Editing Bulgarian language (section)

==Grammar==
{{Main|Bulgarian grammar}}
The parts of speech in Bulgarian are divided in ten types, which are categorized in two broad classes: mutable and immutable. The difference is that mutable parts of speech vary grammatically, whereas the immutable ones do not change, regardless of their use. The five classes of mutables are: ''nouns'', ''adjectives'', ''numerals'', ''pronouns'' and ''verbs''. Syntactically, the first four of these form the group of the noun or the nominal group. The immutables are: ''adverbs'', ''prepositions'', ''conjunctions'', ''particles'' and ''interjections''. Verbs and adverbs form the group of the verb or the verbal group.

===Nominal morphology===
{{Main|Bulgarian nouns}}
Nouns and adjectives have the [[grammatical category|categories]] [[grammatical gender]], [[grammatical number|number]], [[grammatical case|case]] (only [[vocative case|vocative]]) and [[definite article|definiteness]] in Bulgarian. Adjectives and adjectival pronouns agree with nouns in number and gender. Pronouns have gender and number and retain (as in nearly all [[Indo-European languages]]) a more significant part of the case system.

====Nominal inflection====
=====Gender=====
There are three grammatical genders in Bulgarian: ''masculine'', ''feminine'' and ''neuter''. The gender of the noun can largely be inferred from its ending: nouns ending in a consonant ("zero ending") are generally masculine (for example, {{lang|bg|град}} {{IPA|/ɡrat/}} 'city', {{lang|bg|син}} {{IPA|/sin/}} 'son', {{lang|bg|мъж}} {{IPA|/mɤʃ/}} 'man'; those ending in&nbsp;–а/–я (-a/-ya) ({{lang|bg|жена}} {{IPA|/ʒɛˈna/}} 'woman', {{lang|bg|дъщеря}} {{IPA|/dɐʃtɛrˈja/}} 'daughter', {{lang|bg|улица}} {{IPA|/ˈulitsɐ/}} 'street') are normally feminine; and nouns ending in&nbsp;–е,&nbsp;–о are almost always neuter ({{lang|bg|дете}} {{IPA|/dɛˈtɛ/}} 'child', {{lang|bg|езеро}} {{IPA|/ˈɛzɛro/}} 'lake'), as are those rare words (usually loanwords) that end in&nbsp;–и,&nbsp;–у, and&nbsp;–ю ({{lang|bg|цунами}} {{IPA|/tsuˈnami/}} '[[tsunami]]', {{lang|bg|табу}} {{IPA|/tɐˈbu/}} 'taboo', {{lang|bg|меню}} {{IPA|/mɛˈnju/}} 'menu'). Perhaps the most significant exception from the above are the relatively numerous nouns that end in a consonant and yet are feminine: these comprise, firstly, a large group of nouns with zero ending expressing quality, degree or an abstraction, including all nouns ending on&nbsp;–ост/–ест -<nowiki/>{ost/est} ({{lang|bg|мъдрост}} {{IPA|/ˈmɤdrost/}} 'wisdom', {{lang|bg|низост}} {{IPA|/ˈnizost/}} 'vileness', {{lang|bg|прелест}} {{IPA|/ˈprɛlɛst/}} 'loveliness', {{lang|bg|болест}} {{IPA|/ˈbɔlɛst/}} 'sickness', {{lang|bg|любов}} {{IPA|/ljuˈbɔf/}} 'love'), and secondly, a much smaller group of irregular nouns with zero ending which define tangible objects or concepts ({{lang|bg|кръв}} {{IPA|/krɤf/}} 'blood', {{lang|bg|кост}} {{IPA|/kɔst/}} 'bone', {{lang|bg|вечер}} {{IPA|/ˈvɛtʃɛr/}} 'evening', {{lang|bg|нощ}} {{IPA|/nɔʃt/}} 'night'). There are also some commonly used words that end in a vowel and yet are masculine: {{lang|bg|баща}} 'father', {{lang|bg|дядо}} 'grandfather', {{lang|bg|чичо}} / {{lang|bg|вуйчо}} 'uncle', and others.

The plural forms of the nouns do not express their gender as clearly as the singular ones, but may also provide some clues to it: the ending {{lang|bg|–и}} (-i) is more likely to be used with a masculine or feminine noun ({{lang|bg|факти}} {{IPA|/ˈfakti/}} 'facts', {{lang|bg|болести}} {{IPA|/ˈbɔlɛsti/}} 'sicknesses'), while one in {{lang|bg|–а/–я}} belongs more often to a neuter noun ({{lang|bg|езера}} {{IPA|/ɛzɛˈra/}} 'lakes'). Also, the plural ending {{lang|bg|–ове}} {{IPA|/ovɛ/}} occurs only in masculine nouns.

=====Number=====
Two numbers are distinguished in Bulgarian–[[Grammatical number|singular]] and [[plural]]. A variety of plural suffixes is used, and the choice between them is partly determined by their ending in singular and partly influenced by gender; in addition, irregular declension and alternative plural forms are common. Words ending in {{lang|bg|–а/–я}} (which are usually feminine) generally have the plural ending {{lang|bg|–и}}, upon dropping of the singular ending. Of nouns ending in a consonant, the feminine ones also use {{lang|bg|–и}}, whereas the masculine ones usually have {{lang|bg|–и}} for polysyllables and {{lang|bg|–ове}} for monosyllables (however, exceptions are especially common in this group). Nouns ending in {{lang|bg|–о/–е}} (most of which are neuter) mostly use the suffixes {{lang|bg|–а, –я}} (both of which require the dropping of the singular endings) and {{lang|bg|–та}}.

With [[cardinal number]]s and related words such as {{lang|bg|няколко}} ('several'), masculine nouns use a special count form in {{lang|bg|–а/–я}}, which stems from the Proto-Slavonic [[dual grammatical number|dual]]: {{lang|bg|два/три стола}} ('two/three chairs') versus {{lang|bg|тези столове}} ('these chairs'); cf. feminine {{lang|bg|две/три/тези книги}} ('two/three/these books') and neuter {{lang|bg|две/три/тези легла}} ('two/three/these beds'). However, a recently developed language norm requires that count forms should only be used with masculine nouns that do not denote persons. Thus, {{lang|bg|двама/трима ученици}} ('two/three students') is perceived as more correct than {{lang|bg|двама/трима ученика}}, while the distinction is retained in cases such as {{lang|bg|два/три молива}} ('two/three pencils') versus {{lang|bg|тези моливи}} ('these pencils').

