Day 1 · ~60 minutes
The Cyrillic Alphabet
Bulgarian uses 30 Cyrillic letters. More than half will feel familiar — some look and sound like Latin, some look different but sound the same, and a handful are completely new. By grouping them this way you'll have the alphabet cracked by the end of today.
⏱ 60 min💡 Before you start
Don't try to memorise every letter at once. Read through the groups below, listen to the audio, and speak each one aloud. Repeat the audio at 0.75× speed if needed. Recognition comes quickly with repetition.
Group 1 — Easy wins (look and sound like Latin)
Group 2 — Different shape, familiar sound
Group 3 — New sounds to learn
🔑 The most important fact about Bulgarian spelling
Unlike English, Bulgarian spelling is almost perfectly phonetic — every letter makes the same sound every time. Once you know the 30 sounds, you can read any Bulgarian word out loud. This makes your investment in learning the alphabet pay off immediately.
Day 1 Quick Check
4 questions · pick the right answer · check marks Day 1 complete
Question 1 of 4
The letter Ж makes which sound?
Question 2 of 4
Which letter is a "false friend" — it looks like a Latin letter but makes a different sound in Bulgarian?
Question 3 of 4
How many letters are in the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet?
Question 4 of 4
Which of these statements about Bulgarian spelling is true?
Day 2 · ~60 minutes
Greetings & Common Phrases 👋
A handful of greetings opens every door. The key distinction in Bulgarian is formal vs informal — when in doubt, always go formal.
⏱ 60 min🤝 Formal vs informal
Bulgarian has two "you" forms: informal ти (ti) for friends and family, and formal/plural Вие (Vie) for strangers, elders, officials, and groups. When in doubt, always use the formal. Using informal with the wrong person is considered rude.
🕐Greetings by time of day
| English | Bulgarian | Romanised | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Добро утро | Dóbro útro | Until ~10am |
| Good day / Good afternoon | Добър ден | Dóbŭr den | Mid-morning to sunset |
| Good evening | Добър вечер | Dóbŭr vécher | After sunset |
| Good night | Лека нощ | Léka nosht | Parting at night |
👋Hello & Goodbye
| English | Bulgarian | Romanised | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello (informal) | Здравей | Zdravéy | Friends, same age |
| Hello (formal / plural) | Здравейте | Zdravéyte | Strangers, elders, groups — safest option |
| Goodbye (formal) | Довиждане | Dovízhdane | "Until we see again" |
| Bye (informal) | Чао | Chao | Friends — borrowed from Italian |
🆘Essential survival phrases
- МоляMólyaPlease / You're welcome
- БлагодаряBlagodaryáThank you
- ИзвинетеIzvinéteExcuse me / Sorry (formal)
- Не разбирамNe razbíramI don't understand
- Говорите ли английски?Govórite li angléyski?Do you speak English?
- Да / НеDa / NeYes / No
⚠️ The head-nod warning
In Bulgaria, nodding your head means NO and shaking your head means YES — the opposite of most countries. This catches nearly every visitor off guard. Be aware of it from day one, especially when listening to a Bulgarian's answer.
💬Mini dialogue — Meeting a neighbour
You
Добър ден!
Dóbŭr den!
Good day!
Neighbour
Добър ден! Здравейте.
Dóbŭr den! Zdravéyte.
Good day! Hello.
You
Благодаря. Довиждане!
Blagodaryá. Dovízhdane!
Thank you. Goodbye!
Neighbour
Довиждане!
Dovízhdane!
Goodbye!
Day 2 Quick Check
4 questions · greetings and phrases
Question 1 of 4
Which greeting is safest to use with a stranger you've just met?
Question 2 of 4
What does Благодаря (Blagodaryá) mean?
Question 3 of 4
In Bulgaria, nodding your head means…
Question 4 of 4
Which phrase means "I don't understand"?
☕ Enjoying the course so far? It's completely free — but if these lessons are helping you, buying me a coffee keeps it that way for everyone.
Day 3 · ~60 minutes
Numbers & Counting 🔢
Numbers unlock shopping, transport, phone numbers, and prices. Bulgarian numbers follow a very consistent pattern — learn the base set and the rest builds itself.
⏱ 60 min0️⃣Numbers 0–10
- нулаnúla0
- едноednó1 (neuter)
- двеdve2 (fem/neut)
- триtri3
- четириchétiri4
- петpet5
- шестshest6
- седемsédem7
- осемósem8
- деветdévet9
- десетdéset10
🔟Numbers 11–20
Numbers 11–19 add -надесет (-nadeset) to the root — the "-teen" equivalent.
- единадесетedinádeset11
- дванадесетdvanádeset12
- тринадесетtrinádeset13
- четиринадесетchetirinádeset14
- петнадесетpetnádeset15
- шестнадесетshestnádeset16
- седемнадесетsedemnádeset17
- осемнадесетosemnádeset18
- деветнадесетdevetnádeset19
- двадесетdvádeset20
💯Tens up to 100
To form 21, 32, etc., say the ten + и (and) + the unit: двадесет и едно = 21. Completely consistent.
- тридесетtrídeset30
- четиридесетchetirídeset40
- петдесетpetdesét50
- шестдесетshestdesét60
- седемдесетsedemdesét70
- осемдесетosemdesét80
- деветдесетdevetdesét90
- стоsto100
🛒 Useful price phrase
Колко струва? (Kólko strúva?) — "How much does it cost?" You'll use this from Day 1 in Bulgaria.
