🆕 You have reached A2
Days 16–35 build on your A1 foundation to reach intermediate level. The pace increases slightly — each day introduces more vocabulary and more complex sentences. Keep using the quizzes and recap tables, and you will be ready for the Bulgarian citizenship exam by Day 35.
Section 1
Vegetables & fruit
The market staples — used constantly in shopping, cooking and restaurant conversations.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| домат | domat | tomato | M |
| краставица | krastavitsa | cucumber | F |
| картоф | kartof | potato | M |
| лук | luk | onion | M |
| чесън | chesun | garlic | M |
| морков | morkov | carrot | M |
| зеле | zele | cabbage | N |
| спанак | spanak | spinach | M |
| чушка | chushka | pepper (vegetable) | F |
| патладжан | patladзhan | aubergine / eggplant | M |
| ябълка | yabalka | apple | F |
| круша | krusha | pear | F |
| портокал | portokal | orange | M |
| лимон | limon | lemon | M |
| грозде | grozde | grapes | N |
| праскова | praskova | peach | F |
| череша | cheresha | cherry | F |
| диня | dinya | watermelon | F |
Section 2
Meat, dairy & staples
The words you need for any supermarket or butcher.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| месо | meso | meat | N |
| пилешко | pileshko | chicken (meat) | N |
| телешко | teleshko | beef | N |
| свинско | svinsko | pork | N |
| риба | riba | fish | F |
| яйца | yaytsa | eggs (pl) | N pl |
| мляко | mlyako | milk | N |
| сирене | sirene | white cheese (feta-style) | N |
| кашкавал | kashkaval | yellow cheese | M |
| масло | maslo | butter | N |
| кисело мляко | kiselo mlyako | yoghurt (Bulgarian) | N |
| хляб | hlyab | bread | M |
| ориз | oriz | rice | M |
| паста | pasta | pasta | F |
| захар | zahar | sugar | F |
| сол | sol | salt | F |
| олио | olio | oil (sunflower) | N |
| оцет | otset | vinegar | M |
💡 Сирене — the most important cheese word
Bulgarian сирене is the national cheese — a white brined cheese similar to feta. You will see it on every menu and in every shop. Кисело мляко (literally "sour milk") is Bulgarian yoghurt — thicker and tangier than Greek yoghurt, and a staple of Bulgarian cuisine. Both appear constantly in menus and recipes.
Section 3
Drinks
What to order and what to look for on menus.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| вода | voda | water |
| минерална вода | mineralna voda | mineral water |
| кафе | kafe | coffee |
| чай | chay | tea |
| сок | sok | juice |
| портокалов сок | portokalov sok | orange juice |
| бира | bira | beer |
| вино | vino | wine |
| червено вино | cherveno vino | red wine |
| бяло вино | byalo vino | white wine |
| ракия | rakiya | rakiya (Bulgarian brandy) |
| айран | ayran | ayran (yoghurt drink) |
Section 4
Classic Bulgarian dishes
The dishes you will see on every menu.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| баница | banitsa | Filo pastry filled with cheese and eggs — the national breakfast pastry |
| шопска салата | shopska salata | Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion, topped with grated сирене |
| таратор | tarator | Cold cucumber and yoghurt soup — served in summer |
| боб чорба | bob chorba | Bean soup — the everyday Bulgarian soup |
| кебапче | kebapche | Grilled minced meat roll — standard grill restaurant item |
| кюфте | kyufte | Grilled minced meat patty — similar to a burger without the bun |
| мусака | musaka | Bulgarian moussaka — potatoes and mince, baked with yoghurt |
| сарми | sarmi | Cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat |
| гювеч | gyuvech | Mixed vegetable and meat stew — baked in a clay pot |
| мекица | mekitsa | Fried dough pastry — traditional Bulgarian breakfast |
Section 5
Dialogue — at the restaurant (ordering)
A complete ordering conversation using today's vocabulary.
— Добър вечер! Заповядайте, менюто.
— Благодаря. Какво е шопската салата точно?
— Домати, краставици, чушки, лук и настъргано сирене отгоре.
— Звучи добре. Ще взема шопска салата и кебапче с гарнитура.
— Каква гарнитура желаете — пържени картофи или ориз?
— Пържени картофи, моля. И едно бяло вино.
— Заповядайте. Приятен апетит!
— Dobar vecher! Zapovyadayte, menyuto.
— Blagodarya. Kakvo e shopska salata tochno?
— Domati, krastavitsi, chushki, luk i nastargano sirene otgore.
— Zvuchi dobre. Shte vzema shopska salata i kebapche s garnitura.
— Kakva garnitura zhelaete — parzeni kartofi ili oriz?
— Parzeni kartofi, molya. I edno byalo vino.
— Zapovyadayte. Priyaten apetit!
— Good evening! Here is the menu.
— Thank you. What exactly is the shopska salad?
— Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion and grated cheese on top.
— Sounds good. I'll have the shopska salad and a kebapche with a side dish.
— What side dish would you like — chips or rice?
— Chips please. And a glass of white wine.
— Here you are. Enjoy your meal!
Section 6
Writing task
✏️ Writing task — Day 16
- Write a shopping list in Bulgarian for: bread, milk, cheese, tomatoes, apples, chicken, rice, water.
- Name three classic Bulgarian dishes and describe what is in each one.
- Translate: "I would like the bean soup and a glass of red wine, please."
- What is кисело мляко and why is it different from regular yoghurt?
Show answers
1. хляб, мляко, сирене, домати, ябълки, пилешко, ориз, вода
2. E.g. баница (filo with cheese), шопска салата (tomato-cucumber-cheese), боб чорба (bean soup).
3. Ще взема боб чорба и чаша червено вино, моля.
4. Bulgarian yoghurt — thick, tangy, from specific bacterial cultures. A national staple eaten daily.
Day 16 Quiz
8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 8
What is "сирене"?
Question 2 of 8
Which dish is a cold cucumber and yoghurt soup?
Question 3 of 8
"Chicken (meat)" in Bulgarian:
Question 4 of 8
"Grapes" in Bulgarian:
Question 5 of 8
What is шопска салата topped with?
Question 6 of 8
"Enjoy your meal!" in Bulgarian:
Question 7 of 8
"Side dish" in Bulgarian:
Question 8 of 8
What is ракия?
Day 16 Recap
Review before Day 17. Every point builds on the last.
| Topic | Key point | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | домат · краставица · картоф · лук · чесън · морков · зеле · чушка | All common in шопска салата and гювеч |
| Meat & dairy | пилешко · телешко · свинско · риба · сирене · кисело мляко | сирене = the national cheese |
| Drinks | вода · кафе · чай · сок · бира · вино · ракия · айран | ракия = Bulgarian brandy |
| National dishes | баница · шопска · таратор · боб чорба · кебапче · мусака | Know all 10 for restaurant visits |
| Ordering | Ще взема... · Каква гарнитура? · Приятен апетит! | Ще взема = I will take (ordering) |
| кисело мляко | Literally "sour milk" — Bulgarian yoghurt. Thicker and tangier than Western yoghurt. | A daily staple — on every breakfast table |