=====Case=====
{{Main|Bulgarian grammar#Case system|l1=Case system of Bulgarian}}
Cases exist only in the [[personal pronoun|personal]] and some other [[pronoun]]s (as they do in many other modern [[Indo-European languages]]), with [[nominative case|nominative]], [[accusative case|accusative]], [[dative case|dative]] and [[vocative case|vocative]] forms. Vestiges are present in a number of phraseological units and sayings. The major exception are [[vocative case|vocative]] forms, which are still in use for masculine (with the endings -е, -о and -ю) and feminine nouns (-[ь/й]о and -е) in the singular.

=====Definiteness (article)=====
In modern Bulgarian, definiteness is expressed by a [[definite article]] which is postfixed to the noun, much like in the [[Scandinavian languages]] or [[Romanian language|Romanian]] (indefinite: {{lang|bg|човек}}, 'person'; definite: {{lang|bg|човек'''ът'''}}, "''the'' person") or to the first nominal constituent of definite noun phrases (indefinite: {{lang|bg|добър човек}}, 'a good person'; definite: {{lang|bg|добри'''ят''' човек}}, "''the'' good person"). There are four singular definite articles. Again, the choice between them is largely determined by the noun's ending in the singular.<ref>{{lang|bg|Пашов, Петър (1999) Българска граматика. Стр. 73–74.}}</ref> Nouns that end in a consonant and are masculine use –ът/–ят, when they are [[grammatical subject]]s, and –а/–я elsewhere. Nouns that end in a consonant and are feminine, as well as nouns that end in –а/–я (most of which are feminine, too) use –та. Nouns that end in –е/–о use –то.

The plural definite article is –те for all nouns except for those whose plural form ends in –а/–я; these get –та instead. When postfixed to adjectives the definite articles are –ят/–я for masculine gender (again, with the longer form being reserved for grammatical subjects), –та for feminine gender, –то for neuter gender, and –те for plural.

====Adjective and numeral inflection====
Both groups agree in gender and number with the noun they are appended to. They may also take the definite article as explained above.

====Pronouns====
{{Main|Bulgarian pronouns}}
Pronouns may vary in gender, number, and definiteness, and are the only parts of speech that have retained case inflections. Three cases are exhibited by some groups of pronouns – nominative, accusative and dative. The distinguishable types of pronouns include the following: personal, relative, reflexive, interrogative, negative, indefinite, summative and possessive.

===Verbal morphology and grammar===
{{Main|Bulgarian verbs}}
A Bulgarian verb has many distinct forms, as it varies in person, number, voice, aspect, mood, tense and in some cases gender.

====Finite verbal forms====
Finite verbal forms are ''simple'' or ''compound'' and agree with subjects in person (first, second and third) and number (singular, plural). In addition to that, past compound forms using participles vary in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and voice (active and passive) as well as aspect (perfective/aorist and imperfective).

====Aspect====
Bulgarian verbs express [[lexical aspect]]: perfective verbs signify the completion of the action of the verb and form past perfective (aorist) forms; imperfective ones are neutral with regard to it and form past imperfective forms. Most Bulgarian verbs can be grouped in perfective-imperfective pairs (imperfective/perfective: {{lang|bg|идвам/дойда}} "come", {{lang|bg|пристигам/пристигна}} "arrive"). Perfective verbs can be usually formed from imperfective ones by suffixation or prefixation, but the resultant verb often deviates in meaning from the original. In the pair examples above, aspect is stem-specific and therefore there is no difference in meaning.

In Bulgarian, there is also [[grammatical aspect]]. Three grammatical aspects are distinguishable: neutral, perfect and pluperfect. The neutral aspect comprises the three simple tenses and the future tense. The pluperfect is manifest in tenses that use double or triple auxiliary "be" participles like the past pluperfect subjunctive. Perfect constructions use a single auxiliary "be".

====Mood====
The traditional interpretation is that in addition to the four moods (наклонения {{IPA|/nəkloˈnɛnijɐ/}}) shared by most other European languages – [[indicative mood|indicative]] (изявително, {{IPA|/izʲəˈvitɛɫno/}}) [[imperative mood|imperative]] (повелително {{IPA|/poveˈlitelno/}}), [[subjunctive mood|subjunctive]] ({{lang|bg|подчинително}} {{IPA|/pottʃiˈnitɛɫno/}}) and [[conditional mood|conditional]] (условно, {{IPA|/oˈsɫɔvno/}}) – in Bulgarian there is one more to describe a general category of unwitnessed events – the [[inferential mood|inferential]] (преизказно {{IPA|/prɛˈiskɐzno/}}) mood. However, most contemporary Bulgarian linguists usually exclude the subjunctive mood and the inferential mood from the list of Bulgarian moods (thus placing the number of Bulgarian moods at a total of 3: indicative, imperative and conditional)<ref>Зидарова, Ваня (2007). Български език. Теоретичен курс с практикум, pp. 177–180</ref> and do not consider them to be moods but view them as verbial morphosyntactic constructs or separate [[grameme]]s of the verb class. The possible existence of a few other moods has been discussed in the literature. Most Bulgarian school grammars teach the traditional view of 4 Bulgarian moods (as described above, but excluding the subjunctive and including the inferential).

====Tense====
There are three grammatically distinctive positions in time – present, past and future – which combine with aspect and mood to produce a number of formations. Normally, in grammar books these formations are viewed as separate tenses – i. e. "past imperfect" would mean that the verb is in past tense, in the imperfective aspect, and in the indicative mood (since no other mood is shown). There are more than 40 different tenses across Bulgarian's two aspects and five  moods.

