🌍 Setting the scene
In Bulgaria, the passive voice is everywhere once you start noticing it. You see it in estate adverts like Продава се, in museum labels that explain when a church е построена, in news language such as съобщено беше, and in public notices like Не се пуши or Не се влиза. If you want to read signs, understand formal Bulgarian, or talk about history and heritage sites naturally, the passive voice matters.
Section 1
The се-passive — impersonal constructions
The most common passive in everyday Bulgarian.
The most natural everyday passive in Bulgarian is се + verb. It shifts the focus away from the doer and onto what usually happens, what is available, or what people generally say and know. This is the pattern you hear in cafés, on signs, in rumours, and in practical daily Bulgarian.
| Bulgarian pattern | English | Typical context | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Тук се говори български. | Bulgarian is spoken here. | language, place description | |
| Магазинът се отваря в девет. | The shop opens at nine. | opening times | |
| В тази пекарна се продава топъл хляб. | Warm bread is sold in this bakery. | signs, local businesses | |
| В София често се говори за трафика. | In Sofia people often talk about traffic. | urban conversation | |
| В стария град се снимат много туристи. | A lot of tourists take photos in the old town. | tourism | |
| Казва се, че зимата в Банско е много добра. | It is said that winter in Bansko is very good. | general belief | |
| Знае се, че морето привлича много гости през лятото. | It is known that the sea attracts many visitors in summer. | facts, travel | |
| Не се пуши в метрото. | No smoking in the metro. | public notices |
💡 Се-passive — the everyday choice
In conversational Bulgarian, the се-passive is far more common than the full adjectival passive (section 2). When you want to say something "is done" without specifying by whom, reach for се + verb. Examples you will hear constantly: Говори се, че... (It is being said that...), Продава се (For sale), Търси се (Wanted / Sought), Не се пуши (No smoking).
🏢 Bulgarian context
This is the passive you will see in real Bulgaria on estate windows, job boards, noticeboards, and short formal signs. If a flat is being advertised, it usually says Продава се or Дава се под наем, not a full heavy passive translation from English.
Section 2
The adjectival passive — е/беше + past passive participle
The full passive with a stated agent.
The fuller passive uses съм / е / беше + a past passive participle. Learners should treat the participles as forms to notice and learn through examples, not as a neat mechanical system in every case. You meet this structure in history writing, museum descriptions, official language, and formal media.
| Verb | Passive participle | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| пиша | написан / написана / написано / написани | Книгата е написана на български. | |
| построя | построен / построена / построено / построени | Мостът е построен преди сто години. | |
| основа | основан / основана / основано / основани | Манастирът е основан през Средновековието. | |
| създам | създаден / създадена / създадено / създадени | Кирилицата е създадена за славянския свят. | |
| реша | решен / решена / решено / решени | Проблемът е решен. | |
| отворя | отворен / отворена / отворено / отворени | Музеят е отворен до шест часа. | |
| затворя | затворен / затворена / затворено / затворени | Улицата е затворена за ремонт. | |
| намеря | намерен / намерена / намерено / намерени | Ключовете са намерени. |
| Bulgarian | English | Typical context | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Рилският манастир е основан в X век. | The Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century. | history, culture | |
| Боянската църква е включена в списъка на ЮНЕСКО. | The Boyana Church is included on the UNESCO list. | heritage description | |
| Писмото е изпратено вчера. | The letter was sent yesterday. | formal communication | |
| Решението беше обявено тази сутрин. | The decision was announced this morning. | news language | |
| Изложбата е открита миналата седмица. | The exhibition was opened last week. | culture, events | |
| Стаята е резервирана за две нощи. | The room is reserved for two nights. | travel, booking |
Section 3
Expressing agent — от
Who did the action.
When the doer matters, add от. Many passive sentences in Bulgarian leave the agent out completely, but in history, literature, and news you often need to say who did the action.
| Bulgarian | English | Use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Романът е написан от Иван Вазов. | The novel was written by Ivan Vazov. | literature | |
| Пътят е построен от държавата. | The road was built by the state. | infrastructure | |
| Изложбата е открита от министъра на културата. | The exhibition was opened by the minister of culture. | formal event | |
| Писмото е изпратено от директора. | The letter was sent by the director. | office language | |
| Храмът е изографисан от неизвестен майстор. | The church was painted by an unknown master. | heritage, art | |
| Книгата е преведена от английски. | The book was translated from English. | translation note |
Section 4
Common fixed passive expressions
High-frequency passive phrases every learner needs.
| Bulgarian | English | Context | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Продава се. | For sale. | estate ads, notices | |
| Дава се под наем. | For rent. | property ads | |
| Търси се. | Wanted / sought. | job boards, ads | |
| Не се пуши. | No smoking. | public places | |
| Не се влиза. | No entry. | restricted zones | |
| Не се снима. | No photography. | churches, museums | |
| Говори се, че... | It is said that... | rumours, conversation | |
| Знае се, че... | It is known that... | facts, general knowledge | |
| Приема се, че... | It is accepted that... | formal writing | |
| Смята се, че... | It is thought that... | shared opinion | |
| Счита се за... | It is considered to be... | evaluation, culture | |
| Съобщава се, че... | It is reported that... | news language |
🏠 Real Bulgaria
If you rent, buy, read noticeboards, or visit churches and museums in Bulgaria, these short passive phrases appear constantly. This is not abstract grammar: it is survival reading for real life.
