Bulgarian 60-by-60
Module 3 – Tenses, Adjectives and Comparison
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Module 3 – Tenses, Adjectives and Comparison
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This module expands your range. You will learn to talk about what happened yesterday, what will happen tomorrow, and how to describe people and things more clearly.
Bulgarian has several past tenses, but for everyday conversation, you'll mainly use one called the Aorist (Аорист). This tense is for actions that were completed in the past. Think of it as the simple past tense in English (e.g., "I went," "she saw," "they ate"). The endings change based on the verb group, just like in the present tense.
The table below shows the most common endings for the Aorist past tense. Notice how the endings for "I" and "we" often have an 'x', and the endings for "you" (singular) and "he/she/it" are often the same.
| Person | Example: гледам (to watch) | Example: говоря (to speak) |
|---|---|---|
| Аз (I) | гледах | говорих |
| Ти (You) | гледа | говори |
| Той/Тя/То (He/She/It) | гледа | говори |
| Ние (We) | гледахме | говорихме |
| Вие (You pl./polite) | гледахте | говорихте |
| Те (They) | гледаха | говориха |
The Aorist is used for specific, completed actions. It's the main tense for storytelling.
There is another past tense called the Imperfect, used for ongoing or repeated past actions ("I was reading," "we used to go"). For now, focus on mastering the Aorist for completed actions.
Seeing the past tense used in context is crucial. Go to YouTube and search for:
1. Put it in the past. Change these present tense sentences to the past tense (Aorist).
2. Tell me about yesterday. Create three simple sentences about what you did yesterday using past tense verbs like работих (I worked), ядох (I ate), спах (I slept).
Talking about the past is easy! Don't worry about all the different tenses for now. Just focus on one.
The main past tense you need is called the Aorist. That's a fancy name for talking about stuff that's done and dusted. If it happened yesterday and it's over, you use the Aorist.
The Secret Code: Just like in the present tense, the verb gets a new ending. The key thing to look for is the letter 'х'.
The Big Idea: To talk about yesterday, just change the ending of your verb. Listen for the 'х' sound—it's your clue that you're in the past!
The future tense in Bulgarian is one of the easiest in any language! You don't need to change the verb endings at all. You simply add a small "particle" word in front of the present tense verb you already know.
To say something will happen, use the particle ще (shte) + the present tense verb.
| English | Bulgarian |
|---|---|
| I will work | Ще работя |
| You will see | Ще видиш |
| She will read | Ще чете |
| We will go | Ще отидем |
To say something will not happen, you use a different construction: няма да (nyama da) + the present tense verb.
| English | Bulgarian |
|---|---|
| I will not work | Няма да работя |
| He will not see | Няма да види |
| They will not read | Няма да четат |
To hear the future tense in natural conversation, check out these videos. Go to YouTube and search for:
1. Make plans for tomorrow. Change these sentences to the future tense.
2. Make it negative. Now say that the plans are cancelled using the negative future.
Talking about the future is super easy! You already know how to do it.
Remember all those present tense verbs you learned? Like чета (I read) and говоря (I speak)?
The Big Idea: For future, it's just one of two phrases in front of a verb you already know. Ще for YES, Няма да for NO. Simple!
Adjectives (describing words) are essential for making your language more interesting. The most important rule in Bulgarian is that adjectives must agree with the noun they describe. This means the ending of the adjective changes to match the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) of the noun.
The table below shows how the word нов (new) changes its ending to match different types of nouns. Most adjectives follow this pattern. The adjective almost always comes before the noun.
| Type of Noun | Ending | Example Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (e.g., стол - chair) | - | нов стол (a new chair) |
| Feminine (e.g., кола - car) | -а | нова кола (a new car) |
| Neuter (e.g., легло - bed) | -о | ново легло (a new bed) |
| Plural (e.g., столове - chairs) | -и | нови столове (new chairs) |
This concept is very visual. Seeing examples can make it click. Go to YouTube and search for:
1. Match the endings. Choose the correct form of the adjective голям (big) for each noun.
2. Describe a room. Look around the room you are in. Find three objects and describe each with one adjective, making sure the endings match. For example: бяла стена (white wall), голям прозорец (big window).
Think of adjectives and nouns as wearing matching outfits!
In English, we can say "a big dog," "a big cat," and "big houses." The word "big" never changes. But in Bulgarian, the describing word has to change its ending to match the noun it's describing.
The Big Idea: When you use a describing word, look at the noun it's with. Does the noun seem like a boy, girl, or neuter word? Make sure your adjective's ending matches! It's the most important rule for describing things correctly.
Comparing things in Bulgarian is very systematic and easy to learn. You use simple prefixes that attach to the beginning of adjectives and adverbs.
The table below explains how to make comparisons. You take a basic adjective like бърз (fast) and just add a prefix.
| Type of Comparison | How to Form It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative (more ___, ___-er) | Add prefix по- (po-) | по-бърз (faster) |
| Superlative (the most ___, the ___-est) | Add prefix най- (nai-) | най-бърз (the fastest) |
The same prefixes work for adverbs (words that describe actions).
The irregular pair is добър (good - adjective) and добре (well - adverb). For adjectives, use по-добър / най-добър. For adverbs, use по-добре / най-добре.
To see comparisons used naturally, watch some review videos. Go to YouTube and search for:
1. Make comparisons. Create sentences using the following prompts.
This is another super simple rule! You just have to remember two little words.
Imagine you have a describing word, like fast (бърз).
That's it! It works for almost every describing word. No weird endings like "-er" or "-est" to worry about. Just pop по- or най- on the front and you're done.
The Big Idea: Want to compare things? Use по- for "more" and най- for "most."
Let's bring everything from this week together. We'll practice telling a simple story about yesterday and making a plan for tomorrow, using the past and future tenses, and adding color with adjectives.
These words help connect your ideas and make your story flow.
Read this short story and notice the mix of tenses and adjectives.
Вчера имах хубав ден. Първо, пих голямо кафе. После, говорих с моя добър приятел. Беше много интересно.
Утре ще отида на планина. Ще бъде още по-хубаво!
1. Write a short story (3-5 sentences). Describe something you did yesterday and something you will do tomorrow.
2. Read your story aloud. Practice your pronunciation and the flow of the sentences.
You now have all the tools to tell a simple story!
Here's the recipe:
The Big Idea: Mix and match the pieces you've learned this week. A time word + a past action + a describing word + a future plan = a perfect little story!