The following are the commonest greetings:
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Unit 1: free sample
Greetings, the golden words, forms of address; Also, as well; Negation; the Question particle 'ли'; Има-няма; The verb 'съм' / Bulgarian names
Dialog 1
- , Тодоров!Dobur den, gospodin Todorov!Good afternoon, Mr. Todoroff!
- , Атанасова!Dobur den, gospozho Atanasova!Good afternoon, Mrs. Atanasova!
- ?Kak ste?How are you?
- . . ?Blagodaria. Dobre. A Vie?Fine, thanks. And you?
- .I az sushto.Me, too.
- .Vsichko hubavo.Take care.
- .Vsichko hubavo.Take care.
Dialog 2
- , Гошо!Zdravey, Gosho!Hey, Gosho!
- , Ваня!Zdrasti, Vanya!Hi, Vanya!
- ?Kak si?How are you doing?
- . ! ?Dobre. Gore-dolu! Pri teb kak e?Fine. So-so! How's it going with you?
- , . .Ami, i az taka. Karam nyakaksi.Well... same with me. I am managing it somehow.
- , !Hayde, chao!Bye!
- !Chao!Bye!
Phrases 1
Добро утро! Dobro utro!
Good morning!
Добър ден! Dobur den!
Good day! Good afternoon! (from 11 AM onwards)
Добър вечер! Dobur vecher!
Good evening!
Здравейте! Zdraveyte!
Hello! (said formally to one or more people or informally to many)
Здравей! Zdravey!
Hi! (informal, said to one person)
Здрасти! Zdrasti!
Hi (more informal, said to one person)
Как сте? Kak ste?
How are you? (formal address to one person or informal to many)
Как си? Kak si?
How are you? (informal address to one person)
Довиждане! Dovizhdane!
Goodbye!
Дочуване! Dochuvane!
Bye-bye! (used only on the phone)
Всичко хубаво! Vsichko hubavo!
Take care! (lit. 'all nice', meaning 'all the best')
Всичко добро! Vsichko dobro!
Take care! (lit. 'all good', meaning 'all the best')
Чао! Chao!
Bye!, See you! (informal)
Лека нощ! Leka nosht!
Good night!
Phrases 2
How to reply to greetings:
Добре. Dobre.
Well. Fine.
Чудесно. Chudesno.
Great! (We, Bulgarians, rarely say we feel great.)
Супер! Super!
Super! (informal, among young people)
Долу-горе. Dolu-gore.
So-so.
Карам някакси.Karam nyakaksi.
This is an expression you would use when you feel you're just getting by, depressed, low. Its literal translation is 'I am driving somehow', meaning 'I am managing it somehow'.
How to say 'thank you':
Благодаря. Blagodaria.
Thanks.
Благодаря Ви много. Blagodaria Vi mnogo.
Thank you very much. ( sing. or informal pl.)
Благодаря ти много. Blagodaria ti mnogo
Thank you very much. (informal 'you')
Мерси. Mersi
Thanks. (from French, widely used colloquially)
Grammar 1
AND = И or А?In Bulgarian you can say 'and' in two ways - 'и' or 'а', as seen in Dialog 1. 'A' is used when there is some kind of opposition or contrast. Look at the example:
Аз съм добре. А ти?Az sum dobre. A ti? - I am fine. And you?
ALSO, AS WELL, TOOThe word for the above three words is 'също'. However, 'и' may also have the same meaning, in addition to its primary meaning, 'and'.Take a close look at the following sentences.
Аз също съм тук. Az sushto sum tuk. - I am here, too.
Иво и Миглена са добре. Ivo i Miglena sa dobre. - Ivo and Miglena are fine.
И аз съм добре. I az sum dobre. - I am fine, too. (cont'd)
Grammar 2
(cont'd)
For more emphasis you can use both 'и' (i) and 'също' (sushto) in the last sentence and say:
И аз също съм добре. I az sushto sum dobre.
NEGATION - USING 'НЕ'
'Не' is normally placed just before the verb it negates, e.g.:
Не съм вкъщи. Ne sum vkushti. - I am not at home.
Не са на работа. Ne sa na rabota. -They are not at work.
'Не' (ne) is never stressed when followed by a verb. it's normally pronounced with the verb as one word. Listen carefully to the pronunciation.
Grammar 3
THE INTERROGATIVE PARTICLE 'ЛИ'
When you ask a closed-ended question (those that require a yes/no answer) you must use the question particle 'ли' (li), immediately following the word(s) to which the question refers:
Георги вкъщи ли е? Georgi vkushti li e? -Is Gheorghi (George) at home?
Миглена на улицата ли е? Miglena na ulitsata li e? -Is Miglena on the street?
(NO implications of ill repute!)
Иво на работа ли е? Ivo na rabota li e? -Is Ivo at work?
For a change in the emphasis of the question, you should move 'ли' (li). In English you change your intonation.
Иво вкъщи ли е? Ivo vkushti li e? - Is Ivo at home? (or somewhere else)
Иво ли е вкъщи? Ivo li e vkushti? -Is Ivo at home? (nobody else, but Ivo)
Exercises · 1 of 15
Question 1
Choose the right form of the verb 'съм'.
- Здрасти, Иво. Как ... ?
Exercises · 2 of 15
Question 2
Choose the right form of the verb 'съм'.
- А Татяна как ... ?
Exercises · 3 of 15
Question 3
How would you greet politely a married woman?
Exercises · 4 of 15
Question 4
Which greeting would you use at 11:30 AM?
Exercises · 5 of 15
Question 5
The waiter serves your food saying...
Exercises · 6 of 15
Question 6
'Миглена и Петър нe са вкъщи' means that ...
Exercises · 7 of 15
Question 7
The translation of 'Татяна на улицата ли е или вкъщи? is ...
Exercises · 8 of 15
Question 8
The translation of 'Are you at home?' if you are askingseveral people is ...
Exercises · 9 of 15
Question 9
What is the given name of the father ofСтанислав Валентинов Харалампиев?
Exercises · 10 of 15
Question 10
You live with your friend Ivan, who is not at home right now.A man is asking for him. You would say ...
Exercises · 11 of 15
Question 11
You invite someone to serve herself from the foodyou have served by saying ...
Exercises · 12 of 15
Question 12
A woman's full name is: Мария Тодорова Стаменова.What would be the full name of her brother?
Exercises · 13 of 15
Question 13
In reply to your question 'How are you?', a friend of yourssays he's a bit too stressed and hardly getting by. You alsofeel similarly. You say ...
Exercises · 14 of 15
Question 14
You go to a bookshop and ask whether there is aBulgarian - Tibetan Dictionary. The attendant says "I'm sorry. There isn't.", which in Bulgarian is ...
Exercises · 15 of 15
Question 15
Listen to the short recording. What does the second speaker say?
Play the recording
Exercises
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