Section 5
Dialogue — describing a historic building
A conversation mixing passive and active constructions.
— Знаеш ли историята на Боянската църква?
— Малко. Знам, че е много стара.
— Построена е на няколко етапа, а най-известните стенописи са рисувани през XIII век.
— Знае ли се кой е художникът?
— Не, името му не е запазено. Но портретите се смятат за шедьоври.
— Затова ли църквата е включена в списъка на ЮНЕСКО?
— Да. Счита се за един от най-ценните паметници на средновековното изкуство в Европа.
— Може ли да се снима вътре?
— Не, не се снима. Достъпът се контролира строго, за да се запазят стенописите.
— Разбирам. Значи всичко е добре защитено.
— Znaesh li istoriyata na Boyanskata tsarkva?
— Malko. Znam, che e mnogo stara.
— Postroena e na nyakolko etapa, a nay-izvestnite stenopisi sa risuvani prez trinadeseti vek.
— Znae li se koy e hudozhnikat?
— Ne, imeto mu ne e zapazeno. No portretite se smyatat za shedyovri.
— Zatova li tsarkvata e vklyuchena v spisaka na UNESCO?
— Da. Schita se za edin ot nay-tsennite pametnitsi na srednovekovnoto izkustvo v Evropa.
— Mozhe li da se snima vatre?
— Ne, ne se snima. Dostapat se kontrolira strogo, za da se zapazyat stenopisite.
— Razbiram. Znachi vsichko e dobre zashtiteno.
— Do you know the history of the Boyana Church?
— A little. I know it is very old.
— It was built in several stages, and the most famous murals were painted in the 13th century.
— Is it known who the painter was?
— No, his name has not been preserved. But the portraits are considered masterpieces.
— Is that why the church is included on the UNESCO list?
— Yes. It is considered one of the most valuable monuments of medieval art in Europe.
— Can people take photos inside?
— No, photography is not allowed. Access is strictly controlled so the murals can be preserved.
— I understand. So everything is well protected.
| Dialogue line | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Знаеш ли историята на Боянската църква? | Do you know the history of the Boyana Church? | |
| Построена е на няколко етапа. | It was built in several stages. | |
| Стенописите са рисувани през XIII век. | The murals were painted in the 13th century. | |
| Името му не е запазено. | His name has not been preserved. | |
| Портретите се смятат за шедьоври. | The portraits are considered masterpieces. | |
| Църквата е включена в списъка на ЮНЕСКО. | The church is included on the UNESCO list. | |
| Не се снима. | No photography is allowed. | |
| Достъпът се контролира строго. | Access is strictly controlled. |
Section 6
Writing task
✏️ Writing task — Day 40
- Write 5 passive sentences about Bulgarian history or heritage using the adjectival passive (for example a monastery, church, bridge, museum, or manuscript).
- Transform these active sentences to се-passive: (a) Тук продават вестници. (b) Затварят гарата в полунощ.
- Write three common passive signs/notices you could realistically see in Bulgaria.
- Translate: "It is thought that the Cyrillic alphabet was created in Bulgaria. It is now used by over 250 million people."
Show answers
1. E.g. Рилският манастир е основан в X век. Кирилицата е създадена от Климент Охридски.
2. (a) Тук се продават вестници. (b) Гарата се затваря в полунощ.
3. E.g. Не се пуши. · Продава се. · Не се влиза.
4. Смята се, че кирилицата е създадена в България. Сега се използва от над 250 милиона души.
Day 40 Quiz
8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 8
Which is the most common passive structure in conversational Bulgarian?
Question 2 of 8
"Bulgarian is spoken here" in Bulgarian:
Question 3 of 8
"The book was written by Vazov" — correct Bulgarian:
Question 4 of 8
"No smoking" — Bulgarian sign:
Question 5 of 8
"It is said that..." in Bulgarian:
Question 6 of 8
"The problem is solved" in Bulgarian:
Question 7 of 8
The agent in a Bulgarian passive sentence uses which preposition?
Question 8 of 8
"For sale" — Bulgarian sign:
Day 40 Recap
Review before Day 41. Every point builds on the last.
| Topic | Key point | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Се-passive | се + verb — impersonal, no agent stated. Most common in speech and on signs. | Тук се говори български. |
| Adjectival passive | е/беше + passive participle. More typical in history, news, and formal descriptions. | Романът е написан от Вазов. |
| Participles | Learn them through high-frequency examples, not as a perfectly regular chart in every case. | построен · написан · открит · затворен |
| Fixed expressions | Продава се · Дава се под наем · Не се пуши · Не се снима | Essential sign-reading Bulgarian |
| Знае се / Смята се | Useful for facts, shared beliefs, and cultural discussion. | Смята се, че... · Знае се, че... |
| Agent | Use от + agent only when the doer is important. | Изложбата е открита от министъра. |
| 🌎 Culture | The passive dominates Bulgarian news and official documents — recognising it is key to reading headlines and government forms | от + agent only when the doer matters |