💡 How to use this day
This revision day covers all grammar from the course in compressed form. For each section: (1) read the rule, (2) look at the examples, (3) try to produce your own example before moving on. If any section feels unclear, the day number is listed — go back and review the full lesson.
🎯 Why this revision matters
Grammar revision should not feel like memorising dead rules. In Bulgaria, these structures matter in real situations: talking about bureaucracy, telling stories, understanding news, handling landlords, speaking politely, and following what people actually say around you.
This page is meant to pull the whole course together into usable patterns, with faster recognition and much denser audio support.
Section 1
The verb system — all tenses
Present, aorist, imperfect, future and perfect.
| Tense | Form | Use | Example | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Stem + present endings (-а/-я, -иш/-еш, etc.) | Ongoing or habitual action NOW. | Работя всеки ден. Четеш книга. | 12 |
| Aorist | Stem + aorist endings (-х/-а/-е/-хме/-хте/-ха) | Completed action at specific past moment. | Вчера отидох. Той каза истината. | 23 |
| Imperfect | Stem + imperfect endings (-ах/-аше or -ех/-еше) | Ongoing, habitual or background past. | Четях всеки ден. Беше студено. | 36 |
| Future | ще + present tense | Action in the future. Negative: няма да + present. | Ще отида. Няма да работя утре. | 24 |
| Perfect | съм/е/са + past participle | Recent past with current relevance (news, results). | Правителството е решило. Той е дошъл. | 41 |
| Conditional | щях/щеше/щяхме да + present | Hypothetical result in impossible/unlikely condition. | Ако имах пари, щях да пътувам. | 38 |
Section 2
Verb aspects
Imperfective and perfective — the core Slavic distinction.
| Aspect | Rule | Key signal | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfective | Ongoing, repeated, habitual, background. | всеки ден · обикновено · докато | Четях книгата (ongoing). Казвах ти (kept telling). |
| Perfective | Completed as a whole. No true present tense. | веднъж · накрая · в крайна сметка | Прочетох книгата (finished it). Казах му (told him once). |
| Perfective in present | Perfective present = conditional/future meaning. | ако · когато | Ако прочета, ще ти кажа. (If/when I finish reading...) |
| 30 essential pairs (quick reference) | |
|---|---|
| пиша → напиша | чета → прочета |
| ям → изям | пия → изпия |
| казвам → кажа | питам → попитам |
| купувам → купя | давам → дам |
| отварям → отворя | затварям → затворя |
| получавам → получа | изпращам → изпратя |
| правя → направя | взимам → взема |
| идвам → дойда | отивам → ида |
| започвам → започна | завършвам → завърша |
| виждам → видя | чувам → чуя |
Section 3
Passive voice
Two types — conversational and formal.
| Type | Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Се-passive | се + verb (3rd person) | Impersonal; no agent stated. Conversational. | Тук се говори български. Продава се. |
| Adjectival passive | е/беше + past passive participle (agrees with noun) | Formal; agent optional with от. | Книгата е написана от Вазов. Вратата беше заключена. |
| Fixed passive expressions | |
|---|---|
| Продава се | For sale |
| Търси се | Wanted |
| Не се пуши | No smoking |
| Говори се, че... | It is said that... |
| Смята се, че... | It is thought that... |
| Знае се, че... | It is known that... |
| Счита се за... | It is considered to be... |
Section 4
Conditionals
Real and hypothetical.
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Real conditional | ако + present → ще + present | Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи. |
| Hypothetical conditional | ако + imperfect → щях/щеше/щяхме да + present | Ако имах пари, щях да пътувам. |
| Negative hypothetical | ако не... → нямаше да... | Ако не беше дошла, нямаше да я видим. |
Section 5
Reported speech
Statements, questions and commands.
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Verb + че + clause (NO backshift, person changes) | Той каза, че е уморен. (not беше) |
| Yes/no question | попита + дали + clause | Тя попита дали ще дойда. |
| Information question | попита + question word + clause | Той попита кога ще се върна. |
| Command | каза/помоли + да + present (не + да for negative) | Тя ми каза да дойда. / да не говоря. |
Section 6
Relative clauses
The Bulgarian relative-pronoun system.
| Form | Gender/number | Object form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| който | M singular | когото | Мъжът, който/когото виждам. |
| която | F singular | която | Книгата, която чета. |
| което | N singular | което | Детето, което плаче. |
| които | Plural | които | Хората, които живеят тук. |
| чийто/чиято/чието/чиито | Whose (all genders) | — | Жената, чиято дъщеря познавам. |
💡 Prepositions + relative pronoun
Preposition always comes BEFORE the relative pronoun: градът, в който живея · жената, с която работя · причините, поради които напусна
Section 7
Comparatives and superlatives
Quick reference.
