Picture this: It's Saturday morning and you head to the зеленчуков пазар (vegetable market) in your neighbourhood. Stalls overflow with tomatoes, peppers, and bunches of fresh herbs — all far cheaper than the supermarket. A vendor calls out "Заповядайте!" (Welcome! / Come on over!) as you approach. You point to the tomatoes: "Един килограм домати, моля." She weighs them, tells you the price, and you hand over exact change — дребни — because market sellers rarely carry large notes.
Bulgaria's open-air markets (пазари) are a way of life, not a tourist attraction. Every town has at least one, and many Bulgarians shop there weekly for fresh produce, cheese, honey, and household goods. Prices are almost always by the kilogram, and while haggling is rare at regular food stalls, you'll sometimes negotiate at flea markets and antique bazaars. Today you'll learn the vocabulary to navigate any Bulgarian shop — from the bakery on your corner to the sprawling Женски пазар (Women's Market) in central Sofia, one of the oldest open-air markets in the Balkans.
Section 1
Types of shops
From the supermarket to the specialist shop.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| супермаркет | supermarket | supermarket | |
| хранителен магазин | hranitelen magazin | grocery / food shop | |
| пекарна | pekarna | bakery | |
| месарница | mesarnitsa | butcher | |
| рибарница | ribarnitsa | fishmonger | |
| зеленчуков пазар | zelenchukov pazar | fruit and vegetable market | |
| аптека | apteka | pharmacy | |
| дрогерия | drogeriya | drugstore / chemist | |
| книжарница | knizharnitsa | bookshop | |
| магазин за дрехи | magazin za drehi | clothes shop | |
| магазин за обувки | magazin za obuvki | shoe shop | |
| цветарница | tsvetarnitsa | florist | |
| бижутерия | bizhuteriya | jewellery shop | |
| антикварен магазин | antikvaren magazin | antique shop | |
| базар | bazar | open-air market |
Section 2
Quantities and measures
How to ask for the right amount of anything.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| килограм | kilogram | kilogram | |
| половин килограм | polovin kilogram | half a kilogram | |
| грам | gram | gram | |
| двеста грама | dvesta grama | 200 grams | |
| литър | litar | litre | |
| половин литър | polovin litar | half a litre | |
| бутилка | butilka | bottle | |
| кутия | kutiya | box / tin / carton | |
| пакет | paket | packet / bag | |
| буркан | burkan | jar | |
| парче | parche | piece / slice | |
| резен | rezen | slice | |
| дузина | duzina | dozen | |
| брой | broy | piece (countable) |
💡 Useful quantity requests
At markets, Bulgarian usually sounds more natural when you say the quantity together with the item: Дайте ми килограм домати, Половин килограм сирене, Една бутилка вода.
Section 3
Comparatives — better, cheaper, bigger
How to compare items and negotiate.
Bulgarian comparatives are formed by placing по- before the adjective. Superlatives use най-. This applies to all adjectives without exception — one of the most beautifully regular patterns in Bulgarian.
| Adjective | Comparative (more) | Superlative (most) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| скъп (expensive) | по-скъп | най-скъп | Това е по-скъпо. (This is more expensive.) |
| евтин (cheap) | по-евтин | най-евтин | Имате ли нещо по-евтино? |
| голям (big) | по-голям | най-голям | Дайте ми по-голямо парче. |
| малък (small) | по-малък | най-малък | Искам по-малка кутия. |
| добър (good) | по-добър | най-добър | Това е по-добро качество. |
| пресен (fresh) | по-пресен | най-пресен | Имате ли нещо по-прясно? |
💡 по- and най- — completely regular
Unlike English (good → better → best), Bulgarian uses the same prefix every time: добър → по-добър → най-добър. No irregular forms. This makes Bulgarian comparatives one of the easiest grammar points at A2 level.
Section 4
Shopping transaction phrases
Everything from entering to leaving.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Търся... | Tarsya... | I am looking for... | |
| Имате ли...? | Imate li...? | Do you have...? | |
| Покажете ми..., моля. | Pokazhete mi..., molya. | Show me..., please. | |
| Мога ли да пробвам? | Moga li da probvam? | Can I try it on / taste it? | |
| Не ми харесва. | Ne mi haresva. | I don't like it. | |
| Ще го взема. | Shte go vzema. | I'll take it. (masc./neut.) | |
| Ще я взема. | Shte ya vzema. | I'll take it. (fem.) | |
| Ще го опаковате ли? | Shte go opakovate li? | Will you wrap it? | |
| Касата е там. | Kasata e tam. | The cash desk is over there. | |
| Касова бележка, моля. | Kasova belezhka, molya. | A receipt, please. |
Имате ли домати?
