Bulgarian Greetings & Politeness
Ten phrases carry a whole first conversation. Bulgarian splits them into two registers — informal (ти — friends, family, peers) and formal (Вие — strangers, shops, anyone older) — and the ending -те is the politeness switch you'll hear everywhere: здравей → здравейте.
If the Cyrillic still feels new, take ten minutes with the Bulgarian alphabet first — every phrase below is pronounced exactly as written.
Saying Hello
| Bulgarian | Say it | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Здравей! | zdra-VEY | Hi! — one friend |
| Здравейте! | zdra-VEY-te | Hello! — formal, or to several people |
| Здрасти! | ZDRAS-ti | Hi! — very casual |
| Добро утро! | do-BRO OO-tro | Good morning — early only |
| Добър ден! | DO-bur DEN | Good day — always safe, the default |
| Добър вечер! | DO-bur VE-cher | Good evening |
Добър ден is your default. It works at the bakery, at the kiosk, with your landlord, and with your friend's grandmother. When in doubt, добър ден.
Добър ден! Едно кафе, моля.
Good day! One coffee, please.
Note: Greeting plus order — your first complete café sentence. Note добър with the Bulgarian vowel ъ.
Please, Thank You, Sorry
| Bulgarian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Благодаря | Thank you — the standard |
| Мерси | Thanks — from French, completely normal in speech |
| Моля | Please — and 'you're welcome', and 'pardon?' |
| Няма защо | You're welcome — 'no reason (to thank)' |
| Извинете | Sorry / excuse me (formal) |
| Извинявай | Sorry (to a friend) |
Two things surprise learners here. First, мерси — Bulgarians borrowed it from French over a century ago and use it constantly; it's casual but not slangy. Second, моля is the hardest-working word in the language: it means please, answers благодаря, and — said with rising intonation — asks someone to repeat themselves.
— Благодаря! — Моля, няма защо.
— Thank you! — You're welcome, don't mention it.
Note: Both replies work; Bulgarians often say them together.
Ти or Вие?
Bulgarian has two words for you, and the verb changes with them:
| Form | Use with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ти | friends, family, children, peers | Как си? — How are you? |
| Вие | strangers, elders, officials, at work | Как сте? — How are you? |
Answer either one with Добре съм, благодаря — I'm fine, thanks — and return the question: А ти? / А Вие?
💬 Meeting at a café in Sofia
Здравей! Как си?
Hi! How are you?
Добре съм, благодаря. А ти?
I'm fine, thanks. And you?
И аз съм добре. Едно кафе?
I'm fine too. A coffee?
Да, добре!
Yes, sounds good!
The Reversed Nod
— Има ли баница? — Да, да!
— Is there banitsa? — Yes, yes!
Note: …said, quite possibly, while shaking the head side to side. Listen for да and не; ignore the choreography.
Saying Goodbye
| Bulgarian | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Довиждане! | Goodbye — the polite default |
| Чао! | Bye — casual, everywhere |
| До скоро! | See you soon! |
| Лека нощ! | Good night — only when leaving for the night |
| Лек ден! | Have a nice day! |
Довиждане is literally "until seeing (each other)" — the exact twin of Russian до свидания.
Common Mistakes
- Using здравей with officials or elders. Friendly but informal. At the post office or the doctor's — здравейте or добър ден.
- Nodding along without listening. The head may be saying the opposite. Anchor on да and не.
- Answering благодаря with благодаря. The reply is моля or няма защо — echoing "thanks" back sounds odd.
- Saying добро утро at noon. After mid-morning it reads as a joke — switch to добър ден.
- Thinking мерси is rude or foreign. It's ordinary spoken Bulgarian; use благодаря when you want to be a touch more formal.
What You Can Do Now
You can greet anyone at the right level of politeness, thank them twice over (благодаря and мерси), apologize, survive the reversed nod, and leave gracefully with довиждане. That's a real first conversation in Bulgarian — run the dialogue above out loud until it flows, then practice below.