| Structure | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative | по- + adjective + от + noun | Пловдив е по-стар от София. |
| Superlative | най- + adjective | Мусала е най-високият връх. |
| "As ... as" | толкова + adj + колкото | Той е толкова висок, колкото брат му. |
| Twice as | два пъти по- | два пъти по-скъп |
| "The more...the more" | колкото повече...толкова повече | Колкото повече уча, толкова повече разбирам. |
| Getting more and more | все по- + adj | Ставаше все по-студено. |
Section 8
Key grammar structures — B1 summary table
Everything on one page.
| Structure | Formula | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense | Verb stem + group endings | 12 |
| Aorist | Stem + -х/-а/-е/-хме/-хте/-ха | 23 |
| Imperfect | Stem + -ax/-аше (Gr1) or -ex/-еше (Gr2) | 36 |
| Future | ще + present / няма да + present | 24 |
| Conditional | щях/щеше/щяхме да + present | 38 |
| Perfect | съм/е/са + past participle | 41 |
| Reflexive | се (on self) / си (for self) | 20 |
| Verb aspects | Imperfective (ongoing) / Perfective (completed) | 45 |
| Се-passive | се + 3rd person verb | 40 |
| Adjectival passive | е + PPP (agrees in gender/number) | 40 |
| Reported speech | каза, че + clause (no backshift) | 37 |
| Indirect question | попита дали / кога / защо... | 37 |
| Reported command | каза да + present | 37 |
| Relative clauses | който/която/което/които / чийто | 46 |
| Real conditional | ако + present → ще + present | 38 |
| Hypothetical | ако + imperfect → щях да + present | 38 |
| Comparative | по- + adj + от | 39 |
| Superlative | най- + adj | 39 |
| "As...as" | толкова + adj + колкото | 39 |
Section 9
Writing task
✏️ Writing task — Day 53
- Write 10 sentences — one for each of: present, aorist, imperfect, future, conditional, perfect, passive, reported speech, relative clause, comparative.
- What is the key rule about perfective verbs in the present tense?
- Write a conditional sentence (real) and a hypothetical sentence using the same subject.
- Correct these errors: (a) "Той каза, че беше уморен" (b) "Книгата която чета" (c) "Ако имам пари, щях да купя"
Show answers
1. Free answer — use the formula table above.
2. Perfective verbs have no true present tense — their present form gives conditional/future meaning (ако напиша...).
3. Real: Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи. Hypothetical: Ако валеше, щях да остана вкъщи.
4. (a) No backshift: Той каза, че е уморен. (b) Missing comma: Книгата, която чета. (c) Mixed aspects: Ако имах пари, щях да купя. (imperfect in both)
Day 53 Quiz
8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 8
Which tense uses "ще + present tense"?
Question 2 of 8
The imperfect tense is used for:
Question 3 of 8
Reported speech in Bulgarian — does it backshift tenses?
Question 4 of 8
The se-passive (се + verb) is best for:
Question 5 of 8
Hypothetical conditionals use which structure in the result clause?
Question 6 of 8
"Getting more and more expensive" — correct Bulgarian:
Question 7 of 8
Relative pronoun for masculine object (the man WHOM I saw):
Question 8 of 8
Perfect tense structure in Bulgarian:
Day 53 Recap
Review before Day 54. Every point builds on the last.
| Topic | Key point | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tense system | Present · Aorist · Imperfect · Future · Conditional · Perfect — each with distinct form and use. | All in this day |
| Aspects | Imperfective (ongoing) / Perfective (completed). Perfective has no true present. | Day 45 |
| Passive | Се-passive (conversational) · Adjectival passive (formal, с от for agent). | Day 40 |
| Reported speech | Че + clause. No backshift. Дали for yes/no questions. Да + present for commands. | Day 37 |
| Relative clauses | Който/която/което/които. Когото for M object. Чийто for possession. | Day 46 |
| Conditionals | Real: ако + present → ще. Hypothetical: ако + imperfect → щях да. | Day 38 |
| 🌎 Culture | Bulgarian grammar combines Slavic roots with Balkan innovations — no cases, analytic tenses, preserved aorist/imperfect — a unique linguistic profile in Europe | Aspect (свършен/несвършен вид) is the trickiest part for most learners |