In the indicative mood, there are three simple tenses:
*''Present tense'' is a temporally unmarked simple form made up of the verbal stem and a complex suffix composed of the [[thematic vowel]] {{IPA|/ɛ/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} or {{IPA|/a/}} and the person/number ending ({{lang|bg|пристигам}}, {{IPA|/priˈstigɐm/}}, "I arrive/I am arriving"); only imperfective verbs can stand in the present indicative tense independently;
*''Past imperfect'' is a simple verb form used to express an action which is contemporaneous or subordinate to other past actions; it is made up of an imperfective or a perfective verbal stem and the person/number ending ({{lang|bg|пристигах}} {{IPA|/priˈstiɡɐx/}}, {{lang|bg|пристигнех}} {{IPA|/priˈstiɡnɛx/}}, 'I was arriving');
*''Past aorist'' is a simple form used to express a temporarily independent, specific past action; it is made up of a perfective or an imperfective verbal stem and the person/number ending ({{lang|bg|пристигнах}}, {{IPA|/priˈstiɡnɐx/}}, 'I arrived', {{lang|bg|четох}}, {{IPA|/ˈtʃɛtox/}}, 'I read');

In the indicative there are also the following compound tenses:
*''Future tense'' is a compound form made of the particle {{lang|bg|ще}} {{IPA|/ʃtɛ/}} and present tense ({{lang|bg|ще уча}} {{IPA|/ʃtɛ ˈutʃɐ/}}, 'I will study'); negation is expressed by the construction {{lang|bg|няма да}} {{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ dɐ/}} and present tense ({{lang|bg|няма да уча}} {{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ dɐ ˈutʃɐ/}}, or the old-fashioned form {{lang|bg|не ще уча}}, {{IPA|/nɛ ʃtɛ ˈutʃɐ/}} 'I will not study');
*''Past future tense'' is a compound form used to express an action which was to be completed in the past but was future as regards another past action; it is made up of the past imperfect of the verb {{lang|bg|ща}} {{IPA|/ʃtɤ/}} ('will'), the particle {{lang|bg|да}} {{IPA|/dɐ/}} ('to') and the present tense of the verb (e.g. {{lang|bg|щях да уча}}, {{IPA|/ʃtʲax dɐ ˈutʃɐ/}}, 'I was going to study');
*''Present perfect'' is a compound form used to express an action which was completed in the past but is relevant for or related to the present; it is made up of the present tense of the verb съм {{IPA|/sɤm/}} ('be') and the past participle (e.g. {{lang|bg|съм учил}} {{IPA|/sɤm ˈutʃiɫ/}}, 'I have studied');
*''Past perfect'' is a compound form used to express an action which was completed in the past and is relative to another past action; it is made up of the past tense of the verb съм and the past participle (e.g. {{lang|bg|бях учил}} {{IPA|/bʲax ˈutʃiɫ/}}, 'I had studied');
*''Future perfect'' is a compound form used to express an action which is to take place in the future before another future action; it is made up of the future tense of the verb съм and the past participle (e.g. {{lang|bg|ще съм учил}} {{IPA|/ʃtɛ sɐm ˈutʃiɫ/}}, 'I will have studied');
*''Past future perfect'' is a compound form used to express a past action which is future with respect to a past action which itself is prior to another past action; it is made up of the past imperfect of {{lang|bg|ща}}, the particle {{lang|bg|да}} the present tense of the verb съм and the past participle of the verb (e.g. {{lang|bg|щях да съм учил}}, {{IPA|/ʃtʲax dɐ sɐm ˈutʃiɫ/}}, 'I would have studied').

The four perfect constructions above can vary in aspect depending on the aspect of the main-verb participle; they are in fact pairs of imperfective and perfective aspects. Verbs in forms using past participles also vary in voice and gender.

There is only one simple tense in the [[imperative mood]], the present, and there are simple forms only for the second-person singular, -и/-й (-i, -y/i), and plural, -ете/-йте (-ete, -yte), e.g. уча {{IPA|/ˈutʃɐ/}} ('to study'): {{lang|bg|уч'''и'''}} {{IPA|/oˈtʃi/}}, sg., {{lang|bg|уч'''ете'''}} {{IPA|/oˈtʃɛtɛ/}}, pl.; {{lang|bg|играя}} {{IPA|/ˈiɡrajɐ/}} 'to play': {{lang|bg|игра'''й'''}} {{IPA|/iɡˈraj/}}, {{lang|bg|игра'''йте'''}} {{IPA|/iɡˈrajtɛ/}}. There are compound imperative forms for all persons and numbers in the present compound imperative ({{lang|bg|да играе}}, {{IPA|da iɡˈrae/}}), the present perfect compound imperative ({{lang|bg|да е играл}}, {{IPA|/dɐ ɛ iɡˈraɫ/}}) and the rarely used present pluperfect compound imperative ({{lang|bg|да е бил играл}}, {{IPA|/dɐ ɛ bil iɡˈraɫ/}}).

The [[conditional mood]] consists of five compound tenses, most of which are not grammatically distinguishable. The present, future and past conditional use a special past form of the stem би- (bi – "be") and the past participle ({{lang|bg|бих учил}}, {{IPA|/bix ˈutʃiɫ/}}, 'I would study'). The past future conditional and the past future perfect conditional coincide in form with the respective indicative tenses.

The [[subjunctive mood]] is rarely documented as a separate verb form in Bulgarian, (being, morphologically, a sub-instance of the quasi-[[infinitive]] construction with the particle да and a normal finite verb form), but nevertheless it is used regularly. The most common form, often mistaken for the present tense, is the present subjunctive ({{lang|bg|[по-добре] да отида}} {{IPA|(ˈpɔdobrɛ) dɐ oˈtidɐ/}}, 'I had better go'). The difference between the present indicative and the present subjunctive tense is that the subjunctive can be formed by ''both'' perfective and imperfective verbs. It has completely replaced the infinitive and the supine from complex expressions (see below). It is also employed to express opinion about ''possible'' future events. The past perfect subjunctive ({{lang|bg|[по добре] да бях отишъл}} {{IPA|(ˈpɔdobrɛ) dɐ bʲax oˈtiʃɐl/}}, 'I'd had better be gone') refers to ''possible'' events in the past, which ''did not'' take place, and the present pluperfect subjunctive ({{lang|bg|да съм бил отишъл}} {{IPA|/dɐ sɐm bil oˈtiʃɐl/}}), which may be used about both past and future events arousing feelings of incontinence,{{clarify|date=May 2019}}<!-- inability to control one's bodily functions?--> suspicion, etc.

