PRESENT TENSE OF BULGARIAN VERBS – III CONJUGATION - ÑÅÃÀØÍÎ ÂÐÅÌÅ ÍÀ ÃËÀÃÎËÈÒÅ ÎÒ ÒÐÅÒÎ 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.

Bulgarian verbs, ending in 1st person singular in –ì (-àì, -ÿì) are in III conjugation.

Examples: èñêàì (to want), îáè÷àì (to love), îáèæäàì (to insult), çàáðàâÿì (to forget), ïðîìåíÿì (to change).

Exception: The verb ÿì is in I conjugation.


1.The verbs ending in -àì.

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

Singular

Plural

1. –àì

1. –àìå

2. –àø

2. –àòå

3. -à

3. –àò

Example: èñêàì – àì = èñê + endings…

1. àç èñêàì

1. íèå èñêàìå

2. òè èñêàø

2. âèå èñêàòå

3. òîé èñêà

3. òå èñêàò

     òÿ èñêà

 

     òî èñêà

 
   

2.The verbs ending in -ÿì.

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

Singular

Plural

1. –ÿì

1. –ÿìå

2. –ÿø

2. –ÿòå

3. -ÿ

3. –ÿò

Example 2: çàáðàâÿì – ÿì = çàáðàâ + endings…

1. àç çàáðàâÿì

1. íèå çàáðàâÿìå

2. òè çàáðàâÿø

2. âèå çàáðàâÿòå

3. òîé çàáðàâÿ

3. òå çàáðàâÿò

     òÿ çàáðàâÿ

 

     òî çàáðàâÿ

 

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 to simply put the negative particle íå between the subject pronoun (or the noun) and the verb.

1. àç íå èñêàì

1. íèå íå èñêàìå

2. òè íå èñêàø

2. âèå íå èñêàòå

3. òîé íå èñêà

3. òå íå èñêàò

     òÿ íå èñêà

 

     òî íå èñêà

 
   

1. àç íå çàáðàâÿì

1. íèå íå çàáðàâÿìå

2. òè íå çàáðàâÿø

2. âèå íå çàáðàâÿòå

3. òîé íå çàáðàâÿ

3. òå íå çàáðàâÿò

     òÿ íå çàáðàâÿ

 

     òî íå çàáðàâÿ

 
   

Òîé íå èñêà äà èçëèçà òàçè âå÷åð.

He doesn't want to go out tonight.

   
The good news: about 90% of the Bulgarian verbs are in III conjugation.

To summarize:

The Bulgarian verbs don't have an infinitive form. The form to be found in the dictionary is the form for the first person singular.

The verbs ending (in 1st person singular) in -a or -ÿ are either in Ist or in IInd conjugation.

The verbs ending (in 1st person singular) in - or -ÿì are in IIIrd conjugation.

Here's a comparative table of the endings for the three conjugations:

  Ist conjugation IInd conjugation IIIrd conjugation
1st sing.  àç -à, -ÿ -à, -ÿ -àì, -ÿì
2nd sing. òè -åø -èø -àø, -ÿø
3rd sing. òîé, òÿ, òî -à, -ÿ
       
1st pl. íèå -åì -èì -àìå, -ÿìå
2nd pl. âèå  -åòå -èòå -àòå, -ÿòå
3rd pl. òå -àò, -ÿò -àò, -ÿò -àò, -ÿò

 

 

Top of page

Back to Grammar tutorial