pronounced like SH in “shoe”
Щщ	Pronounced like SHT in “shtick”
Ъъ	Pronounced like U in “turn”
ь	Soft sign
Юю	Pronounced like YU or U in “menu”
Яя (like a backwards R)	Pronounced like YA in “yacht”

The easiest way to get used to these letters is through practical reading exercises. For example, try to read the following word:

• мартеница
  (martenitsa)

You can read more about the Bulgarian мартеница, which will help you learn more about the traditions of this country.

Here are a few more words for practicing your Bulgarian reading skills:

• щастие, шал, човек, цвете, жаба
  (shtastie, shal, chovek, tsvete, zhaba)
  happiness, scarf, man, flower, frog

Don’t forget to make more flashcards! We’ll be practicing some of these words again in a later section of this article. Hopefully, this new approach to learning the Bulgarian alphabet will help you memorize it easier.

➢ BulgarianPod101 has prepared a detailed guide to the Bulgarian alphabet that can be downloaded here for free. We highly recommend it for beginners!

2. What are the Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning Bulgarian?

Now that you’ve overcome the first difficulty, which is learning the Bulgarian alphabet, let’s take a look at what makes Bulgarian hard to learn (and which things make it pretty easy).

What is the Hardest Part of Learning Bulgarian?

One of the biggest difficulties for Bulgarian-learners is pronunciation, especially when Bulgarian textbooks make it seem even more complicated. But how difficult is it to learn Bulgarian pronunciation and phonetic changes, really? Well, once you have the alphabet down, the process really isn’t so difficult. These five tips will help you a lot!

Tip #1 – Imitate native Bulgarian-speakers!

The more you listen to how natives speak, the better. Doing so will allow you to get used to the proper pronunciation and the accents. Just like little children, we learn better by imitating others than by reading rules and instructions.

Tip #2 – Start reading short Bulgarian texts by repeating what you hear!

The best way to do this is by listening to a dialogue between native speakers and repeating what they say. Luckily, BulgarianPod101.com has tons of audio and video lessons featuring native speaker dialogues with transcripts. Perfect for practicing your reading, listening, and speaking skills at the same time!

Tip #3 – The more you practice, the better your pronunciation will get!

While you can’t expect to have perfect pronunciation after only a month of practice, practicing every day will significantly improve your pronunciation over time. This is because you’ll get used to the difficult words through exposure, and they won’t seem so hard anymore. 

Tip #4 – Don’t be afraid to talk to others in Bulgarian!

This is the most important tip! Even if your pronunciation isn’t very good yet, try to speak daily with native Bulgarians. This will improve your pronunciation little by little.  

Tip #5 – Learn the longer words in chunks!

The long words are hardest to pronounce. But if you divide them into syllables, the pronunciation will seem much easier. For example:

• Здравейте
  (Zdraveyte)
  “Hello” – for formal or plural form

Can be divided into:

Здрав – ей – те – and the accent falls on the second syllable

• Благодаря
  (Blagodarya)
  “Thank you!”

Can be divided into:

Благо – да – ря – and the accent falls on the last syllable

➢ On BulgarianPod101.com, you can find our Ultimate Bulgarian Pronunciation Guide, which will help you overcome the hardest part of learning Bulgarian.

Is it Hard to Learn Bulgarian Verbs?

The answer is yes, unless you know this trick to memorize them easier: 

Divide the verbs into groups with common roots and different prefixes that change the meaning of each verb. Here’s an example of such a group:

Bulgarian verb + pronunciation	English meaning
казвам (kazvam)	“I say”
приказвам (prikazvam)	“I speak”
разказвам (razkazvam)	“I narrate”
доказвам (dokazvam)	“I prove”
наказвам (nakazvam)	“I punish”
показвам (pokazvam)	“I show”
изказвам (izkazvam)	“I express”
наприказвам (naprikazvam)	“get my fill of talking”

And here’s another example:

Bulgarian verb + pronunciation	English meaning
пиша (pisha)	“I write”
впиша (vpisha)	“I еnter” (like entering a name on a list)
напиша (napisha)	“I write down”
допиша (dopisha)	“I finish writing”
запиша (zapisha)	“I note down”
надпиша (nadpisha)	“I inscribe”
изпиша (izpisha)	“I cover with writing”
подпиша (podpisha)	“I sign”
препиша (prepisha)	“I transcribe”
припиша (pripisha)	“I ascribe,” “I attribute”
отпиша (otpisha)	“I unsubscribe”

You can make flashcards for these verb groups to memorize them easier.

