Section 1
What you have learned — 14 days in review
Every topic, every key rule, every skill — consolidated.
Before taking the mock test, read through this summary. Tick off every row where you feel confident. Any row that gives you pause is worth a quick revisit before moving on to A2.
| Day | Topic | Core skill | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyrillic Alphabet | Read and write all 30 letters. Identify hard letters: Ж Ш Щ Ъ Ю Я | ☐ |
| 2 | Greetings & Politeness | Formal Вие vs informal ти. Time greetings. Моля (3 uses). Извинете vs Извини. | ☐ |
| 3 | Numbers 0–20 | Count 0–20. Gendered 1 and 2 (един/една/едно). -надесет pattern for 11–19. | ☐ |
| 4 | Introducing Yourself | Казвам се · Аз съм от · Обичам. 8 question words. Приятно ми е. | ☐ |
| 5 | Verb To Be (Съм) | съм/си/е/сме/сте/са. не + verb for negation. ли for yes/no questions. | ☐ |
| 6 | Gender & Article | 3 genders. Article as suffix: -ът/-а (M) · -та (F) · -то (N). Plural -те. | ☐ |
| 7 | This, That & Pointing | този/тази/това/тези (near). онзи/онази/онова/онези (far). 9 location words. | ☐ |
| 8 | Numbers 20–1000 | Compound: X + и + Y. Hundreds: двеста/триста/четиристотин. Хиляда. Shopping. | ☐ |
| 9 | Days, Months & Time | 7 days + memory hooks. 12 months. Hour ± minutes. В [day] = on [day]. | ☐ |
| 10 | Colours & Adjectives | Agreement: M base · F -а · N -о · Pl -и. 12 colours. 15 core adjectives. | ☐ |
| 11 | Family & People | Core family vocab. Possessives agree with noun gender. Имам/нямам. Има/няма. | ☐ |
| 12 | Present Tense | Group 1 (чета) and Group 2 (говоря) endings. 25 verbs. да construction. | ☐ |
| 13 | Negation & Questions | не before verb. Double negative required. ли questions. Защо/Защото. | ☐ |
| 14 | Places Around Town | 30 city locations. 9 prepositions. в vs на explained. Directions. Transport. | ☐ |
Section 2
Complete A1 grammar reference
Every rule you need, with worked examples for each. Use this as a revision sheet.
Rule 1 — Verb conjugation
Two groups. Group 1 ends in unstressed -а in the аз form. Group 2 ends in stressed -я. Once you know the аз form, all other persons follow the pattern.
| Person | G1: чета (read) | G2: говоря (speak) | G2: работя (work) |
|---|---|---|---|
| аз | чет-а | говор-я | работ-я |
| ти | чет-еш | говор-иш | работ-иш |
| той/тя/то | чет-е | говор-и | работ-и |
| ние | чет-ем | говор-им | работ-им |
| вие | чет-ете | говор-ите | работ-ите |
| те | чет-ат | говор-ят | работ-ят |
Rule 2 — Noun gender and the definite article
Gender is usually predictable from the ending. The definite article attaches as a suffix. The plural always ends in -те for all genders.
| Gender | Typical ending | Indefinite | Definite (subj) | Plural | Def plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | consonant | стол | столът | столове | столовете |
| Feminine | -а / -я | маса | масата | маси | масите |
| Neuter | -е / -о | дете | детето | деца | децата |
Rule 3 — Adjective agreement
Adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun. When the noun takes a definite article, the adjective also changes. With definite masculine nouns, use -ият.
