Bulgarian Phrases: Thank You, Please, Yes, No and More
| English | Bulgarian | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Благодаря | blagodarya |
| Please | Моля | molya |
| Yes / No | Да / Не | da / ne |
| Excuse me | Извинете | izvinete |
| Cheers! | Наздраве! | nazdrave |
Bulgarian phrases every visitor needs are благодаря (blagodarya, thank you), моля (molya, please), да (da, yes), не (ne, no), извинете (izvinete, excuse me) and довиждане (dovizhdane, goodbye). Raise a glass with наздраве (nazdrave). Watch the head: a nod can mean no.
The essential Bulgarian phrases
Bulgarian phrases for everyday politeness are short and easy to learn. With a dozen words, including благодаря (blagodarya) (thank you), моля (molya) (please) and извинете (izvinete) (excuse me), you can handle shops, cafés, taxis and hotels. Bulgarians notice and appreciate the effort, even if you switch to English straight after.
Each table below has a play button that reads the phrase in your browser’s Bulgarian voice. The “Say it” column uses Bulgaria’s official Latin spelling, so it matches what you see on signs and menus.
| Bulgarian | Say it | Meaning | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Да | Da | Yes | |
| Не | Ne | No | |
| Моля | Molya | Please / You’re welcome | |
| Благодаря | Blagodarya | Thank you | |
| Мерси | Mersi | Thanks (casual) | |
| Извинете | Izvinete | Excuse me / Sorry (polite) | |
| Извинявай | Izvinyavay | Sorry (informal) | |
| Съжалявам | Sazhalyavam | I’m sorry | |
| Довиждане | Dovizhdane | Goodbye | |
| Чао | Chao | Bye (casual) |
Благодаря is stressed on the last syllable: bla-go-da-RYA. Моля is stressed on the first: MO-lya. Моля does double duty: it means “please” when you ask, and “you’re welcome” when someone thanks you. It also works as “pardon?” if you did not catch something.
Yes, no and the famous head gesture
Да means yes and не means no, just as in many Slavic languages. The surprise is the body language. Traditionally, Bulgarians shake their head side to side for “yes” and nod up and down for “no,” the reverse of the common Western pattern. A 2012 study in Cognitive Processing by Elena Andonova and Holly Taylor describes exactly this reversal (abstract on PubMed).
In practice, many younger Bulgarians and people working with tourists use the Western gestures, or mix both. The safe approach is to listen for the word and to say your own да or не out loud.
The Bulgarian “no” nod is often a single upward tilt of the head, sometimes with a click of the tongue. The “yes” is a gentle sideways wobble rather than a firm shake.
Bulgarian phrases for meeting people
| Bulgarian | Say it | Meaning | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Здравейте | Zdraveyte | Hello (polite) | |
| Как се казвате? | Kak se kazvate? | What is your name? (polite) | |
| Казвам се Мария | Kazvam se Maria | My name is Maria | |
| Приятно ми е | Priyatno mi e | Nice to meet you | |
| Откъде сте? | Otkade ste? | Where are you from? (polite) | |
| Аз съм от Англия | Az sam ot Anglia | I am from England | |
| Добре дошли | Dobre doshli | Welcome |
Bulgarian distinguishes informal “you” (ти) from polite or plural “you” (вие). The phrases above use the polite forms, ending in -те, which are right for anyone you have just met. For the full range of greetings see hello in Bulgarian and good morning in Bulgarian.
When you do not understand
| Bulgarian | Say it | Meaning | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Не разбирам | Ne razbiram | I don’t understand | |
| Не знам | Ne znam | I don’t know | |
| Говорите ли английски? | Govorite li angliyski? | Do you speak English? | |
| Говорете по-бавно, моля | Govorete po-bavno, molya | Please speak more slowly | |
| Може ли да повторите? | Mozhe li da povtorite? | Could you repeat that? | |
| Как се казва … на български? | Kak se kazva … na balgarski? | How do you say … in Bulgarian? |
The hyphen in по-бавно (“more slowly”) is a real feature of Bulgarian spelling. Comparatives are formed with the prefix по-, always followed by a hyphen: по-голям, “bigger.”
Eating, drinking and shopping
| Bulgarian | Say it | Meaning | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Наздраве! | Nazdrave! | Cheers! / Bless you! | |
| Добър апетит! | Dobar apetit! | Enjoy your meal! | |
| Една бира, моля | Edna bira, molya | One beer, please | |
| Вода, моля | Voda, molya | Water, please | |
| Сметката, моля | Smetkata, molya | The bill, please | |
| Колко струва? | Kolko struva? | How much is it? | |
| Къде е тоалетната? | Kade e toaletnata? | Where is the toilet? |
Наздраве comes from на здраве, “to health.” You say it when clinking glasses, and also when someone sneezes. When toasting, Bulgarians look each other in the eye.
Ordering uses the gender rule for “one”: една бира (feminine), but един чай (“one tea,” masculine) and едно кафе (“one coffee,” neuter). Our page on Bulgarian numbers explains how this works up to any amount.
Other handy expressions
- Няма проблем (Nyama problem): no problem.
- Добре (Dobre): OK, fine, good.
- Може би (Mozhe bi): maybe.
- Хайде (Hayde): come on / let’s go.
- Честито! (Chestito!): congratulations.
- Честит рожден ден! (Chestit rozhden den!): happy birthday.
- Помощ! (Pomosht!): help!
Хайде is one of the most useful words in the language. It urges, invites and closes conversations: Хайде, чао! is a typical way to end a phone call with a friend.
Reading Bulgarian phrases on signs
Many signs in Bulgaria are in Cyrillic only, so a few phrases help with reading too. Look for Вход (vhod, entrance), Изход (izhod, exit), Отворено (otvoreno, open) and Затворено (zatvoreno, closed). On door handles, Бутни (butni) means push and Дръпни (drapni) means pull.
The letters to watch are the false friends. Bulgarian В is “v,” Н is “n,” Р is “r,” С is “s” and Х is a throaty “h.” Our guide to Bulgarian letters covers all of them. Latin spellings in this article follow Bulgaria’s Streamlined System, set out in its 2009 Transliteration Act. For more on how the sounds work, see Bulgarian pronunciation.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the head instead of the word. A nod may mean “no.” Listen for да and не.
- Using Russian спасибо. Bulgarians say благодаря or мерси.
- Saying пожалуйста. That is Russian too. Bulgarian uses моля.
- Mixing up извинете and извинявай. Извинете is polite or plural; извинявай is for friends.
- Stressing благодаря on the first syllable. The stress is at the end: bla-go-da-RYA.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say thank you in Bulgarian?
Благодаря (blagodarya), stressed on the last syllable. Мерси (mersi) is a common casual alternative.
Do Bulgarians really shake their heads for yes?
Traditionally, yes: a side-to-side movement means yes and a nod means no. Many people, especially with foreigners, now use the Western gestures, so listen for да and не.
What does наздраве mean?
Наздраве (nazdrave) means “to health.” It is used as “cheers” when drinking and as “bless you” after a sneeze.
What are the most useful Bulgarian phrases for travelers?
Здравейте (hello), благодаря (thank you), моля (please), извинете (excuse me), колко струва? (how much?) and сметката, моля (the bill, please).
How do you say you’re welcome in Bulgarian?
Моля (molya). The same word means please and pardon.
Sources
- Andonova and Taylor, Nodding in dis/agreement: a tale of two cultures (Cognitive Processing, 2012)
- Romanization System in Bulgaria (UN conference paper, Republic of Bulgaria)
- Bulgarian language (Britannica)