Section 1

This and that — eight forms, one rule

Two sets of four: near (this) and far (that). Each agrees with noun gender and number.

Bulgarian demonstratives work like the definite article from Day 6 — they change depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe. Once you know the noun gender, the right form is automatic. Click every form and say it aloud before moving on.

👉 THIS — near to you (този / тази / това / тези)

Masculineтозиtoziтози мъж — this man

Feminineтазиtaziтази жена — this woman

Neuterтоваtovaтова дете — this child

Plural (all genders)тезиteziтези книги — these books

👆 THAT — far from you (онзи / онази / онова / онези)

Masculineонзиonziонзи хотел — that hotel

Feminineоназиonaziонази улица — that street

Neuterоноваonovaонова кафе — that coffee

Plural (all genders)онезиoneziонези хора — those people

💡 това — the most useful form by far

Това is the neuter singular, but it does far more work than that. Whenever you point at something without knowing its gender, whenever you make a general statement, or whenever you mean "this/that" in isolation — use това: Какво е това? (What is this?) · Това е вярно. (This is true.) · Това е моят приятел. (This is my friend.)

💡 Near vs far — how far is far?

In practice, този/тази/това (this) means something you could point to or touch. онзи/онази/онова (that) means something across the room, at a distance, or something you are gesturing toward with an outstretched arm. The distinction is the same as English this/that — trust your instinct.

Section 2

Near vs far — hearing the contrast

The same noun with this and that side by side. Click each pair.

Training your ear to hear the difference between този/онзи, тази/онази and това/онова is essential. Here are matching pairs — near then far — for the most common nouns. Click each row and repeat both words aloud.

THIS (near)	THAT (far)	Noun	English
този	онзи	мъж	man
тази	онази	жена	woman
това	онова	дете	child
този	онзи	хотел	hotel
тази	онази	улица	street
това	онова	кафе	coffee
тези	онези	книги	books
тези	онези	хора	people
този	онзи	стол	chair
тази	онази	стая	room

Section 3

What is this? — identification questions

The questions every beginner uses constantly. Memorise them all.

These are among the most useful phrases you will ever learn in Bulgarian. As a beginner you will point at things constantly and ask what they are. These five patterns cover almost every situation.

Какво е това?Kakvo e tova?What is this / that? — use when gender is unknown

Как се казва това?Kak se kazva tova?What is this called? — asking for the Bulgarian word

Кой е той?Koy e toy?Who is he? — identifying a man

Коя е тя?Koya e tya?Who is she? — identifying a woman

Това ли е...?Tova li e...?Is this...? — confirming identity

Кой е този / тази / това?Koy e tozi / tazi / tova?Who / what is this? (with known gender)

Какво е онова?Kakvo e onova?What is that (over there)?

Как се казва на български?Kak se kazva na balgarski?What is it called in Bulgarian?

💡 Your most powerful learning tool

Как се казва това? and Как се казва на български? are your most powerful tools as a learner. Point at anything — a sign, a food, an object — and ask a Bulgarian speaker. Every answer gives you a free vocabulary lesson. Use these phrases constantly.

Section 4

Location words — here, there, and all directions

Every word you need for directions. Individual audio on each one.

These location words combine with demonstratives and the verb съм (to be) to form complete directional phrases. Learn the basic words first, then the combinations below.

📍тукtukhere

📌тамtamthere

⬅️влявоvlyavoto the left

➡️вдясноvdyasnoto the right

⬆️направоnapravostraight ahead

🔴близоblizonear / close

⚫далечdalechfar

👥доdonext to / by

⇄срещуsreshtuopposite / facing

🔙вътреvatreinside

🔚вънvanoutside

⬇️гореgoreup / upstairs

⬆️долуdoludown / downstairs

👉задzadbehind

👈предpredin front of

⭕междуmezhdubetween

Now hear these location words in real directional phrases:

Хотелът е тук, вдясно.Hotelat e tuk, vdyasno.The hotel is here, on the right.

Банката е там, вляво.Bankata e tam, vlyavo.The bank is there, on the left.

Аптеката е срещу гарата.Aptekata e sreshtu garata.The pharmacy is opposite the station.

Ресторантът е до хотела.Restorantat e do hotela.The restaurant is next to the hotel.

Стаята е горе, вляво.Stayata e gore, vlyavo.The room is upstairs, on the left.

Паркът е пред хотела.Parkat e pred hotela.The park is in front of the hotel.

Близо ли е? — Не, далеч е.Blizo li e? — Ne, dalech e.Is it near? — No, it is far.

Направо, после вляво.Napravo, posle vlyavo.Straight on, then left.

Section 5

Demonstratives in sentences — full gallery

Every sentence shows the demonstrative working with a different noun and gender.

These sentences use everything from Days 1–7. Notice how the demonstrative always matches the gender of its noun, and how това appears when pointing at unidentified things or making general statements.

Това е моят приятел.Tova e moyat priyatel.This is my friend.

Тази жена е лекар.Tazi zhena e lekar.This woman is a doctor.

Онзи мъж е там.Onzi mazh e tam.That man is there.

Тези книги са скъпи.Tezi knigi sa skapi.These books are expensive.