| Indefinite | Definite | |
|---|---|---|
| M: нов стол | нов стол (a new chair) | новият стол (the new chair) |
| F: нова маса | нова маса (a new table) | новата маса (the new table) |
| N: ново дете | ново дете (a new child) | новото дете (the new child) |
| Pl: нови столове | нови столове (new chairs) | новите столове (the new chairs) |
Rule 4 — Negation
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| не + verb | Не говоря руски. | I don't speak Russian. |
| нямам (not не имам) | Нямам кола. | I don't have a car. |
| Double negative required | Никой не знае. | Nobody knows. (lit. nobody doesn't know) |
| Negative words | никой · нищо · никога · никъде | nobody · nothing · never · nowhere |
Rule 5 — Questions
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| ли after verb | Говориш ли? | Do you speak? |
| Focus word first + ли | Там ли отиваш? | Is it there you're going? |
| Question words | Какво? Къде? Кой? Кога? Защо? Как? Колко? | 7 core question words |
| Защо / Защото | Защо учиш? Защото обичам България. | Why/Because |
Rule 6 — The да construction (Bulgarian infinitive)
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| искам + да + verb | Искам да уча. | I want to learn. |
| мога + да + verb | Не мога да дойда. | I can't come. |
| трябва + да + verb | Трябва да платя. | I need to pay. |
| обичам + да + verb | Обичам да чета. | I like to read. |
| Started with Subject | Тя иска да работи тук. | She wants to work here. (да agrees with тя) |
Rule 7 — Prepositions of location
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| в | Inside an enclosed space | в хотела, в България, в стаята |
| на | At a place (esp. transport), on a surface | на гарата, на масата, на улица "Витоша" |
| до | Next to / beside | до банката |
| срещу | Opposite / facing | срещу хотела |
| пред | In front of | пред театъра |
| зад | Behind | зад сградата |
| между | Between | между банката и аптеката |
| над | Above | над моста |
| под | Below / under | под масата |
Section 3
Pronunciation & spelling traps
The letters and sounds that most often trip up English learners.
You have been reading and writing Cyrillic for 14 days. This section consolidates the trickiest patterns so they do not trip you up in A2.
| Letter / pattern | Common mistake | Correct | Memory tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ъ | Skipped or said as "a" | A central "uh" sound — like the "a" in "about" | ъгъл, мъж, дъб |
| Ж | Said as English J | Like "zh" — the S in "measure" | жена, живея, жълт |
| Щ | Said as "sh" alone | "sht" — two sounds: ш + т | щастие, защо, щура |
| Й | Confused with И | "y" as in "yes" — always a glide, not a vowel | чай, майка, пей |
| В at end of word | Said as V | Devoiced to "f" in natural speech | хляб sounds like "hlyaf" |
| Unstressed О | Said as "o" | Shifts toward "u" sound in natural speech | говоря sounds like "guvOrya" |
| Г | Said as English G always | "g" as in "go" — never "j" as in some languages | голям, гара, брат |
| Ц | Said as "s" | "ts" as in "cats" — one sound, two letters' worth | цена, цвят, улица |
Stress patterns in Bulgarian
Bulgarian stress is not predictable and must be learned word by word. However, a few tendencies help: (1) Verb endings are often stressed in Group 2: говоря, работя. (2) The definite article suffix does not usually take the stress away from the noun. (3) Short words (prepositions, pronouns) are usually unstressed — they lean on the following word.
| Word | Stress | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| говоря | говор-Я | ГОворя | говорЯ |
| разбирам | разбИрам | РАзбирам | разбИрам |
| благодаря | благодарЯ | БЛАГОдаря | благодарЯ |
| университет | университЕт | УНИверситет | университЕт |
| добре | добрЕ | ДОБре | добрЕ |
Section 4
Reading practice — six passages
Six short texts using only A1 vocabulary. Read each aloud, then check your understanding.
Every word in these passages appears in Days 1–14. Try reading without looking at the translation first — then check. Reading aloud is the most effective single practice technique at A1 level.
Казвам се Петър Иванов. Аз съм от България, от Пловдив. На тридесет и пет години съм. Работя в офис в центъра на града. Обичам да чета книги и да гледам филми. Нямам братя, но имам една сестра. Тя живее в София. Сестра ми е много добра лекарка. Семейството ни е малко, но сме много щастливи.
