Let’s ground your studies in reality a bit. After this lesson I’d like you to be able to read this sign.
Sure, get immediately what it means. But you might not be able to really understand the Bulgarian on the red arrow. That’s about to change.
Also we’ll complete the conjugation of съм including the missing personal pronouns.
Иван: Здрасти!
Тамара: Здрасти! Кой сте вие?
Иван: Аз съм Иван Иванов. И ти?
Тамара: Тамара Геориева съм.
...
Иван: Чао, Тамара!
Тамара: Чао!
Мария: Джон ли е?
Тамара: Не, той е Иван.
Тук е Мария и там е Иван.
Тамара и Мариа са тук.
Коя е тя?
Тя е Андреа.
Там е Димитър. То е бебе.
Ivan: Hi!
Tamara: Hi! Who are you?
Ivan: I'm Ivan Ivanov. And you?
Tamara: I'm Tamara Georgieva.
...
Ivan: Bye, Tamara!
Tamara: Ciao!
Maria: Is it John?
Tamara: No, he's Ivan.
Here is Maria and there is Ivan.
Tamara and Maria are here.
Who is she?
She is Andrea.
Dimitar is over there. It's a baby.
Vocabulary
бѐбе n #636/2
"baby"
вѝе prn #76/29
"you" (plural or formal)
и con #5/2
"and"
кой prn #69/27
кой (m.), коя (f.), кое (n.), кои (pl.)
"who, which"
ли prt #10/4
question particle in direct questions
нѝе prn #78/31
"we"
там adv #68/15
"there"
те prn #21/9
"they"
то prn #185/46
"it"
тук adv #27/2
"here"
ча̀о i #259/10
"bye!, ciao!"
Personal Pronouns
-----------------
то, ние, вие, те ("it", "we", "you" (pl. or formal), "they")
Adverbs
-------
тук, там ("here", "there")
Grammar
Completing the conjugation of съм
With the missing personal pronouns the conjugation of съм can now be completed:
Single person
-------------
аз съм ("I am")
ти си ("you are", informal)
той, тя, то е ("he, she, it is")
вие сте ("you are", formal)
Several persons
---------------
ние сме ("we are")
вие сте ("you are")
те са ("they are")
Since the verb is irregular you have to remember each form individually. I’m sorry. But this is the most common verb; you’ll encounter it so often, that memorizing the forms should be no problem.
Asking questions
You can ask a question with a statement plus raising your voice, e.g. Иван си? (“You are Ivan?”).
But it’s more explicit if you add the question particle ли after the word you your question is revolving around, e.g. Ти ли си Иван? (“Are you Ivan?”). The ли in this case emphasises if this person (ти) is Ivan.
Or you can ask as question with a question word, in which case no ли is added, e.g. Кой е Иван? (“Who is Ivan?”).
Note, that the question has different forms for different genders and the pural: кой (m.), коя (f.), кое (n.), кои (pl.). If asking who the woman Maria is, then you’d say Коя е Мариа? (But I think it would also be permissible to use кой in this case.)
Кой is also used with the meaning of “which”. We’ll come to that in a later lesson.
Exercises
Bulgarian→English
1. Кой е Иван?
2. Аз съм.
3. Кои са Тамара и Мария?
4. Ние сме.
5. Джон е тук.
6. Андреа е тук.
7. Те са тук.
8. Здравей! Вие ли сте Иван Иванов?
9. Не, Джон Милър съм.
10. Коя е тя?
11. Тя е Тамара.
12. Чао, Иван!
English→Bulgarian
1. It is a baby.
2. Hello, Tamara!
3. Who are Maria and Ivan?
4. She is not Andrea.
5. Dimitar is not here.
6. We are John and Maria.
7. They are here.
8. We are there.
9. Ciao, Peter!