The [[grammatical mood|inferential mood]] has five pure tenses. Two of them are simple – ''past aorist inferential'' and ''past imperfect inferential'' – and are formed by the past participles of perfective and imperfective verbs, respectively. There are also three compound tenses – ''past future inferential'', ''past future perfect inferential'' and ''past perfect inferential''. All these tenses' forms are gender-specific in the singular. There are also conditional and compound-imperative crossovers. The existence of inferential forms has been attributed to Turkic influences by most Bulgarian linguists.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bubenik|first=Vit|date=August 1995|title=Development of Aspect from Ancient Slavic to Bulgaro-Macedonian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DapxAAAAQBAJ|journal=Historical Linguistics 1995|volume=1|page=29|isbn=978-90-272-8398-6|via=Google Books}}</ref> Morphologically, they are derived from the [[#Tense|perfect]].

====Non-finite verbal forms====
Bulgarian has the following [[participle]]s:
*''Present active participle'' (сегашно деятелно причастие) is formed from imperfective stems with the addition of the suffixes –ащ/–ещ/–ящ (чет'''ящ''', 'reading') and is used only attributively;
*''Present passive participle'' (сегашно страдателно причастие) is formed by the addition of the suffixes -им/аем/уем (чет'''им''', 'that can be read, readable');
*''Past active aorist participle'' (минало свършено деятелно причастие) is formed by the addition of the suffix –л– to perfective stems (че'''л''', '[have] read');
*''Past active imperfect participle'' (минало несвършено деятелно причастие) is formed by the addition of the suffixes –ел/–ал/–ял to imperfective stems (чет'''ял''', '[have been] reading');
*''Past passive aorist participle''' (минало свършено страдателно причастие) is formed from aorist/perfective stems with the addition of the suffixes -н/–т (прочете'''н''', 'read'; уби'''т''', 'killed'); it is used predicatively and attributively;
*''Past passive imperfect participle''' (минало несвършено страдателно причастие) is formed from imperfective stems with the addition of the suffix –н (прочита'''н''', '[been] read'; убива'''н''', '[been] being killed'); it is used predicatively and attributively;
*''[[Adverbial participle]]'' (деепричастие) is usually formed from imperfective present stems with the suffix –(е)йки (чете'''йки''', 'while reading'), relates an action contemporaneous with and subordinate to the main verb and is originally a Western Bulgarian form.

The participles are inflected by gender, number, and definiteness, and are coordinated with the subject when forming compound tenses (see tenses above). When used in an attributive role, the inflection attributes are coordinated with the noun that is being attributed.

====Reflexive verbs====
Bulgarian uses [[reflexive verb]]al forms (i.e. actions which are performed by the [[Agent (grammar)|agent]] onto him- or herself) which behave in a similar way as they do in many other Indo-European languages, such as French and Spanish. The reflexive is expressed by the invariable particle '''''se''''',<ref group=note>Unlike in French and Spanish, where {{lang|fr|se}} is only used for the 3rd person, and other particles, such as {{lang|fr|me}} and {{lang|es|te}}, are used for the 1st and 2nd persons singular, e.g. {{lang|fr|je me lave}}/{{lang|es|me lavo}} – I wash myself.</ref> originally a [[clitic]] form of the accusative reflexive pronoun. Thus –
*''miya'' – I wash, ''miya se'' – I wash myself, ''miesh se'' – you wash yourself
*''pitam'' – I ask, ''pitam se'' – I ask myself, ''pitash se'' – you ask yourself
When the action is performed on others, other particles are used, just like in any normal verb, e.g. –
*''miya te'' – I wash you
*''pitash me'' – you ask me
Sometimes, the reflexive verb form has a similar but not necessarily identical meaning to the non-reflexive verb –
*''kazvam'' – I say, ''kazvam se'' – my name is ({{lit|I call myself}})
*''vizhdam'' – I see, ''vizhdame se'' – "we see ourselves" ''or'' "we meet each other"
In other cases, the reflexive verb has a completely different meaning from its non-reflexive counterpart –
*''karam'' – to drive, ''karam se'' – to have a row with someone
*''gotvya'' – to cook, ''gotvya se'' – to get ready
*''smeya'' – to dare, ''smeya se'' – to laugh
;Indirect actions
When the action is performed on an indirect object, the particles change to '''''si''''' and its derivatives –
*''kazvam si'' – I say to myself, ''kazvash si'' – you say to yourself, ''kazvam ti'' – I say to you
*''peya si'' – I am singing to myself, ''pee si'' – she is singing to herself, ''pee mu'' – she is singing to him
*''gotvya si'' – I cook for myself, ''gotvyat si'' – they cook for themselves, ''gotvya im'' – I cook for them
In some cases, the particle ''si'' is ambiguous between the indirect object and the possessive meaning  –
*''miya si ratsete'' – I wash my hands, ''miya ti ratsete'' – I wash your hands
*''pitam si priyatelite'' – I ask my friends, ''pitam ti priyatelite'' – I ask your friends
*''iskam si topkata'' – I want my ball (back)
The difference between transitive and intransitive verbs can lead to significant differences in meaning with minimal change, e.g. –
*''haresvash me'' – you like me, ''haresvash mi'' – I like you (lit. you are pleasing to me)
*''otivam'' – I am going, ''otivam si'' – I am going home
The particle ''si'' is often used to indicate a more personal relationship to the action, e.g. –
*''haresvam go'' – I like him, ''haresvam si go'' – no precise translation, roughly translates as "he's really close to my heart"
*''stanahme priyateli'' – we became friends, ''stanahme si priyateli'' – same meaning, but sounds friendlier
*''mislya'' – I am thinking (usually about something serious), ''mislya si'' – same meaning, but usually about something personal and/or trivial

===Adverbs===

The most [[productivity (linguistics)|productive]] way to form adverbs is to derive them from the neuter singular form of the corresponding adjective—e.g. {{lang|bg|бързо}} (fast), {{lang|bg|силно}} (hard), {{lang|bg|странно}} (strange)—but adjectives ending in {{lang|bg|-ки}} use the masculine singular form (i.e. ending in {{lang|bg|-ки}}), instead—e.g. {{lang|bg|юнашки}} (heroically), {{lang|bg|мъжки}} (bravely, like a man), {{lang|bg|майсторски}} (skillfully). The same pattern is used to form adverbs from the (adjective-like) ordinal numerals, e.g. {{lang|bg|първо}} (firstly), {{lang|bg|второ}} (secondly), {{lang|bg|трето}} (thirdly), and in some cases from (adjective-like) cardinal numerals, e.g. {{lang|bg|двойно}} (twice as/double), {{lang|bg|тройно}} (three times as), {{lang|bg|петорно}} (five times as).

