🏆 Checkpoint — you've reached A1
Fourteen days ago you couldn't read a single Bulgarian word. Now you know the Cyrillic alphabet, can greet people formally and informally, count to a million, tell the time, conjugate verbs in two groups, describe things with adjectives, negate sentences, ask questions, navigate cities, and hold basic conversations about yourself, your family, and your plans. That's genuine A1 — the foundation everything else builds on. Today is about consolidating everything before you step up to A2. Take the mock test honestly: no peeking at notes. Your score tells you exactly where to focus next.
Section 1
What you have learned — 14 days in review
Tick every row you feel confident about. Any hesitation = worth a 5-minute revisit before the mock test.
Before taking the mock test, work through this checklist honestly. The aim is not to feel perfect — it is to identify which two or three topics need a quick refresh so you go into the test on solid ground.
Section 2
Complete A1 grammar reference
Every rule in one place. Use as a revision sheet — not a reading exercise.
Rule 1 — Verb conjugation (present tense)
| Person | Group 1: чета | Group 2: говоря | Irregular: съм |
|---|---|---|---|
| аз | чет-а | говор-я | съм |
| ти | чет-еш | говор-иш | си |
| той/тя/то | чет-е | говор-и | е |
| ние | чет-ем | говор-им | сме |
| вие | чет-ете | говор-ите | сте |
| те | чет-ат | говор-ят | са |
Rule 2 — Noun gender and definite article
| Gender | Ending | Indefinite | Definite | Plural def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | consonant | стол | столът / стола | столовете |
| Feminine | -а / -я | маса | масата | масите |
| Neuter | -е / -о | кафене | кафенето | кафенетата |
Rule 3 — Adjective agreement
| Gender | Indefinite | Definite |
|---|---|---|
| M | нов стол | новият стол |
| F | нова маса | новата маса |
| N | ново кафене | новото кафене |
| Pl | нови столове | новите столове |
Rules 4–7 — Negation, questions, да construction, prepositions
| Rule | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Negation | не + verb | Не говоря руски. |
| Have — negative | нямам (NEVER не имам) | Нямам кола. |
| Double negative | никой/нищо/никога + не + verb | Никой не знае. |
| Yes/No question | ли after verb | Говориш ли |
| Да construction | искам/мога/трябва + да + verb | Искам да уча. |
| в vs на | в = inside enclosed. на = at hub/surface. | в хотела · на гарата |
Section 3
Pronunciation & spelling — the eight traps
The letters most likely to trip up English speakers. Audio on every example.
You have been reading Cyrillic for 14 days. This section consolidates the trickiest patterns so they do not slow you down in A2. Click each example to hear the correct pronunciation.
Section 4
Reading practice — six passages with line-by-line audio
Every sentence now has its own audio button. Read aloud first, then press play to check your pronunciation.
Every word in these passages appeared in Days 1–14. Try reading each sentence aloud before pressing its audio button — that gap between your attempt and the correct pronunciation is where learning happens fastest.
Section 5
Comprehension questions
Answer from memory — no looking back. Then reveal the answers.
These questions test whether you understood the meaning, not just whether you can decode the Cyrillic. Work through each set from memory, then re-read any passage where you hesitated.
📖 Passage 1 questions — Петър
- Откъде е Петър?
- Какво работи?
- Колко сестри има?
- Каква е сестра му?
Show answers
1. От България, от Пловдив.
2. Работи в офис в центъра.
3. Има една сестра. (Нямам братя — no brothers.)
4. Тя е много добра лекарка.
📖 Passage 2 questions — Morning in Sofia
- В колко часа става авторът?
- Как отива на работа?
- Какво е срещу магазина?
- В колко часа се прибира?
Show answers
1. В седем часа.
2. Взема метрото.
3. Банката е срещу магазина.
4. В пет часа.
📖 Passage 6 questions — About Bulgaria
- Каква е столицата на България?
- Какъв е официалният език?
- Каква е валутата от 2026?
- Какъв е климатът?
Show answers
1. София.
2. Официалният език е български.
3. Валутата е евро.
4. Умерен континентален — лятото горещо, зимата студена.
Section 6
Writing challenges — five A1 tasks
Write by hand in Cyrillic where possible. These tasks cover the entire A1 curriculum.
✏️ Challenge 1 — Self-introduction
Write a full self-introduction in Bulgarian. Include: your name, where you are from, your age, what you do, your family, and what you like. Aim for 6–8 sentences.
✏️ Challenge 2 — Describe your town
Write 5 sentences describing your town using places from Day 14, prepositions, and adjectives.
✏️ Challenge 3 — A day in my life
Write your daily routine using at least 8 present-tense verbs. Include times and at least one ли question and one negative sentence.
✏️ Challenge 4 — Translate this paragraph
Translate into Bulgarian without looking at any lessons:
"My name is Alex. I am from England. I am learning Bulgarian because my wife is Bulgarian. She is from Plovdiv. We live in London, but we visit Bulgaria every summer. I can speak a little Bulgarian, but I cannot write well yet. I need to study more."
Show model answer
✏️ Challenge 5 — Answer these questions about yourself
- Откъде сте?
- Колко езика говорите?
- Защо учите български?
- Имате ли семейство?
- Какво обичате да правите в свободното си време?
Section 7
A1 Mock Test — 20 questions
Time yourself: aim for under 20 minutes. 14+ = A1 ready. 17+ = strong A1.
Day 15 — A1 Mock Test
20 questions · 14+ to mark complete · 17+ = strong A1
Question 1 of 20
Which Bulgarian letter makes the "zh" sound (like the S in "measure")?