➢ See BulgarianPod101’s list of the 50 Most Common Bulgarian Verbs and their pronunciation!

What is the Easiest Part of Learning Bulgarian?

It’s reasonable to start learning the easiest part of Bulgarian first: cognate words, or the ones that sound and look similar in English and Bulgarian. If you’ve learned the Bulgarian alphabet, you’ll see how easy it is to learn Bulgarian words that have a common origin with those in English.

Here are some examples of cognate words:

Bulgarian word + pronunciation	English meaning
студент (student)	“student”
идeя (eedeya)	“idea”
банан (banan)	“banana”
клас (klas)	“class”
център (tsentar)	“center”
сестра́ (sestra)	“sister”
хумор (humor)	“humor”
проект (proyekt)	“project”
филм (film)	“film,” “movie”

Again, we recommend that you make flashcards of these cognates. We’ll be going over them again in section five.

➢ Want to make even more flashcards? See our list of the 100 Core Bulgarian Words.

3. I Want to Learn Bulgarian. Where Should I Start?

We’ve already mentioned that the best starting point for learning Bulgarian is to memorize the alphabet, and then make flashcards of cognate words. Here, we’ll give you some simple tips that will motivate you and help you achieve your desired Bulgarian fluency! 

Tip #1 – Make your own achievable schedule with pre-set goals.

Try to divide your learning into easy stages and set a specific period of time to study each new level. If you’re motivated enough to learn Bulgarian, you should set aside at least fifteen minutes a day to study. This is a good amount of time that will allow you to really learn something without interfering with your schedule. Regular learning is essential for your progress, so don’t be lazy by skipping a day or two!

Imagine your language learning as a wall that you have to build by adding bricks daily. Each day of study equals one more brick. But if you stop studying the language for a long period of time, it’s quite probable that some of your bricks will fall out and bring down the rest of the wall.

Tip #2 – Make your learning fun!

There are a few ways to achieve this. For example, you can make your own flashcards and play a game with them, watch intriguing TV series in Bulgarian, learn about dates in Bulgarian, listen to popular Bulgarian songs, and the list goes on.

If there’s a topic you’re interested in, you can start by learning related Bulgarian vocabulary, doing research, and studying materials from Bulgarian sources.

Tip #3 – Find a Bulgarian friend!

One of the best ways to practice Bulgarian is to speak with a real Bulgarian. Find a Bulgarian friend to help you improve your conversational skills and achieve fluency faster. By speaking with him or her, you’ll remove your language barrier faster and increase your confidence, which is a surefire way to success.

Tip #4 – Review what you have learned so far!

It’s essential to review new vocabulary at least once a week until you get used to it. Your brain needs time to build solid roads in the new language, so you have to go through these new words often until they go from being tiny paths to being wide highways. 

Tip #5 – Don’t give up!

There will be moments when learning Bulgarian won’t be as easy and fun as you wish. You just need to overcome these challenges instead of giving up. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, as mistakes will help you get better.

Here’s a motivational thought from Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” In Bulgarian, this is:

• Ако вярвате, че можете, вече сте изминали половината път.
  (Ako vyarvate, che mozhete, veche ste izminali polovinata pat.)

4. Five Tips for New Bulgarian Learners

Want to learn Bulgarian easy and fast? BulgarianPod101 has some tips for new learners! Follow our advice, and you’ll learn to speak Bulgarian in no time.

Tip #1 – Do all five!

The five elements of language-learning are: watching, reading, listening, writing, and speaking. To improve your Bulgarian language skills, you need to advance in all of these elements. How can you do this?

• Watching: Watch Bulgarian TV shows, Bulgarian movies, or Bulgarian news channels on a daily basis.
• Reading: Read Bulgarian books in your favorite genre, articles, news, letters, etc.
• Listening: You can listen to Bulgarian radio or even popular Bulgarian songs.
• Writing: Write as many new words as possible, and try forming sentences with them.
• Speaking: Don’t be afraid of speaking Bulgarian with your Bulgarian friend, in the shop, or wherever you go.

Tip #2 – Repeat, repeat, repeat…

In order to get used to the language’s rhythm, listen to new phrases and sentences over and over again until you start to recognize and understand the meaning. Try to imitate the native speaker as closely as possible.

Tip #3 – Perfect your pronunciation!

You can achieve some great results by using a voice-recording tool. It will allow you to listen to your pronunciation and compare it to that of a native speaker. This way, you can more easily recognize the sounds that you pronounce differently and fix them. 

Tip #4 – Take a dictionary wherever you go!