Kazvam se Petar Ivanov. Az sam ot Balgariya, ot Plovdiv. Na tridesset i pet godini sam. Rabotya v ofis v tsentara na grada. Obicham da cheta knigi i da gledam filmi. Nyamam bratya, no imam edna sestra. Tya zhivee v Sofiya. Sestra mi e mnogo dobra lekarka. Semeystvoto ni e malko, no sme mnogo shtastlivi.
My name is Petar Ivanov. I am from Bulgaria, from Plovdiv. I am thirty-five years old. I work in an office in the city centre. I like to read books and watch films. I have no brothers, but I have one sister. She lives in Sofia. My sister is a very good doctor. Our family is small, but we are very happy.
Днес е понеделник. Ставам в седем часа. Закусвам — пия кафе и ям хляб с масло. В осем и половина отивам на работа. Вземам метрото от спирка "Сердика" до "Национален дворец на културата". Работата е близо до метростанцията. Магазинът е до офиса. Банката е срещу магазина. В пет часа се прибирам вкъщи.
Dnes e ponedelnik. Stavam v sedem chasa. Zakusvam — piya kafe i yam hlyab s maslo. V osem i polovina otivam na rabota. Vzimam metroto ot spirka Serdika do Natsionalen dvorets na kulturata. Rabotata e blizo do metrostantsiyata. Magazinat e do ofisa. Bankata e sreshtu magazina. V pet chasa se pribiram vkashti.
Today is Monday. I get up at seven o'clock. I have breakfast — I drink coffee and eat bread with butter. At half past eight I go to work. I take the metro from Serdika stop to National Palace of Culture. Work is close to the metro station. The shop is next to the office. The bank is opposite the shop. At five o'clock I come home.
— Добър ден! Колко струват тези домати?
— Два лева и петдесет стотинки за килограм.
— Твърде скъпо. А тези краставици?
— Един лев и двадесет стотинки.
— По-евтино. Дайте ми половин килограм домати и един килограм краставици, моля.
— Заповядайте. Общо три лева и осемдесет стотинки.
— Ето четири лева.
— Получавате ресто двадесет стотинки. Благодаря, приятен ден!
— Dobar den! Kolko struvat tezi domati?
— Dva leva i petdesset stotinki za kilogram.
— Tvarde skaрo. A tezi krastаvitsi?
— Edin lev i dvadesset stotinki.
— Po-evtino. Dayte mi polovin kilogram domati i edin kilogram krastavitsi, molya.
— Zapovyadayte. Obshto tri leva i osemdesset stotinki.
— Eto chetiri leva.
— Poluchavate resto dvadesset stotinki. Blagodarya, priyaten den!
— Good afternoon! How much are these tomatoes?
— Two leva and fifty stotinki per kilo.
— Too expensive. And these cucumbers?
— One lev and twenty stotinki.
— Cheaper. Give me half a kilo of tomatoes and one kilo of cucumbers, please.
— Here you are. Three leva eighty in total.
— Here is four leva.
— Your change is twenty stotinki. Thank you, have a nice day!
София е столицата на България. Тя е голям и красив град. В центъра има много магазини, ресторанти и кафенета. Народният театър е много красив — той е стар, но добре запазен. До театъра има голям парк. Парквата се казва "Градската градина". В парка има много дървета и цветя. Метрото в София е ново и бързо. Можете да стигнете навсякъде с метрото. Обичам да ходя пеша из центъра.
Sofiya e stolitsa na Balgariya. Tya e golyam i krasiv grad. V tsentara ima mnogo magazini, restorani i kafeneta. Narodniyat teatar e mnogo krasiv — toy e star, no dobre zapаzen. Do teatara ima golyam park. Parkat se kazva Gradskata gradina. V parka ima mnogo darveta i tsvetya. Metroto v Sofiya e novo i barzo. Mozhete da stignet navsakade s metroto. Obicham da hodya pesha iz tsentara.
