VOCATIVE CASE OF NOUNS – ÇÂÀÒÅËÍÀ ÔÎÐÌÀ ÍÀ ÑÚÙÅÑÒÂÈÒÅËÍÈÒÅ ÈÌÅÍÀ
In Bulgarian there is a special form of the personal names and nouns, which mean persons when you address them. It is called vocative form.
I. Vocative form of masculine nouns
Masculine nouns and personal names form vocative form by adding the endings
- e, -þ.Examples:
| ãîñïîäèí (Mr.) | ãîñïîäèíå |
| äîêòîð | äîêòîðå |
| ïðîôåñîð | ïðîôåñîðå |
| Èâàí | Èâàíå |
| Ïåòúð | Ïåòðå |
| Äèìèòúð | Äèìèòðå |
| ó÷èòåë (teacher) | ó÷èòåëþ |
| ïðèÿòåë (friend) | ïðèÿòåëþ |
Some names suffer phonetic changes like disappearing of the
ú from the final syllable, like in Ïåòúð and Äèìèòúð.|
Masculine nouns ending in vowel don’t have different forms in vocative case. ÷è÷î (uncle), äÿäî (grand father), Ïåòêî (male name) |
| 1 |
II. Vocative form of feminine nouns
Feminine nouns form the vocative form by replacing the ending -a with the endings -o or -e.
Examples:
| ìàéêà (mother) | ìàéêî |
| ñåñòðà (sister) | ñåñòðî |
| ëåëÿ (aunt) | ëåëüî (!!! Don’t forget that ÿ=é+à or é+ú) |
| ãîñïîæà (Mrs.) | ãîñïîæî |
| ãîñïîæèöà (Miss) | ãîñïîæèöå |
| õàçàéêà (landlady) | õàçàéêå |
Feminine nouns, ending in consonant don’t have vocative forms.
Vocative forms of the feminine names, ending in
–ÿ are formed by replacing the final ÿ by éo or üî.| Ìàðèÿ | Ìàðèéî |
| Íàäÿ | Íàäüî |
But these forms are not used anymore. They sound rude
. Instead it’s better to use the original forms - Ìàðèÿ, Íàäÿ.Feminine names, ending in -êà have vocative forms:
| Èâàíêà | Èâàíêå |
| Äîíêà | Äîíêå |
| Nouns of neuter gender, nouns in plural and personal names ending in -o don’t have different forms in vocative case! |
| ãîñïîäà (gentlemen) | ãîñïîäà |
| ãîñïîæè (ladies) | ãîñïîæè |
| Òîøî (short from Òîäîð) | Òîøî |
| Èâî (short from Èâàéëî) | Èâî |