Language/Bulgarian/Grammar/Adjectives
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Hi Bulgarian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on adjectives in Bulgarian grammar. Adjectives are important for describing the attributes of the nouns they modify.
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS ..., GENERALIZING PRONOUNS ..., DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS – Показателни местоимения & Present Tense.
What are adjectives in Bulgarian?[edit | edit source]
Adjectives in Bulgarian are words that modify or describe nouns by giving additional information such as size, shape, color, and other qualities. Adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.
In Bulgarian, adjectives can be divided into two categories: qualitative and relative adjectives. Qualitative adjectives describe the characteristics of the noun they modify, while relative adjectives express a relationship between two nouns.
Placement of adjectives[edit | edit source]
In Bulgarian, adjectives usually come before the noun they modify. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
голям дом | golyam dom | big house |
червено ябълко | cherveno yabalko | red apple |
студентски живот | studentski zhivot | student life |
However, if the adjective specifies a unique characteristic of the noun, it can come after the noun. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
костюм черен | kostyum cheren | black suit (unique characteristic) |
къща стара | kashta stara | old house (not unique characteristic) |
Declension of adjectives[edit | edit source]
Adjectives in Bulgarian change their form depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun they modify.
Gender[edit | edit source]
In Bulgarian, adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify. There are three genders in Bulgarian: masculine, feminine, and neuter. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
черен котарак | cheren kotarak | black male cat |
черна котка | cherna kotka | black female cat |
черно куче | cherno kuche | black dog (neuter) |
Number[edit | edit source]
In Bulgarian, adjectives agree in number with the noun they modify. There are two numbers in Bulgarian: singular and plural. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
голям дом | golyam dom | big house |
големи къщи | golemi kashti | big houses |
Case[edit | edit source]
In Bulgarian, adjectives also agree in case with the noun they modify. There are four cases in Bulgarian: nominative, genitive, dative, and accusative. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
Красив мъж | krasiv mazh | handsome man |
Красива жена | krasiva zhena | beautiful woman |
Дадох на красивите цветя вода | dadoh na krasivite cvetya voda | I gave water to the beautiful flowers |
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives[edit | edit source]
In Bulgarian, to form the comparative form of an adjective, you add - по- in front of the adjective. To form the superlative form of an adjective, you add - най- in front of the adjective. For example:
Bulgarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
голям | golyam | big |
по-голям | po-golyam | bigger (comparative) |
най-голям | nay-golyam | biggest (superlative) |
Examples Dialogue[edit | edit source]
- Person 1: Днес е много горещо. (Today is very hot.)
- Person 2: Да, много е горещо. (Yes, it's very hot.)
- Person 1: Искам да купя голяма книга. (I want to buy a big book.)
- Person 2: За какво е книгата? (What is the book about?)
- Person 1: Тя е за историята на Polyglot Club. (It is about the history of Polyglot Club.)
Quiz[edit | edit source]
- How do you say "green grass" in Bulgarian?
- What are the two categories of adjectives in Bulgarian?
- In which position do adjectives usually appear in Bulgarian sentences?
- How do you form the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in Bulgarian?
- What are the three genders in Bulgarian?
- How do adjectives agree in number in Bulgarian?
- How do adjectives agree in case in Bulgarian?
- How do you say "old house" in Bulgarian?
- How do you say "beautiful flowers" in Bulgarian?
- How do you say "the tallest building" in Bulgarian?
Answers:[edit | edit source]
- зелена трева (zelena treva)
- Qualitative adjectives and relative adjectives
- Adjectives usually come before the noun they modify
- Add - по- for comparative and - най- for superlative
- Masculine, feminine, and neuter
- Adjectives agree in number by changing their form for singular and plural nouns
- Adjectives agree in case by changing their form for nominative, genitive, dative, and accusative cases
- стара къща (stara kashta)
- красиви цветя (krasivi cvetya)
- най-високата сграда (nay-visokata sgrada)
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- DEFINITE ARTICLE OF ADJECTIVES – Членуване на прилагателните
- GENDER OF NOUNS – Род на съществителните
- How to Use Have
- DEGREES OF COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES – Степенуване на прилагателните
- Pronouns
- Adverbs – Наречия
- Conditional Mood
- Questions
- GENDER AND NUMBER OF ADJECTIVES – Род и число на прилагателните
- How to Use Be
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Bulgarian grammar - Wikipedia
- Using Bulgarian Adjectives - BulgarianPod101
- Learn Bulgarian - Grammar and Vocabulary | Grammar and ...
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