Language/Bulgarian/Grammar/Cases

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Bulgarian Grammar → Nouns and Adjectives → Cases

Cases are a fundamental feature of the Bulgarian language. They help you indicate the grammatical role of a noun or pronoun in a sentence, such as the subject or object. In this lesson, we will explore the three main cases in Bulgarian: nominative, accusative, and genitive.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: CARDINAL NUMERALS – Бройни числителни & Nouns.

Nominative Case

The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence or the predicate nominative. Here are some examples:

Bulgarian	Pronunciation	English
Майката пие вода.	Maykata pie voda.	The mother drinks water.
Детето е щастливо.	Deteto e shtastlivo.	The child is happy.

As you can see, both the subjects in the above sentences are in the nominative case.

Accusative Case

The accusative case is used for the direct object of the sentence. The direct object is the person or thing that is directly affected by the action of the verb. Here are some examples:

Bulgarian	Pronunciation	English
Аз ям ябълка.	Az yam yabulka.	I eat an apple.
Искам да купя кола.	Iskam da kupya kola.	I want to buy a car.

In these examples, "ябълка" (apple) and "кола" (car) are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of the verbs "ям" (eat) and "искам" (want).

Genitive Case

The genitive case is used to indicate possession, origin, or material. Here are some examples:

Bulgarian	Pronunciation	English
Книгата на Петър.	Knigata na Petar.	Peter's book.
Чашата от стъкло.	Chashata ot staklo.	The glass cup.

In Bulgarian, the genitive case adds an "a" (for masculine nouns) or an "я" (for feminine nouns) to the end of the word. In the first example, "Петър" (Peter) is in the genitive case because the sentence expresses the possessive relationship between Peter and the book. In the second example, "стъкло" (glass) is in the genitive case because it indicates the material from which the cup is made.

Adjectives in the Cases

Adjectives in Bulgarian must agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. Here is an example:

Bulgarian	Pronunciation	English
Червената къща.	Chervenata kashta.	The red house.

In this example, "червената" (red) agrees with "къща" (house) in gender (feminine) and case (nominative).

Learning the cases in Bulgarian is essential for mastering the language. Practice using them in your everyday conversations and writing, and you will soon become proficient.

Sources

• Bulgarian grammar - Wikipedia
• What happened to Bulgarian's grammatical cases? | The Language ...
• How Many Grammatical Cases Are There in Bulgarian ...
• Why did the Bulgarian language lose its noun case system? - Quora

Table of Contents - Bulgarian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and sounds

• Cyrillic alphabet
• Vowels
• Consonants

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introducing yourself
• Numbers 0-100

  ---

Bulgarian Traditions

• Bulgarian Folklore
• Cuisine
• Holidays and Customs

  ---

Nouns and Adjectives

• Gender
• Cases
• Adjectives

  ---

At the Restaurant

• Ordering Food
• Making Special Requests
• Paying the Bill

  ---

Bulgarian Cinema and Literature

• Bulgarian Cinema
• Bulgarian Literature
• Literary Translation

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Perfective and Imperfective Verbs
• Past Tense

  ---

Traveling

• Transportation
• Booking a Hotel
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Bulgarian Music

• Bulgarian Pop Music
• Traditional Bulgarian Music
• Music Festivals

  ---

Future Tense and Modals

• Future Tense
• Modal Verbs
• Conditional Sentences

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Celebrations and Festivities

• Birthday Parties
• Weddings and Marriage Customs
• Religious Holidays

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Bulgarian Theatre and Performance Arts

• Bulgarian Theatre
• Puppet Theatre
• Dance

Other Lessons

• DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS – Показателни местоимения
• 0 to A1 Course
• PERSONAL PRONOUNS – Лични местоимения
• GENERALIZING PRONOUNS – Обобщителни местоимения
• DEFINITE ARTICLE OF NOUNS – Членуване на съществителните
• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• Nouns
• Past Tense
• Pronouns

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