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. It is a large and beautiful city. In the centre there are many shops, restaurants and cafés. The National Theatre is very beautiful — it is old but well preserved. Next to the theatre there is a large park. The park is called the City Garden. In the park there are many trees and flowers. Sofia's metro is new and fast. You can get anywhere by metro. I like to walk through the centre on foot.
— Здравей, Мария! Свободна ли си в събота?
— Да, нямам нищо планирано. Защо?
— Искам да отидем на кино. Има нов филм.
— Добра идея! В колко часа?
— Филмът започва в седем и половина вечерта.
— Добре. Можем да се срещнем в седем пред кинотеатъра.
— Страхотно! До събота тогава.
— Чао! До скоро.
— Zdravey, Mariya! Svobodna li si v sabota?
— Da, nyamam nishto planirano. Zashto?
— Iskam da otidem na kino. Ima nov film.
— Dobra ideya! V kolko chasa?
— Filmat zachpova v sedem i polovina vecherта.
— Dobre. Mozhem da se sreshtem v sedem pred kinoteatara.
— Strakhotno! Do sabota togava.
— Chao! Do skoro.
— Hello Maria! Are you free on Saturday?
— Yes, I have nothing planned. Why?
— I want us to go to the cinema. There is a new film.
— Good idea! At what time?
— The film starts at half past seven in the evening.
— Good. We can meet at seven in front of the cinema.
— Great! Until Saturday then.
— Bye! See you soon.
България е страна в Югоизточна Европа. Тя се намира на Балканския полуостров. Столицата е София. България е членка на Европейския съюз от 2007 година. Официалният език е български. Азбуката е кирилица. Валутата е лев. Населението на страната е около шест и половина милиона души. България има красива природа — планини, морски плажове, реки и гори. Черно море е на изток. Планината Витоша е до София. Климатът е умерен континентален. Лятото е горещо, зимата е студена.
Balgariya e strana v Yugoiztochna Evropa. Tya se namira na Balkanskiya poluostrov. Stolitsa e Sofiya. Balgariya e chlenka na Evropeyskiya sayuz ot 2007 godina. Ofitsialniyat ezik e balgarski. Azbukаta e kirilitsa. Valutatа e lev. Naselenieto na stranata e okolo shest i polovina miliona dushi. Balgariya ima krasiva priroda — planini, morski plazhove, reki i gori. Cherno more e na iztok. Planinata Vitosha e do Sofiya. Klimatat e umeren kontinentalen. Lyatoto e goreshto, zimata e studena.
Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located on the Balkan Peninsula. The capital is Sofia. Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007. The official language is Bulgarian. The alphabet is Cyrillic. The currency is the lev. The country's population is approximately six and a half million people. Bulgaria has beautiful nature — mountains, sea beaches, rivers and forests. The Black Sea is to the east. Vitosha mountain is next to Sofia. The climate is temperate continental. Summers are hot, winters are cold.
Section 5
Comprehension questions
Answer these without looking back at the passages. Then check.
These questions test whether you understood the meaning, not just whether you can decode the letters. Work through them from memory, then re-read any passage where you struggled.
📖 Passage 1 questions
- Откъде е Петър? (Where is Petar from?)
- Какво работи? (What does he do?)
- Колко сестри има Петър? (How many sisters does Petar have?)
- Каква е сестра му? (What is his sister like/what does she do?)
Show answers
1. От България, от Пловдив.
2. Работи в офис.
3. Има една сестра. (Нямам братя — no brothers.)
4. Тя е много добра лекарка. (She is a very good doctor.)
📖 Passage 2 questions
- В колко часа става авторът? (What time does the author get up?)
- Как отива на работа? (How does he get to work?)
- Какво е до офиса? (What is next to the office?)
- В колко часа се прибира? (What time does he come home?)
Show answers
1. В седем часа.
2. Взема метрото.
3. Магазинът е до офиса.
4. В пет часа.
📖 Passage 6 questions
- Каква е столицата на България? (What is the capital of Bulgaria?)