Question 2 of 20
You are introduced to your friend's grandmother. You say:
Question 3 of 20
What is 17 in Bulgarian?
Question 4 of 20
"My name is..." — which phrase?
Question 5 of 20
"We are ready" — correct form of съм for ние:
Question 6 of 20
Which noun is feminine?
Question 7 of 20
"These books" in Bulgarian:
Question 8 of 20
How do you say 350 in Bulgarian?
Question 9 of 20
"Half past four" in Bulgarian:
Question 10 of 20
"The big red book" — adjectives agreeing with книга (F):
Question 11 of 20
"I have no brothers" in Bulgarian:
Question 12 of 20
"She works in a hospital" — работя for тя:
Question 13 of 20
"Nobody is coming" — correct Bulgarian:
Question 14 of 20
"The pharmacy is opposite the bank":
Question 15 of 20
"At the train station" — which preposition?
Question 16 of 20
Моля can mean please, you're welcome AND:
Question 17 of 20
"Why are you learning Bulgarian?" — correct question word:
Question 18 of 20
"I want to eat" in Bulgarian:
Question 19 of 20
You need to apologise to a stranger. You say:
Question 20 of 20
"Go straight ahead" in Bulgarian:
Section 8
Answer explanations
Read even the questions you got right — the explanation gives you the deeper reason.
| Q | Answer | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ж | Ж = zh (measure). З = z (zoo). Щ = sht (two sounds). Ъ = central uh vowel. |
| 2 | Здравейте! Приятно ми е. | Always use formal Вие with strangers and elders. Здравей is informal — with friends only. |
| 3 | седемнадесет | 17 = седем + надесет. -надесет is the "-teen" suffix. седемдесет = 70 (completely different). |
| 4 | Казвам се... | Literally "I call myself" — the only correct self-introduction phrase. Аз съм is for nationality or profession. |
| 5 | Ние сме | сме = we are. са = they are. сте = you (pl/formal) are. съм = I am only. |
| 6 | улица | Ends in -а → feminine rule. ден and хляб end in consonants → masculine. море ends in -е → neuter. |
| 7 | тези книги | тези = plural demonstrative (these) — works for all genders in plural. книги = plural of книга. |
| 8 | триста и петдесет | триста (300) is irregular — not тристотин. All hundreds above 200 need и before the next number. |
| 9 | четири и половина | Bulgarian time: hour + и + minutes. Four-thirty = четири и половина. Без = "without/before" — for times before the hour. |
| 10 | голяма червена книга | книга is feminine → all adjectives take -а: голяма, червена. Never mix genders. |
| 11 | Нямам братя | нямам is a separate verb — the negative of имам. не имам does not exist in Bulgarian. |
| 12 | тя работи | работя is Group 2. той/тя/то form = -и. работя = I work. работят = they work. |
| 13 | Никой не идва | Bulgarian requires double negation — никой always needs не before the verb. Omitting не is wrong. |
| 14 | срещу банката | срещу = opposite/facing. до = next to. зад = behind. пред = in front of. These four are tested constantly. |
| 15 | на гарата | Transport hubs (гара, летище, спирка, метростанция) always use на. Enclosed spaces use в. |
| 16 | Pardon? | Моля has three uses: please (making a request), you're welcome (after благодаря), and pardon? (when you didn't hear). |
| 17 | Защо | Защо = why (question word). Защото = because (answer connector). They always appear as a pair. |
| 18 | Искам да ям | Bulgarian has no infinitive — да + conjugated verb replaces it. ям = I eat (Group 1 аз form). |
| 19 | Извинете | Always use formal Извинете with strangers. Извини = informal, for friends. The -те ending marks formal/plural. |
| 20 | Вървете направо | Вървете = go (walking, formal imperative). направо = straight ahead. All direction commands use the formal -те form with strangers. |
Section 9
What comes next — A2 study plan
Days 16–35 build from your A1 foundation to exam readiness.
You have completed the entire A1 foundation. Here is exactly what is coming in A2 and why each phase matters:
| Days | Phase | Key topics | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–20 | Food & Shopping | Restaurant ordering, market vocab, recipes, quantities | Core survival vocabulary for every trip to Bulgaria. |
| 21–25 | Work & Daily Life | Professions, routines, health, past tense (aorist) | Past tense unlocks storytelling. Essential for all exams. |
| 26–30 | Travel & Emotions | Future tense, feelings, weather, hobbies | Future tense completes the tense trio. Emotions = depth. |
| 31–35 | Travel & A2 Test | Hotels, airports, directions revisited, A2 mock | Day 35 = full A2 exam simulation. |
🏆 What A1 means for your goals
The Bulgarian language requirement for residency and citizenship is generally around A2 level. You have now built the entire A1 foundation that underpins every A2 topic. Every day from here targets exam-relevant content directly.
💡 Three habits that make the biggest difference in A2
1. Do every quiz the same day — immediate feedback cements recall far better than re-reading. 2. Read every dialogue aloud before pressing Play — the gap between your attempt and the correct audio is where pronunciation improves. 3. At the end of each week, re-read the recap tables from that week. Spaced review is the fastest route to long-term retention.
📝 Five-minute check before Day 16
Write from memory: (1) Full conjugation of съм. (2) Conjugation of работя. (3) Definite article forms for all three genders. (4) Five places with their genders. (5) The negative of имам. If you can do all five without looking, you are genuinely A1 ready. If not, spend five minutes with Days 5, 6 and 14 first.