PRESENT TENSE OF BULGARIAN VERBS – I CONJUGATION – ÑÅÃÀØÍÎ ÂÐÅÌÅ ÍÀ ÃËÀÃÎËÈÒÅ ÎÒ ÏÚÐÂÎ ÑÏÐÅÆÅÍÈÅ

 

The main form of a verb in English is called the infinitive and includes the word "to" - to be, to go, to do etc.

In Bulgarian the verbs don’t have an infinitive form. The main form of the Bulgarian verb is the form for first person singular. This is the form to be found in the dictionary.

 

1. Usually Bulgarian verbs, ending (in 1st person singular) in vowel + ÿ (-àÿ, -åÿ, -èÿ, including -þÿ and -ÿÿ) are in I conjugation.

Examples: çíàÿ (to know), æèâåÿ (to live), ïèÿ (to drink), ïëþÿ (to spit), âëèÿÿ (to influence)

Exceptions: Verbs ending in -îÿ are in II conjugation: áåçïîêîÿ (ñå), áîÿ ñå, áðîÿ, äîÿ, êðîÿ, ñòîÿ, ñòðîÿ

To conjugate the verb it is necessary to remove the ending -ÿ and add the following endings for the different persons:

Singular Plural
1. –ÿ 1. -åì
2. -åø 2. -åòå
3. - å 3. –ÿò

Example: çíàÿ – ÿ = çíà + endings…

1. àç çíàÿ* 1. íèå çíàåì
2. òè çíàåø 2. âèå çíàåòå
3. òîé çíàå 3. òå çíàÿò
     òÿ çíàå  
     òî çíàå  

* The irregular form for 1st person singular çíàì is used very often in the spoken language. Both forms are considered correct.

These are the affirmative forms!


In English the negative form of a verb is formed using the auxiliary verb to do.

I know.

I don't know.

In Bulgarian, to get the negative form it is necessary simply to put the negative particle íå between the subject pronoun (or the noun) and the verb.

1. àç íå çíàÿ 1. íèå íå çíàåì
2. òè íå çíàåø 2. âèå íå çíàåòå
3. òîé íå çíàå 3. òå íå çíàÿò
     òÿ íå çíàå  
     òî íå çíàå  
   
Ìàðèÿ çíàå àíãëèéñêè. Maria knows (speaks) English.
Ìàðèÿ íå çíàå íåìñêè. Maria doesn't know (speak) German.
   
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2. Some verbs ending (in 1st person singular) in -a are in I conjugation.

Most verbs ending in -æà, -÷à or -øà are not in I conjugation. There are several exceptions: ìàæà, ðåæà, ñòðèæà, äúâ÷à, ïëà÷à, áúðøà, ðåøà which are in I conjugation.

The rest of the verbs ending in -a (-áà, -ãà, -äà, -çà, -êà, -íà, -ðà, -òà) are in I conjugation.

The list of endings is not complete, but it includes the most common verbs and can be used as a reference.

Examples: ÷åòà (to read), ïèøà (to write), ìîãà (to be able).

To conjugate the verb it is necessary to remove the ending -a and add the endings for the different persons.

Singular Plural
1. –à 1. -åì
2. -åø 2. -åòå
3. - å 3. –àò

Example: ÷åòàà = ÷åò + endings…

1. àç ÷åòà 1. íèå ÷åòåì
2. òè ÷åòåø 2. âèå ÷åòåòå
3. òîé ÷åòå 3. òå ÷åòàò
     òÿ ÷åòå  
     òî ÷åòå  

As you can see, the endings are the same, excluding the 1st person singular –a or –ÿ, and the 3rd person plural – respectively –àò, -ÿò

These are the affirmative forms!


To get the negative forms it is necessary to put the negative particle íå between the subject pronoun (or the noun) and the verb.

1. àç íå ÷åòà 1. íèå íå ÷åòåì
2. òè íå ÷åòåø 2. âèå íå ÷åòåòå
3. òîé íå ÷åòå 3. òå íå ÷åòàò
     òÿ íå ÷åòå  
     òî íå ÷åòå  
   
Èâàí ÷åòå âåñòíèê ñóòðèí. Ivan reads newspaper in the morning.
Ìàðèÿ íå ÷åòå âåñòíèöè. Maria doesn't read newspapers.
   

The verb ÿì that ends in -ì is also in I conjugation. It has an irregular stem ÿä- to which we add the endings for first conjugation (except for the 1st person singular). The forms are as follows:

1. àç ÿì 1. íèå ÿäåì
2. òè ÿäåø 2. âèå ÿäåòå
3. òîé ÿäå 3. òå ÿäàò
     òÿ ÿäå  
     òî ÿäå  

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