- Какъв е официалният език? (What is the official language?)
- Каква е валутата? (What is the currency?)
- Какъв е климатът? (What is the climate like?)
Show answers
1. София.
2. Официалният език е български.
3. Валутата е лев.
4. Умерен континентален — лятото горещо, зимата студена.
Section 6
Writing challenges
Five tasks that use everything you have learned at A1. Write by hand where possible.
✏️ Challenge 1 — Self-introduction (50 words)
Write a full self-introduction paragraph in Bulgarian. Include: your name, where you are from, your age, what you do, your family, and what you like. Aim for 6–8 sentences.
✏️ Challenge 2 — Describe your town
Write 5 sentences describing your town or neighbourhood using places from Day 14, prepositions, and adjectives. Example topics: what is nearby, how you get around, what you like about it.
✏️ Challenge 3 — A day in my life
Write your daily routine using at least 8 present-tense verbs. Include times (from Day 9) and at least one ли question and one negative sentence.
✏️ Challenge 4 — Translate this paragraph
Translate the following into Bulgarian without looking at the lessons:
"My name is Alex. I am from England. I am learning Bulgarian because my wife is Bulgarian. She is from Plovdiv. We live in London, but we visit Bulgaria every summer. I can speak a little Bulgarian, but I cannot write well yet. I need to study more."
Show model answer
✏️ Challenge 5 — Question and answer
Write answers to these questions as if they were asked to you personally. Write full sentences in Bulgarian.
- Откъде сте?
- Колко езика говорите?
- Защо учите български?
- Имате ли семейство?
- Какво обичате да правите в свободното си време?
Section 7
A1 Mock Test — 20 questions
Time yourself: aim for under 20 minutes. 14+ correct = A1 ready. 17+ = strong A1.
This test covers all 14 topics from Days 1–14. Work without looking at the lessons. The question spread mirrors the Bulgarian citizenship exam (20 MCQ, 60% pass mark) and the STBFL A1 section format.
Day 15 Quiz
20 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 20
Which Bulgarian letter makes the "zh" sound (like the S in "measure")?
Question 2 of 20
You are introduced to your friend's grandmother. You say:
Question 3 of 20
What is 17 in Bulgarian?
Question 4 of 20
"My name is..." — which phrase?
Question 5 of 20
"We are ready" — correct form of съм for ние:
Question 6 of 20
Which noun is feminine?
Question 7 of 20
"These books" in Bulgarian:
Question 8 of 20
How do you say 350 in Bulgarian?
Question 9 of 20
"Half past four" in Bulgarian:
Question 10 of 20
"The big red book" — голям and червен agreeing with книга (F):
Question 11 of 20
"I have no brothers" in Bulgarian:
Question 12 of 20
"She works in a hospital" — работя conjugated for тя:
Question 13 of 20
"Nobody is coming" — correct Bulgarian:
Question 14 of 20
"The pharmacy is opposite the bank":
Question 15 of 20
"At the train station" — which preposition?
Question 16 of 20
Моля can mean please, you're welcome, AND:
Question 17 of 20
"Why are you learning Bulgarian?" — correct question word:
Question 18 of 20
"I want to eat" in Bulgarian:
Question 19 of 20
You need to apologise to a stranger. You say:
Question 20 of 20
"Go straight ahead" in Bulgarian:
Section 8
Mock test — answer explanations
Read even the questions you got right. The explanation tells you the deeper reason.
