A1 · Unit 0
Special Bulgarian letters
You'll read words with Ж, Ц, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ъ, Ь, Ю and Я.
New words
жабаzhabafrog
цветеtsveteflower
Irregular plural: "цветя"
.
glass
шапкаshapkahat
stork
Storks coming back is a favourite Bulgarian sign of spring.
слънцеslantsesun
Read every letter — the "л" too.
driver
Before "о", "ь" marks the preceding consonant as soft: "шофьор"
. It has no sound of its own.
iron
ягодаyagodastrawberry
It means strawberry — not just any berry.
мъжmazhman
"Мъж ми" = my husband.
Grammar
"Щ" represents sh + t: "щъркел"
. "Ъ"
is a vowel, roughly like u in "but": "слънце"
. "Ь" appears only before "о"
: "шофьор"
. At the start of a word, "ю" and "я"
represent y + u and y + a: "ютия"
, "ягода"
. After a consonant they usually mark softness plus a vowel.
Щъркелите се върнаха!
The storks are back!
Днес няма слънце.
There's no sun today.
Examples
Виждаш ли жабата?
Do you see the frog?
Това цвете е за теб.
This flower is for you.
Една чаша вода, моля.
A glass of water, please.
Къде ми е шапката?
Where's my hat?
Шофьорът чака отвън.
The driver is waiting outside.
Ягодите са сладки.
The strawberries are sweet.
Този мъж е лекар.
This man is a doctor.