The remaining adverbs are formed in ways that are no longer productive in the language. A small number are original (not derived from other words), for example: {{lang|bg|тук}} (here), {{lang|bg|там}} (there), {{lang|bg|вътре}} (inside), {{lang|bg|вън}} (outside), {{lang|bg|много}} (very/much) etc. The rest are mostly fossilized case forms, such as:
*Archaic locative forms of some adjectives, e.g. {{lang|bg|добре}} (well), {{lang|bg|зле}} (badly), {{lang|bg|твърде}} (too, rather), and nouns {{lang|bg|горе}} (up), {{lang|bg|утре}} (tomorrow), {{lang|bg|лете}} (in the summer), {{lang|bg|зиме}} (in winter)
*Archaic instrumental forms of some adjectives, e.g. {{lang|bg|тихом}} (quietly), {{lang|bg|скришом}} (furtively), {{lang|bg|слепешком}} (blindly), and nouns, e.g. {{lang|bg|денем}} (during the day), {{lang|bg|нощем}} (during the night), {{lang|bg|редом}} (one next to the other), {{lang|bg|духом}} (spiritually), {{lang|bg|цифром}} (in figures), {{lang|bg|словом}} (with words); or verbs: {{lang|bg|тичешком}} (while running), {{lang|bg|лежешком}} (while lying), {{lang|bg|стоешком}} (while standing)
*Archaic accusative forms of some nouns: {{lang|bg|днес}} (today), {{lang|bg|нощес}} (tonight), {{lang|bg|сутрин}} (in the morning), {{lang|bg|зимъс}} (in winter)
*Archaic genitive forms of some nouns: {{lang|bg|довечера}} (tonight), {{lang|bg|снощи}} (last night), {{lang|bg|вчера}} (yesterday)
*Homonymous and etymologically identical to the feminine singular form of the corresponding adjective used with the definite article: {{lang|bg|здравата}} (hard), {{lang|bg|слепешката}} (gropingly); the same pattern has been applied to some verbs, e.g. {{lang|bg|тичешката}} (while running), {{lang|bg|лежешката}} (while lying), {{lang|bg|стоешката}} (while standing)
*Derived from cardinal numerals by means of a non-productive suffix: {{lang|bg|веднъж}} (once), {{lang|bg|дваж}} (twice), {{lang|bg|триж}} (thrice)

Adverbs can sometimes be reduplicated to emphasize the qualitative or quantitative properties of actions, moods or relations as performed by the subject of the sentence: "{{lang|bg|бавно-бавно}}" ("rather slowly"), "{{lang|bg|едва-едва}}" ("with great difficulty"), "{{lang|bg|съвсем-съвсем}}" ("quite", "thoroughly").

===Other features===
{{Original research|section|date=October 2015}}

====Questions====
Questions in Bulgarian which do not use a question word (such as who? what? etc.) are formed with the particle {{lang|bg|ли|italic=no}} after the verb; a subject is not necessary, as the verbal conjugation suggests who is performing the action:
*{{lang|bg|Идваш}} – 'you are coming'; {{lang|bg|Идваш ли?}} – 'are you coming?'

While the particle {{lang|bg|ли}} generally goes after the verb, it can go after a noun or adjective if a contrast is needed:
*{{lang|bg|Идваш ли с нас?}} – 'are you coming with us?';
*{{lang|bg|С нас ли идваш?}} – 'are you coming with ''us''<nowiki>'</nowiki>?
A verb is not always necessary, e.g. when presenting a choice:
*{{lang|bg|Той ли?}} – 'him?'; {{lang|bg|Жълтият ли?}} – 'the yellow one?'<ref group=note>The word {{Wikt-lang|bg|или}} ('either') has a similar etymological root: {{lang|bg|и|italic=no}} + {{lang|bg|ли|italic=no}} ('and') – e.g. ({{lang|bg|или) {{lang|bg|Жълтият или червеният|italic=no}}}} – '(either) the yellow one or the red one.'</ref>

Rhetorical questions can be formed by adding {{lang|bg|ли}} to a question word, thus forming a "double interrogative" –
*{{lang|bg|Кой?}} – 'Who?'; {{lang|bg|Кой ли?!}} – 'I wonder who(?)'
The same construction {{lang|bg|+не|italic=no}} ('no') is an emphasized positive –
*{{lang|bg|Кой беше там?}} – 'Who was there?' – {{lang|bg|Кой ли не!}} – 'Nearly everyone!' (lit. 'I wonder who ''wasn't'' there')

====Significant verbs====

=====Be (''Съм'')=====

The verb {{lang|bg|съм}} {{IPA|/sɤm/}}<ref group=note>{{lang|bg|съм|italic=no}} is pronounced similar to English ''"sum"''.</ref> – 'to be' is also used as an [[auxiliary verb|auxiliary]] for forming the [[perfect (grammar)|perfect]], the [[grammatical voice|passive]] and the [[conditional mood|conditional]]:
*past tense – {{IPA|/oˈdariɫ sɐm/}} – 'I have hit'
*passive – {{IPA|/oˈdarɛn sɐm/}} – 'I am hit'
*past passive – {{IPA|/bʲax oˈdarɛn/}} – 'I was hit'
*conditional – {{IPA|/bix oˈdaril/}} – 'I would hit'

Two alternate forms of {{lang|bg|съм}} exist:
*{{lang|bg|бъда}} {{IPA|/ˈbɤdɐ/}} – interchangeable with съм in most tenses and moods, but never in the [[present indicative]] – e.g. {{IPA|/ˈiskɐm dɐ ˈbɤdɐ/}} ('I want to be'), {{IPA|/ʃtɛ ˈbɤdɐ tuk/}} ('I will be here'); in the imperative, only бъда is used – {{IPA|/bɤˈdi tuk/}} ('be here');
*{{lang|bg|бивам}} {{IPA|/ˈbivɐm/}} – slightly archaic, imperfective form of бъда – e.g. {{IPA|/ˈbivɐʃɛ zaˈplaʃɛn/}} ('he used to get threats'); in contemporary usage, it is mostly used in the negative to mean "ought not", e.g. {{IPA|/nɛ ˈbivɐ dɐ ˈpuʃiʃ/}} ('you shouldn't smoke').<ref group=note>It is a common reply to the question {{lang|bg-latn|Kak e?}} {{IPA|/ˈkak ɛ/}} 'How are things?' ({{lit|how is it?}}) – {{IPA|/ˈbivɐ/}} 'alright' (lit. 'it [repetitively] is') or {{IPA|/ˈkak si/}} 'How are you?' -<nowiki/>{{IPA|/ˈbivɐm/}} 'I'm OK'.</ref>