| Q | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ж | Ж = zh (measure). З = z (zoo). Щ = sht. Ъ = the central uh vowel. |
| 2 | Здравейте! Приятно ми е. | Formal Вие address with a stranger's grandmother. Здравей is informal. Приятно ми е = pleased to meet you. |
| 3 | седемнадесет | 17 = седем + надесет. The -надесет suffix = "on ten". седемдесет = 70. |
| 4 | Казвам се... | Literally "I call myself..." — the standard Bulgarian self-introduction phrase. Аз съм = I am (for nationality/profession, not name). |
| 5 | Ние сме готови | сме = we are. са = they are. сте = you are (formal/pl). съм = I am. |
| 6 | улица | Ends in -а → feminine. ден = M (consonant). море = N (-е). хляб = M (consonant). |
| 7 | тези книги | тези = plural demonstrative (these). Agrees with plural noun книги regardless of gender. |
| 8 | триста и петдесет | триста = 300 (irregular). петдесет = 50. Combined: триста и петдесет. тристотин does not exist. |
| 9 | четири и половина | After the hour: hour + и + half/minutes. Без половина = half before (so without the half = at X:30 incorrectly). |
| 10 | голяма червена книга | книга is feminine → adjectives take feminine -а endings: голяма, червена. |
| 11 | Нямам братя | The negative of имам is нямам — a separate verb. не имам is incorrect in Bulgarian. |
| 12 | тя работи | работя is Group 2. тя/той/то form = -и: работи. работят = те. |
| 13 | Никой не идва | Double negative is required in Bulgarian. никой alone without не is grammatically wrong. |
| 14 | Аптеката е срещу банката | срещу = opposite/facing. до = next to. зад = behind. пред = in front of. |
| 15 | на гарата | Transport hubs (гара, летище, спирка) use на. Enclosed spaces use в. на гарата = at the station. |
| 16 | Pardon? / I beg your pardon? | Моля has 3 uses: please (request), you're welcome (after thanks), and pardon? (when you didn't hear). |
| 17 | Защо | Защо = why (question). Защото = because (answer). Какво = what. Кога = when. |
| 18 | Искам да ям | да + conjugated verb replaces the English infinitive. ям = I eat (Group 1, аз form). |
| 19 | Извинете | Formal/plural apology. Извини = informal (friends only). With a stranger always use the -те form. |
| 20 | Вървете направо | Вървете = go (walking, formal). направо = straight ahead. Завийте = turn. Пресечете = cross. |
Section 9
What comes next — A2 study plan
Days 16–35 take you from A1 to A2 and citizenship exam readiness.
Congratulations on completing the A1 foundation. Here is exactly what is coming in the A2 phase and why it matters for your goals:
| Days | Phase | Topics | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–20 | Food & Shopping | Restaurant ordering, market vocab, recipes, cooking verbs, measures & quantities | Core survival vocabulary. Every trip to Bulgaria uses this. |
| 21–25 | Work & Daily Life | Professions, daily routines, transport verbs, health & body, past tense (aorist) | Past tense unlocks telling stories. Essential for all exams. |
| 26–30 | Travel & Emotions | Future tense, family life in depth, feelings & emotions, weather, hobbies & free time | Future tense completes the tense trinity. Emotions = conversation depth. |
| 31–35 | Travel & A2 Test | Hotels & accommodation, airports & travel, directions revisited, clothes & shopping, A2 checkpoint | Day 35 is a full A2 mock — the citizenship exam simulation. |
🏆 What A1 completion means for your goals
The Bulgarian citizenship exam is approximately A2 level — 20 multiple-choice questions, 60-minute time limit, 60% pass mark. You have completed the entire A1 foundation. You are now building the A2 vocabulary and grammar that the exam tests directly. Every day from here targets exam-relevant content.
💡 How to get the most from A2
Three habits that make the biggest difference: (1) Do the quiz at the end of each day — the immediate feedback cements recall. (2) Read each dialogue aloud before pressing Play — this builds speaking confidence. (3) At the end of each week, re-read the recap tables from that week's days. Spaced review is the fastest route to retention.
📝 Before Day 16 — a five-minute reset
Write from memory: (1) The full conjugation of съм. (2) The conjugation of работя. (3) The definite article forms for all three genders. (4) Five places around town with their genders. If you can do this without looking, you are genuinely A1 ready. If not, spend five minutes with Days 5, 6 and 14 before continuing.