⚧️Important: gendered forms of 1 & 2
The numbers "one" and "two" must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. You'll see this pattern throughout Bulgarian grammar.
| Gender | "One" | Example | "Two" | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine ♂ | един (edín) | един мъж | два (dva) | два стола |
| Feminine ♀ | една (edná) | една жена | две (dve) | две книги |
| Neuter | едно (ednó) | едно дете | две (dve) | две легла |
Day 3 Quick Check
4 questions · numbers and counting
Question 1 of 4
What is петнадесет in English?
Question 2 of 4
How do you say 21 in Bulgarian?
Question 3 of 4
Which is the correct way to say "one woman" in Bulgarian?
Question 4 of 4
Колко струва? means…
Day 4 · ~60 minutes
Introducing Yourself 🙋
Three sentences is all you need for a complete introduction. Learn the formula, fill in your own details, and you'll be ready to meet anyone.
⏱ 60 min📝Your personal script
Memorise these three lines and fill in your own name, country, and interest.
| English | Bulgarian | Romanised |
|---|---|---|
| My name is… | Казвам се… | Kázvam se… |
| I am from… | Аз съм от… | Az sŭm ot… |
| I like… | Обичам… | Obícham… |
| I live in… | Живея в… | Zhivéya v… |
✏️ Your turn
Say this sentence out loud with your own details: Казвам се [name]. Аз съм от [country]. Обичам [hobby].
❓Asking about others
| English | Informal | Formal |
|---|---|---|
| What is your name? | Как се казваш? | Как се казвате? |
| Where are you from? | Откъде си? | Откъде сте? |
| Where do you live? | Къде живееш? | Къде живеете? |
| Pleased to meet you. | Приятно ми е. (Priyátno mi e.) | |
🕵️Question words — your detective kit
- Какво?Kakvó?What?
- Къде?Kŭdé?Where?
- Кой?Koy?Who?
- Кога?Kogá?When?
- Защо?Zashtó?Why?
- Как?Kak?How?
- Колко?Kólko?How much/many?
💬Dialogue — First meeting
You
Здравейте! Казвам се Пол.
Zdravéyte! Kázvam se Pol.
Hello! My name is Paul.
Ivan
Здравейте! Казвам се Иван. Откъде сте?
Zdravéyte! Kázvam se Ivan. Otkŭdé ste?
Hello! My name is Ivan. Where are you from?
You
Аз съм от Англия. Живея в София сега.
Az sŭm ot Angliya. Zhivéya v Sofiya sega.
I am from England. I live in Sofia now.
Ivan
Приятно ми е!
Priyátno mi e!
Pleased to meet you!
You
И на мен! Довиждане.
I na men! Dovízhdane.
Me too! Goodbye.
Day 4 Quick Check
4 questions · introductions
Question 1 of 4
How do you say "My name is…" in Bulgarian?
Question 2 of 4
What does Приятно ми е mean?
Question 3 of 4
Which question word means "Why?"
Question 4 of 4
What is the formal version of "Where are you from?"
Day 5 · ~60 minutes
Basic Grammar & the Verb "To Be" 🏗️
Three fundamental grammar points that hold Bulgarian together: the verb "to be", how plurals work, and Bulgarian's unique definite article.
⏱ 60 min📌The verb "to be" — Съм
This is the most important verb in the language. It is irregular and must be memorised. You've already used it: Аз съм от…
| Person | Bulgarian | Romanised | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am | Аз съм | Az sŭm | Аз съм учител. (I am a teacher.) |
| You are (informal) | Ти си | Ti si | Ти си тук. (You are here.) |
| He / She / It is | Той / Тя / То е | Toy / Tya / To e | Тя е лекар. (She is a doctor.) |
| We are | Ние сме | Níe sme | Ние сме готови. (We are ready.) |
| You are (formal/plural) | Вие сте | Víe ste | Вие сте от Англия. (You are from England.) |
| They are | Те са | Te sa | Те са там. (They are there.) |
📖The definite article — "the" as a suffix
Bulgarian has no separate word for "the". Instead, you attach a suffix to the end of the noun. The suffix depends on gender and whether it's singular or plural.
| Indefinite (a / some) | Definite singular (the) | Plural (some) | Definite plural (the) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine ♂ e.g. chair | стол | столът / ‑а | столове | столовете |
| Feminine ♀ e.g. table | маса | масата | маси | масите |
| Neuter e.g. child | дете | детето | деца | децата |
🔑 Masculine: -ът vs -а
Masculine nouns have two definite forms. Use -ът when the noun is the subject of the sentence (столът е тук — the chair is here). Use -а in all other positions (виждам стола — I see the chair). Don't worry too much about this yet — you'll develop a natural feel for it over time.
Day 5 Quick Check
4 questions · grammar and articles
Question 1 of 4
Complete the sentence: Тя ___ лекар. (She is a doctor.)
Question 2 of 4
How do you say "the table" (feminine noun, маса) in Bulgarian?
Question 3 of 4
Which is correct for "We are ready"?
Question 4 of 4
In Bulgarian, how is "the" expressed?
☕ Keep this course free
Completed Module 1?
Buy me a coffee.
This course is completely free — no sign-up, no paywall. If you've found the lessons useful, even one coffee helps keep it running and free for every learner. Благодаря! 🙏
A big thanks to everyone who has supported this course. 🙏