Колко струва килограмът?
Дайте ми половин килограм, моля.
Имате ли нещо по-прясно?
Тези ябълки са по-евтини, нали?
Ще ги взема.
Imate li domati?
Kolko struva kilogramat?
Dayte mi polovin kilogram, molya.
Imate li neshto po-pryasno?
Tezi yabalki sa po-evtini, nali?
Shte gi vzema.
Do you have tomatoes?
How much is the kilo?
Give me half a kilo, please.
Do you have anything fresher?
These apples are cheaper, right?
I'll take them.
💡 го vs я — object pronouns
Ще го взема (I'll take it — for masculine nouns: стола, хляба). Ще я взема (I'll take it — for feminine nouns: ризата, книгата). Ще го взема also works for neuter. This is your first encounter with direct object pronouns — you will study them fully at B1.
Section 5
Dialogue — at the market
A full market transaction with comparatives.
— Добър ден! Колко струва килограм ябълки?
— Едно евро.
— А онези — по-евтини ли са?
— Да, тези са седемдесет и пет цента. По-малки са, но много сладки.
— Дайте ми два килограма от по-евтините.
— Заповядайте. Евро и петдесет. Имате ли дребни?
— Да, ето две евро.
— Петдесет цента ресто. Благодаря! Приятен ден!
— Dobar den! Kolko struva kilogram yabalki?
— Edno evro.
— A onezi — po-evtini li sa?
— Da, tezi sa sedemdeset i pet tsenta. Po-malki sa, no mnogo sladki.
— Dayte mi dva kilograma ot po-evtinite.
— Zapovyadayte. Evro i petdeset. Imate li drebni?
— Da, eto dve evro.
— Petdeset tsenta resto. Blagodarya! Priyaten den!
— Good afternoon! How much is a kilo of apples?
— One euro.
— And those ones — are they cheaper?
— Yes, these are seventy-five cents. They are smaller but very sweet.
— Give me two kilos of the cheaper ones.
— Here you are. One fifty. Do you have small change?
— Yes, here are two euros.
— Fifty cents change. Thank you! Have a nice day!
Section 6
Writing task
✏️ Writing task — Day 18
- Write comparatives for: евтин, голям, добър, пресен, скъп.
- You want 300g of white cheese and half a litre of olive oil. Write what you say.
- Translate: "I am looking for a bigger bag. Do you have something cheaper?"
- What is the difference between ще го взема and ще я взема?
Show answers
1. по-евтин, по-голям, по-добър, по-пресен, по-скъп
2. Дайте ми триста грама сирене и половин литър зехтин, моля.
3. Търся по-голяма чанта. Имате ли нещо по-евтино?
4. го = for masculine (and neuter) nouns; я = for feminine nouns. Both mean "it".
Day 18 Quiz
8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 8
How do you form a comparative in Bulgarian?
Question 2 of 8
"I am looking for..." in Bulgarian:
Question 3 of 8
"200 grams" in Bulgarian:
Question 4 of 8
"A bakery" in Bulgarian:
Question 5 of 8
"I'll take it" — the item is a book (книга, feminine):
Question 6 of 8
"The cheapest" (superlative) in Bulgarian:
Question 7 of 8
"Can I try it?" in a shop:
Question 8 of 8
"Half a kilogram" in Bulgarian:
Day 18 Recap
Review before Day 19. Every point builds on the last.
| Topic | Key point | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Shop types | супермаркет · пекарна · месарница · аптека · пазар · базар | Know 10 shop types with Bulgarian names |
| Quantities | килограм · грам · литър · бутилка · кутия · пакет · парче · резен | Always state quantity then item |
| Comparatives | по- + adjective. Superlative: най- + adjective. Very regular. | по-евтин · по-голям · най-добър |
| Transaction | Търся · Покажете ми · Мога ли да пробвам? · Ще го/я взема | го = M/N, я = F |
| Object pronouns | го (him/it-M/N) · я (her/it-F) — first encounter | Full study at B1 |
| Дребни | Small change — always useful to have at Bulgarian markets | Имате ли дребни? |
| 🌎 Culture | Open-air пазари are a way of life — fresh, cheap produce weekly; prices per kg; haggling only at flea markets | Женски пазар in Sofia is one of the oldest Balkan markets |