This is a great way to learn new words while waiting in line, drinking your coffee, or even while you’re out walking. This is a natural way to learn during your free time.

Tip #5 – Master recorded dialogues!

Whenever you listen to recorded dialogues by native speakers, pay extra attention. Study the lines, learn them by heart, and begin understanding how to reply to someone in everyday conversations. 

Another great way to learn Bulgarian is by using a Bulgarian app.

5. Why Don’t You Start Learning Bulgarian Right Away? (4 Practical Exercises)

You don’t have to wait any longer to start learning Bulgarian! Simply complete the following exercises, starting with the Bulgarian alphabet.

Exercise 1: Practice the Bulgarian Alphabet

Complete the table by filling in the English version of the following letters:

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
Аа
Бб
Дд
Ее
Зз
Кк
Мм
Оо
Тт

That was easy, right? Now, let’s make things harder. Write the Bulgarian version of these English letters:

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
	Gg
	Pp
	Ff
	Ll
	Uu (pronounced like “oo” in “tool”)
	Hh
	Ii (pronounced like “i” in “igloo”)
	Ss

The hardest part is below. Write the English versions of the following Bulgarian letters. (Note that the first three look like specific English letters, but are different.)

Bulgarian Letters	English Letters
Вв
Нн
Рр
Жж
Йй
Цц
Чч
Шш
Щщ
Ъъ
ь
Юю
Яя

Exercise 2: Practice Reading

Now that you know the alphabet, it’s time to start reading. Read the following words out loud and check their pronunciation and meaning:

• кокошка (kokoshka) – “hen”
• октопод (oktopod) – “octopus”
• врата (vrata) – “door”
• къща (kаshta) – “house”

Now, let’s read some simple sentences:

• Той отвори вратата.
  (Toy otvori vratata.)
  “He opened the door.”

• Вратата на къщата е бяла.
  (Vratata na kashtata e byala.)
  “The house’s door is white.”

• Вратата на къщата се отвори.
  (Vratata na kashtata se otvori.)
  “The house’s door opened.”

• Кокошката влезе през вратата.
  (Kokoshkata vleze prez vratata.)
  “The hen came in through the door.”

Exercise 3: Practice Flashcards

If you’ve been following our guidelines, you should have about forty flashcards so far with nouns and verbs. If you haven’t made them yet, it’s time to write and review them now, before completing this exercise.

Find the following flashcards: студент, пиша, проект. Place them in a row in this order. Now, let’s write down a grammatically correct sentence.

• Студентът пише проект.
  (Studentat pishe proekt.)
  “The student writes a project.”

Now, find these flashcards: човек, филм. Let’s write down a grammatically correct sentence.

• Човекът гледа филм.
  (Chovekat gleda film.)
  “The man is watching a movie.”

Now, find these flashcards: мама, записвам, идея. Let’s write down a grammatically correct sentence.

• Мама записва идея.
  (Mama zapisva ideya.)
  “Mom writes down an idea.”

Another great game with flashcards is to match each word with its English meaning.

Exercise 4: Introducing Yourself in Bulgarian

Let’s start with some simple sentences that you can use to introduce yourself:

• Здравейте! Аз съм (your name).
  (Zdraveyte! Az sam)
  “Hello! I am (your name).”

• А ти как се казваш?
  (A ti kak se kazvash?)
  “And what is your name?”

• Приятно ми е да се запознаем.
  (Priyatno mi e da se zapoznaem.)
  “Nice to meet you.”

• Откъде си?
  (Otkade si?)
  “Where are you from?”

• Аз съм от (your country here).
  (Az sam ot)
  “I’m from (your country here).”

BulgarianPod101 has a list of the Bulgarian pronunciations of some countries. Check it out and fill in the blank with your country. 

In this ten-minute video, you can learn some other useful expressions that will help you introduce yourself in Bulgarian:

6. Why is BulgarianPod101 Great for Learning Bulgarian?

BulgarianPod101 is an inexhaustible source of materials, guides, and practical exercises that will help you learn and master the Bulgarian language. Our team of native Bulgarian professionals has prepared this and many other reviews and guides, many of which you can download or view for free. But in order to gain full access to all of our website’s features, sign up today and have seven days of complete access for free.

BulgarianPod101 even offers a free app that’s available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle Fire. In case this isn’t enough and you feel that you need professional guidance, you can choose your Bulgarian teacher from MyTeacher and he/she will help you learn Bulgarian in a way that works for you! 

Did you find this article helpful? Have we motivated you to start learning Bulgarian? We look forward to hearing from you and will help out the best we can!