=====Will (''Ще'')=====

The impersonal verb {{lang|bg|ще}} ({{lit|it wants}})<ref group=note>{{lang|bg|ще|italic=no}} – from the verb {{lang|bg|ща|italic=no}} – 'to want.' The present tense of this verb in the sense of 'to want' is archaic and only used colloquially. Instead, {{lang|bg|искам|italic=no}} {{IPA|/ˈiskɐm/}} is used.</ref> is used to for forming the (positive) future tense:
*{{IPA|/oˈtivɐm/}} – 'I am going'
*{{IPA|/ʃtɛ oˈtivɐm/}} – 'I will be going'
The negative future is formed with the invariable construction {{lang|bg|няма да}} {{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ dɐ/}} (see {{lang|bg|няма}} below):<ref group=note>Formed from the impersonal verb {{lang|bg|няма}}  ({{lit|it does not have}}) and the subjunctive particle {{lang|bg|да}} {{IPA|/dɐ/}} ('that')</ref>
*{{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ dɐ oˈtivɐm/}} – 'I will not be going'
The past tense of this verb – щях {{IPA|/ʃtʲax/}} is conjugated to form the past conditional ('would have' – again, with да, since it is ''[[irrealis]]''):
*{{IPA|/ʃtʲax dɐ oˈtidɐ/}} – 'I would have gone;' {{IPA|/ʃtɛʃɛ da otidɛʃ/}} 'you would have gone'

=====Have/Don't have (''Имам and нямам'')=====

The verbs {{lang|bg|имам}} {{IPA|/ˈimɐm/}} ('to have') and {{lang|bg|нямам}} {{IPA|/ˈɲamɐm/}} ('to not have'):
*the third person singular of these two can be used impersonally to mean 'there is/there are' or 'there isn't/aren't any,'<ref group=note>They can also be used on their own as a reply, with no object following: {{lang|bg|има}} – 'there are some'; {{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ/}} – 'there aren't any' – compare German {{lang|de|keine}}.</ref>  e.g.
**{{IPA|/imɐ ˈvrɛmɛ/}} ('there is still time' – compare Spanish ''hay'');
**{{IPA|/ˈɲamɐ ˈnikoɡo/}} ('there is no one there').
*The impersonal form няма is used in the negative future – (see ще above).
**{{lang|bg|няма}} used on its own can mean simply 'I won't' – a simple refusal to a suggestion or instruction.

====Conjunctions and particles====
=====But=====

In Bulgarian, there are several conjunctions all translating into English as "but", which are all used in distinct situations. They are {{lang|bg|но}} ({{Transliteration|bg|no}}), {{lang|bg|ама}} ({{Transliteration|bg|amà}}), {{lang|bg|а}} ({{Transliteration|bg|a}}), {{lang|bg|ами}} ({{Transliteration|bg|amì}}), and {{lang|bg|ала}} ({{Transliteration|bg|alà}}) (and {{lang|bg|обаче}} ({{Transliteration|bg|obache}}) – "however", identical in use to {{lang|bg|но}}).

While there is some overlapping between their uses, in many cases they are specific. For example, {{Transliteration|bg|ami}} is used for a choice – {{Transliteration|bg|ne tova, ami onova}} – "not this one, but that one" (compare Spanish {{lang|es|sino}}), while {{Transliteration|bg|ama}} is often used to provide extra information or an opinion – {{Transliteration|bg|kazah go, ama sgreshih}} – "I said it, but I was wrong". Meanwhile, {{Transliteration|bg|a}} provides contrast between two situations, and in some sentences can even be translated as "although", "while" or even "and" – {{Transliteration|bg|az rabotya, a toy blee}} – "I'm working, and he's daydreaming".

Very often, different words can be used to alter the emphasis of a sentence – e.g. while {{Transliteration|bg|pusha, no ne tryabva}} and {{Transliteration|bg|pusha, a ne tryabva}} both mean "I smoke, but I shouldn't", the first sounds more like a statement of fact ("...but I mustn't"), while the second feels more like a ''judgement'' ("...but I oughtn't"). Similarly, {{Transliteration|bg|az ne iskam, ama toy iska}} and {{Transliteration|bg|az ne iskam, a toy iska}} both mean "I don't want to, but he does", however the first emphasizes the fact that ''he'' wants to, while the second emphasizes the ''wanting'' rather than the person.

{{Transliteration|bg|Ala}} is interesting in that, while it feels archaic, it is often used in poetry and frequently in children's stories, since it has quite a moral/ominous feel to it.

Some common expressions use these words, and some can be used alone as interjections:
*{{Transliteration|bg|da, ama ne}} ({{lit|yes, but no}}) – means "you're wrong to think so".
*{{Transliteration|bg|ama}} can be tagged onto a sentence to express surprise: {{Transliteration|bg|ama toy spi!}} – "he's sleeping!"
*{{lang|bg|ами!}} – "you don't say!", "really!"