Какво е онова?Kakvo e onova?What is that (over there)?

Тук ли е хотелът?Tuk li e hotelat?Is the hotel here?

Аптеката е там, вдясно.Aptekata e tam, vdyasno.The pharmacy is there, on the right.

Онези хора са от България.Onezi hora sa ot Balgariya.Those people are from Bulgaria.

Това е вярно.Tova e vyarno.This is true.

Тази стая е свободна ли е?Tazi staya svobodna li e?Is this room free?

Онази улица е много дълга.Onazi ulitsa e mnogo dalga.That street is very long.

Тези столове са заети.Tezi stolove sa zaeti.These chairs are taken.

Section 6

Real-world scenarios — this, that and directions in action

Four situations where demonstratives and location words are your main tools.

📍 Finding the hotel in Sofia

Намиране на хотел

Spot every demonstrative and every location word as you read.

Извинете! Хотел Родина тук ли е?Izvinete! Hotel Rodina tuk li e?Excuse me! Is Hotel Rodina here?

Не, не е тук. Онзи хотел е Плиска. Родина е там.Ne, ne e tuk. Onzi hotel e Pliska. Rodina e tam.No, it is not here. That hotel is Pliska. Rodina is there.

В коя посока? Направо ли?V koya posoka? Napravo li?In which direction? Straight on?

Направо и после вляво. Хотелът е срещу парка.Napravo i posle vlyavo. Hotelat e sreshtu parka.Straight on and then left. The hotel is opposite the park.

Далеч ли е? Аз не съм от тук.Dalech li e? Az ne sam ot tuk.Is it far? I am not from here.

Близо е — около пет минути пеш.Blizo e — okolo pet minuti pesh.It is close — about five minutes on foot.

Тази улица ли е правилната?Tazi ulitsa li e pravilnata?Is this the right street?

Да, тази е. Много благодаря!Da, tazi e. Mnogo blagodarya!Yes, this is it. Thank you very much!

🛍 In a shop — this one or that one?

В магазина — това или онова?

Shopping is where demonstratives get used most. Pointing replaces vocabulary you do not yet have.

Добър ден! Мога ли да помогна?Dobar den! Moga li da pomogna?Good afternoon! Can I help?

Да. Какво е това? — тази синя чанта.Da. Kakvo e tova? — tazi sinya chanta.Yes. What is this? — this blue bag.

Това е кожена чанта от България.Tova e kozhena chanta ot Balgariya.This is a leather bag from Bulgaria.

А онази чанта там — каква е?A onazi chanta tam — kakva e?And that bag over there — what is it?

Онази е платнена. Тази е по-хубава.Onazi e platnena. Tazi e po-hubava.That one is fabric. This one is nicer.

Колко струва тази?Kolko struva tazi?How much is this one?

Тази е двадесет евро. Онази е петнадесет.Tazi e dvadeset evro. Onazi e petnadeset.This one is twenty euros. That one is fifteen.

Ще взема тази. Благодаря!Shte vzema tazi. Blagodarya!I will take this one. Thank you!

😰 Lost tourist — is this the right place?

Изгубен турист

Confirming you are in the right place uses това ли е constantly.

Извинете — това ли е улица Витоша?Izvinete — tova li e ulitsa Vitosha?Excuse me — is this Vitosha Street?

Не, тази улица е Граф Игнатиев. Витоша е там.Ne, tazi ulitsa e Graf Ignatiev. Vitosha e tam.No, this street is Graf Ignatiev. Vitosha is there.

Онази улица ли е — вдясно?Onazi ulitsa li e — vdyasno?Is that the street — on the right?

Да, онази е. Направо и после вдясно.Da, onazi e. Napravo i posle vdyasno.Yes, that is it. Straight on and then right.

Това ли е центърът на града?Tova li e tsentarat na grada?Is this the city centre?

Да! Тук е центърът. Народният театър е там, пред вас.Da! Tuk e tsentarat. Narodniyat teatar e tam, pred vas.Yes! The centre is here. The National Theatre is there, in front of you.

✈️ At the airport — which gate?

На летището — коя врата?

Airports are a maze of demonstratives — this terminal, that gate, those screens.

Извинете! Тази врата за Лондон ли е?Izvinete! Tazi vrata za London li e?Excuse me! Is this gate for London?

Не, тази е за Берлин. Лондон е онази врата — там.Ne, tazi e za Berlin. London e onazi vrata — tam.No, this one is for Berlin. London is that gate — there.

Далеч ли е? Трябва ли да вървя?Dalech li e? Tryabva li da varvya?Is it far? Do I need to walk?

Не, близо е. Тези врати са в същия терминал.Ne, blizo e. Tezi vrati sa v sashtiya terminal.No, it is close. These gates are in the same terminal.

Онова табло там — за моя полет ли е?Onova tablo tam — za moya polet li e?That board there — is it for my flight?

Да, онова е общото табло. Вашият полет е там, горе.Da, onova e obshtoto tablo. Vashiyat polet e tam, gore.Yes, that is the main board. Your flight is there, at the top.

