Bulgarian Pronouns & Introducing Yourself
Eight small words, one small verb, and you can say who you are, where you're from, and ask the same back. This is the lesson where Bulgarian starts talking.
The Pronouns
| Bulgarian | English |
|---|---|
| аз | I |
| ти | you (informal) |
| той / тя / то | he / she / it |
| ние | we |
| вие / Вие | you (plural / formal) |
| те | they |
Той е от София, тя е от Пловдив.
He is from Sofia, she is from Plovdiv.
Note: той — he, тя — she. The capital-В Вие is the polite 'you' from the greetings lesson.
Съм — the Little "To Be"
One verb to conjugate today — and it's the busiest verb in the language:
| Pronoun | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| аз | съм | Аз съм Мария. — I am Maria. |
| ти | си | Ти си тук. — You are here. |
| той / тя / то | е | Тя е лекар. — She is a doctor. |
| ние | сме | Ние сме от Варна. — We are from Varna. |
| вие | сте | Вие сте учител. — You are a teacher. |
| те | са | Те са студенти. — They are students. |
Notice съм — that Bulgarian vowel ъ from the alphabet lesson, already in the single most common verb form you'll ever say.
Why съм Never Goes First
Съм is a clitic — a little word that leans on its neighbours and refuses to start a sentence. With аз in front, no problem: Аз съм от Лондон. Drop the pronoun, and the sentence starts with what matters, съм tucking in right behind:
От Лондон съм.
I'm from London.
Note: Literally 'from London am'. Never «Съм от Лондон» — the little verb won't stand first.
Българин съм.
I'm Bulgarian.
Note: Same pattern: the information leads, съм follows in second position.
Introducing Yourself
| Bulgarian | English |
|---|---|
| Как се казваш? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Как се казвате? | What's your name? (formal) |
| Казвам се Иван. | My name is Ivan. |
| Откъде си? | Where are you from? (informal) |
| От Англия съм. | I'm from England. |
| Приятно ми е! | Nice to meet you! |
Казвам се… is literally "I call myself…" — the same reflexive се you'll meet across the language. And introductions often skip it entirely: Аз съм Иван is just as natural as Казвам се Иван.
💬 Meeting someone in Sofia
Здравей! Аз съм Марко. Как се казваш?
Hi! I'm Marko. What's your name?
Здравей, Марко! Казвам се Елена.
Hi, Marko! My name is Elena.
Приятно ми е, Елена. Откъде си?
Nice to meet you, Elena. Where are you from?
От Пловдив съм. А ти?
I'm from Plovdiv. And you?
Аз съм от София.
I'm from Sofia.
Dropping the Pronoun
Bulgarian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending already names the person, so the pronoun usually stays home. Казвам can only mean "I call"; казваш can only mean "you call".
| With pronoun (emphasis) | Everyday Bulgarian |
|---|---|
| Аз съм от София. | От София съм. |
| Аз се казвам Иван. | Казвам се Иван. |
| Ти си студент? | Студент ли си? |
Keep аз and ти for contrast and emphasis: Аз съм от София, а ти? — I'm from Sofia, and you?
Common Mistakes
- Starting a sentence with съм. «Съм от Англия» is the one order Bulgarian forbids. Either Аз съм от Англия or От Англия съм.
- Mixing up е and са. Той е (he is), те са (they are) — one letter apart in English too, but they don't swap.
- Overusing аз. Grammatical, but it sounds insistent — like stressing I in every English sentence. Let the verb ending do the work.
- Forgetting the -те politeness switch. Как се казваш? to a child; Как се казвате? to a customs officer.
- Translating "nice to meet you" word by word. It's a fixed phrase: Приятно ми е — "it's pleasant to me".
What You Can Do Now
You can introduce yourself two ways (Казвам се… / Аз съм…), say where you're from with съм tucked neatly into second position, ask the same questions back at the right politeness level, and close with Приятно ми е. Run the dialogue aloud, then practice below.