=====Vocative particles=====

Bulgarian has several abstract particles which are used to strengthen a statement. These have no precise translation in English.<ref group=note>Perhaps most similar in use is the tag "man", but the Bulgarian particles are more abstract still.</ref> The particles are strictly informal and can even be considered rude by some people and in some situations. They are mostly used at the end of questions or instructions.
*{{lang|bg|бе}} ({{Transliteration|bg|be}}) – the most common particle. It can be used to strengthen a statement or, sometimes, to indicate derision of an opinion, aided by the tone of voice. (Originally purely masculine, it can now be used towards both men and women.)
**{{Transliteration|bg|kazhi mi, be}} – tell me (insistence); {{Transliteration|bg|taka li, be?}} – is that so? (derisive); {{Transliteration|bg|vyarno li, be?}} – you don't say!.
*{{lang|bg|де}} ({{Transliteration|bg|de)}} – expresses urgency, sometimes pleading.
**{{Transliteration|bg|stavay, de!}} – come on, get up!
*{{lang|bg|ма}} ({{Transliteration|bg|ma}}) (feminine only) – originally simply the feminine counterpart of {{Transliteration|bg|be}}, but today perceived as rude and derisive (compare the similar evolution of the vocative forms of feminine names).
*{{lang|bg|бре}} ({{Transliteration|bg|bre}}, masculine), {{lang|bg|мари}} ({{Transliteration|bg|mari}}, feminine) – similar to {{Transliteration|bg|be}} and {{Transliteration|bg|ma}}, but archaic. Although informal, can sometimes be heard being used by older people.

=====Modal particles=====

These are "tagged" on to the beginning or end of a sentence to express the mood of the speaker in relation to the situation. They are mostly [[interrogative]] or slightly [[imperative mood|imperative]] in nature. There is no change in the grammatical mood when these are used (although they may be expressed through different grammatical moods in other languages).
*{{lang|bg|нали}} ({{Transliteration|bg|nalì}}) – is a universal affirmative tag, like "isn't it"/"won't you", etc. (it is invariable, like the French {{lang|fr|n'est-ce pas}}). It can be placed almost anywhere in the sentence, and does not always require a verb:
**{{Transliteration|bg|shte doydesh, nali?}} – you are coming, aren't you?; {{Transliteration|bg|nali iskaha?}} – didn't they want to?; {{Transliteration|bg|nali onzi?}} – that one, right?;
**it can express quite complex thoughts through simple constructions – {{Transliteration|bg|nali nyamashe?}} – "I thought you weren't going to!" or "I thought there weren't any!" (depending on context – the verb {{Transliteration|bg|nyama}} presents general negation/lacking, see "nyama", above).
*{{lang|bg|дали}} ({{Transliteration|bg|dalì}}) – expresses uncertainty (if in the middle of a clause, can be translated as "whether") – e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|dali shte doyde?}} – "do you think he will come?"
*{{lang|bg|нима}} ({{Transliteration|bg|nimà}}) – presents disbelief ~"don't tell me that{{nbsp}}..." – e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|nima iskash?!}} – "don't tell me you want to!". It can be used on its own as an [[interjection]] – {{Transliteration|bg|nima!}}
*{{lang|bg|дано}} ({{Transliteration|bg|danò}}) – expresses wish – {{Transliteration|bg|shte doyde}} – "he will come"; {{Transliteration|bg|dano doyde}} – "may he come". Grammatically, {{Transliteration|bg|dano}} is entirely separate from the verb {{lang|bg|желая}} ({{Transliteration|bg|zhelàya}}) – "to wish".
*{{lang|bg|нека}} ({{Transliteration|bg|nèka}}) – means "let('s)" – e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|neka doyde}} – "let him come"; when used in the first person, it expresses extreme politeness: {{Transliteration|bg|neka da otidem...}} – "let us go" (in colloquial situations, {{Transliteration|bg|hayde}}, below, is used instead).
**{{lang|bg|neka}}, as an interjection, can also be used to express judgement or even [[schadenfreude]] – {{Transliteration|bg|neka mu!}} – "he deserves it!".

=====Intentional particles=====

These express intent or desire, perhaps even pleading. They can be seen as a sort of [[cohortative mood|cohortative]] side to the language. (Since they can be used by themselves, they could even be considered as verbs in their own right.) They are also highly informal.
*{{lang|bg|хайде}} ({{Transliteration|bg|hàide}}) – "come on", "let's"
**e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|hayde, po-barzo}} – "faster!"
*{{lang|bg|я}} ({{Transliteration|bg|ya}}) – "let me" – exclusively when asking someone else for something. It can even be used on its own as a request or instruction (depending on the tone used), indicating that the speaker wants to partake in or try whatever the listener is doing.
**{{Transliteration|bg|ya da vidya}} – let me see; {{Transliteration|bg|ya?}} or {{Transliteration|bg|ya!}} – "let me.../give me..."
*{{lang|bg|недей}} ({{Transliteration|bg|nedèi}}) (plural {{Transliteration|bg|nedèyte}}) – can be used to issue a negative instruction – e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|nedey da idvash}} – "don't come" ({{Transliteration|bg|nedey}} + subjunctive). In some dialects, the construction {{Transliteration|bg|nedey idva}} ({{Transliteration|bg|nedey}} + [[preterite]]) is used instead. As an interjection – {{Transliteration|bg|nedei!}} – "don't!" (See section on [[Bulgarian grammar#Mood|imperative mood]]).

These particles can be combined with the vocative particles for greater effect, e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|ya da vidya, be}} (let me see), or even exclusively in combinations with them, with no other elements, e.g. {{Transliteration|bg|hayde, de!}} (come on!); {{Transliteration|bg|nedey, de!}} (I told you not to!).

====Pronouns of quality====
Bulgarian has several pronouns of quality which have no direct parallels in English – {{lang|bg-latn|kakav}} (what sort of); {{lang|bg-latn|takuv}} (this sort of); {{lang|bg-latn|onakuv}} (that sort of – colloq.); {{lang|bg-latn|nyakakav}} (some sort of); {{lang|bg-latn|nikakav}} (no sort of); {{lang|bg-latn|vsyakakav}} (every sort of); and the relative pronoun {{lang|bg-latn|kakavto}} (the sort of ... that ... ). The adjective {{lang|bg-latn|ednakuv}} ("the same") derives from the same radical.<ref group=note>Like the [[demonstrative pronoun|demonstratives]], these take the same form as pronouns as they do as adjectives – ie. {{lang|bg-latn|takuv}} means both "this kind of{{nbsp}}..." (adj.) and ''this kind of person/thing'' (pron., depending on the context).</ref>

Example phrases include:
*{{lang|bg-latn|kakav chovek?!}} – "what person?!"; {{lang|bg-latn|kakav chovek e toy?}} – what sort of person is he?
*{{lang|bg-latn|ne poznavam takuv}} – "I don't know any (people like that)" (lit. "I don't know this sort of (person)")
*{{lang|bg-latn|nyakakvi hora}} – lit. "some type of people", but the understood meaning is "a bunch of people I don't know"
*{{lang|bg-latn|vsyakakvi hora}} – "all sorts of people"
*{{lang|bg-latn|kakav iskash?}} – "which type do you want?"; {{lang|bg-latn|nikakav!}} – "I don't want any!"/"none!"