Много благодаря! Тук ли е паспортният контрол?Mnogo blagodarya! Tuk li e pasportniyat kontrol?Thank you very much! Is passport control here?

Не, паспортният контрол е там, вляво.Ne, pasportniyat kontrol e tam, vlyavo.No, passport control is there, on the left.

Section 7

Writing task

✏️ Writing task — Day 7

Write "this man", "this woman", "this child", "these books" in Bulgarian.
Write "that man", "that woman", "that child", "those people" in Bulgarian.
Translate: "What is that over there? — That is the bank. It is opposite the hotel, on the left."
Write the four forms of both "this" and "that" (all 8 forms from memory).
Write three sentences pointing at things near you and three pointing at things far away, using objects from Day 6.

Show answers

1. този мъж, тази жена, това дете, тези книги

2. онзи мъж, онази жена, онова дете, онези хора

3. Какво е онова? — Онова е банката. Тя е срещу хотела, вляво.

4. THIS: този · тази · това · тези THAT: онзи · онази · онова · онези

5. Example: Тази маса е тук. Тази книга е моя. Това дете е тук. — Онзи стол е там. Онази стая е далеч. Онова кафе е студено.

💡 Tip: Write both complete sets of demonstratives from memory every day this week — THIS: този · тази · това · тези THAT: онзи · онази · онова · онези. The patterns are symmetrical once you see them.

☕ Enjoying the course? It is completely free. If it is helping you, a coffee keeps the server running.

☕ Buy me a coffee

✏️

Day 7 Quiz

20 questions · score 14+ to mark day complete

Question 1 of 20

Which form of "this" goes with a feminine noun?

Aтова

Bтози

Cтази

Dтези

Question 2 of 20

What does "Какво е това?" mean?

AWhere is this?

BWho is this?

CWhat is this?

DHow much is this?

Question 3 of 20

"That man over there" — which is correct?

Aтози мъж

Bонзи мъж

Cтази мъж

Dонова мъж

Question 4 of 20

"These books" in Bulgarian is:

Aтези книги

Bтази книги

Cтова книги

Dонзи книги

Question 5 of 20

What does "срещу" mean?

Anext to

Binside

Copposite / facing

Dfar from

Question 6 of 20

Which form is used for general statements like "This is true"?

Aтози

Bтази

Cтова

Dтези

Question 7 of 20

"Is it far?" in Bulgarian is:

AБлизо ли е?

BДалеч ли е?

CТук ли е?

DТам ли е?

Question 8 of 20

"On the right" in Bulgarian is:

Aвляво

Bнаправо

Cвдясно

Dблизо

Question 9 of 20

"Those people are from Bulgaria" — which word for "those"?

Aонези

Bтези

Cонова

Dонзи

Question 10 of 20

In the shop scenario, how much does the leather bag cost?

A15 euros

B10 euros

C25 euros

D20 euros

Question 11 of 20

What phrase would you use to ask what a word is in Bulgarian?

AКакво е онова?

BКак се казва на български?

CКой е той?

DТова ли е?

Question 12 of 20

"That street" — referring to a street far away:

Aтази улица

Bонзи улица

Cонази улица

Dонова улица

Question 13 of 20

What does "пред" mean?

Ain front of

Bbehind

Cbetween

Dnext to

Question 14 of 20

In the airport scenario, where is passport control?

AOn the right

BOn the left

CStraight ahead

DUpstairs

Question 15 of 20

"Between" in Bulgarian is:

Aзад

Bдо

Cпред

Dмежду

Question 16 of 20

"This chair is taken" — which demonstrative?

Aтази стол

Bтози стол

Cтова стол

Dонзи стол

Question 17 of 20

In the directions scenario, where is Hotel Rodina?

AStraight on then left, opposite the park

BStraight on then right, next to the bank

CBehind the station

DNext to Hotel Pliska

Question 18 of 20

Which plural demonstrative means "those" (far away)?

Aтези

Bонова

Cонези

Dонзи

Question 19 of 20

"Straight ahead" in Bulgarian is:

Aвдясно

Bвляво

Cблизо

Dнаправо

Question 20 of 20

You want to point at a coffee on a distant table and say "what is that?" Which is correct?

AКакво е това кафе?

BКакво е онова кафе?

CКакво е тази кафе?

DКакво е онази кафе?

0/20

Day 7 Recap

Everything you covered today — review before Day 8.

Topic	Key rule	Example	English
This (near)	този (M) · тази (F) · това (N) · тези (pl)	тази жена, тези книги	this woman, these books
That (far)	онзи (M) · онази (F) · онова (N) · онези (pl)	онзи хотел, онези хора	that hotel, those people
Neuter это	това used for general pointing / statements	Какво е това? Това е вярно.	What is this? This is true.
Here / There	тук (here) · там (there)	Хотелът е там.	The hotel is there.
Directions	вляво · вдясно · направо · горе · долу	Направо и после вляво.	Straight on, then left.
Proximity	близо (near) · далеч (far)	Близо ли е?	Is it near?
Prepositions	до · срещу · пред · зад · между · вътре · вън	Срещу гарата, до банката.	Opposite the station, next to the bank.
Key question	Как се казва на български?	Как се казва това?	What is this called?