An interesting phenomenon is that these can be strung along one after another in quite long constructions, e.g.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!word
!literal meaning
!sentence
!meaning of sentence as a whole
|-
|–
|–
|{{lang|bg-latn|edna kola}}
|a car
|-
|{{lang|bg-latn|takava}}
|this sort of
|{{lang|bg-latn|edna '''takava''' kola ... }}
|this car '''(that I'm trying to describe)'''
|-
|{{lang|bg-latn|nikakva}}
|no sort of
|{{lang|bg-latn|edna takava '''nikakva''' kola}}
|this '''worthless''' car (that I'm trying to describe)
|-
|{{lang|bg-latn|nyakakva}}
|some sort of
|{{lang|bg-latn|edna takava '''nyakakva''' nikakva kola}}
|this '''sort of''' worthless car (that I'm trying to describe)
|}
An extreme, albeit colloquial, example with almost no intrinsic lexical meaning – yet which is meaningful to the Bulgarian ear – would be :
*"{{lang|bg-latn|kakva e taya takava edna nyakakva nikakva?!}}"
*inferred translation – "what kind of no-good person is she?"
*literal translation: "what kind of – is – this one here (she) – this sort of – one – some sort of – no sort of"
The subject of the sentence is simply the pronoun "{{lang|bg-latn|taya}}" (lit. "this one here"; colloq. "she").

Another interesting phenomenon that is observed in colloquial speech is the use of {{lang|bg-latn|takova}} (neuter of {{lang|bg-latn|takyv}}) not only as a substitute for an adjective, but also as a substitute for a verb. In that case the base form {{lang|bg-latn|takova}} is used as the third person singular in the present indicative and all other forms are formed by analogy to other verbs in the language. Sometimes the "verb" may even acquire a derivational prefix that changes its meaning. Examples:
* {{lang|bg-latn|takovah ti shapkata}} – I did something to your hat (perhaps: I took your hat)
* {{lang|bg-latn|takovah si ochilata}} – I did something to my glasses (perhaps: I lost my glasses)
* {{lang|bg-latn|takovah se}} – I did something to myself (perhaps: I hurt myself)
Another use of {{lang|bg-latn|takova}} in colloquial speech is the word {{lang|bg-latn|takovata}}, which can be used as a substitution for a noun, but also, if the speaker does not remember or is not sure how to say something, they might say {{lang|bg-latn|takovata}} and then pause to think about it:
* {{lang|bg-latn|i posle toy takovata...}} – and then he [no translation] ... 
* {{lang|bg-latn|izyadoh ti takovata}} – I ate something of yours (perhaps: I ate your dessert). Here the word {{lang|bg-latn|takovata}} is used as a substitution for a noun.
As a result of this versatility, the word {{lang|bg-latn|takova}} can readily be used as a euphemism for taboo subjects. It is commonly used to substitute, for example, words relating to reproductive organs or sexual acts:

* {{lang|bg-latn|toy si takova takovata v takovata i}} - he [verb] his [noun] in her [noun]

Similar "meaningless" expressions are extremely common in spoken Bulgarian, especially when the speaker is finding it difficult to describe or express something.

====Miscellaneous====
*The commonly cited phenomenon of Bulgarian people shaking their head for "yes" and nodding for "no" is true, but the shaking and nodding are ''not'' identical to the Western gestures. The "nod" for ''no'' is actually an ''upward'' movement of the head rather than a downward one, while the shaking of the head for ''yes'' is not completely horizontal, but also has a slight "wavy" aspect to it. This makes the Bulgarian gestures for yes and no compatible with the Western ones, and allows one to use either system unambiguously.
**A [[dental click]] {{IPA|[ǀ]}} (similar to the English "tsk") also means "no" (informal), as does ''ъ-ъ'' {{IPA|[ʔəʔə]}} (the only occurrence in Bulgarian of the [[glottal stop]]). The two are often said with the upward 'nod'.
**The head-shaking gesture used to signify "no" in Western Europe may also be used interrogatively, with the meaning of "what is it?" or "what's wrong?".
*Bulgarian has an extensive vocabulary covering [[Kinship terminology|family relationships]]. The biggest range of words is for uncles and aunts, e.g. ''chicho'' (your father's brother), ''vuicho'' (your mother's brother), svako (your aunt's husband); an even larger number of synonyms for these three exists in the various dialects of Bulgarian, including ''kaleko, lelincho, tetin'', etc. The words do not only refer to the closest members of the family (such as ''brat'' – brother, but ''batko''/''bate'' – older brother, ''sestra'' – sister, but ''kaka'' – older sister), but extend to its furthest reaches, e.g. ''badzhanak'' from [[Turkish language|Turkish]] ''bacanak'' (the relationship of the husbands of two sisters to each other) and ''etarva'' (the relationships of two brothers' wives to each other). For all in-laws, there are specific names, e.g. a woman's husband's brother is her ''dever'' and her husband's sister is her ''zalva''. In the traditional rural extended family before 1900, there existed separate subcategories for different brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law of a woman with regard to their age relative to hers, e.g. instead of simply a ''dever'' there could be a ''braino'' (older), a ''draginko'' (younger), or an ''ubavenkyo'' (who is still a child).
*As with many Slavic languages, the [[double negative]] in Bulgarian is grammatically correct, while some forms of it, when used instead of a single negative form, are grammatically incorrect. The following are literal translations of grammatically correct Bulgarian sentences that utilize a double or multiple negation: "Никой никъде никога нищо не е направил." (multiple negation without the use of a compound double negative form, i.e. using a listing of several successive single negation words) – "Nobody never nowhere nothing did not do." (translated as "nobody has ever done anything, anywhere"); "Никога не съм бил там." (double negation without the use of a compound double negative form, i.e. using a listing of several successive single negation words) – I never did not go there ("[I] have never been there"); Никога никакви чувства не съм имал! – I never no feelings had not have!  (I have never had any feelings!). The same applies for Macedonian.