Personal Pronouns (Аз, Ти, Той/Тя/То)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Personal pronouns replace nouns to identify the subject of a sentence; remember that Bulgarian often drops them when the verb form is clear.
- Use 'Аз' for first person singular: 'Аз съм тук' (I am here).
- Use 'Ти' for informal second person singular: 'Ти си ученик' (You are a student).
- Use 'Той/Тя/То' for third person singular (He/She/It): 'Той чете' (He reads).
Personal Pronouns Overview
| Person | Bulgarian | English |
|---|---|---|
|
1st Sing.
|
Аз
|
I
|
|
2nd Sing.
|
Ти
|
You (informal)
|
|
3rd Sing. (M)
|
Той
|
He
|
|
3rd Sing. (F)
|
Тя
|
She
|
|
3rd Sing. (N)
|
То
|
It
|
Meanings
Personal pronouns function as the subject of a sentence, indicating the person or thing performing the action.
Subjective Pronouns
Used to identify the person or entity performing the verb's action.
“Аз работя.”
“Ти спиш.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Аз уча.
|
|
Negative
|
Pronoun + не + Verb
|
Аз не уча.
|
|
Question
|
Pronoun + Verb + ли?
|
Аз ли уча?
|
|
Omitted
|
Verb only
|
Уча.
|
|
Contrast
|
Pronoun + Verb, Pronoun + Verb
|
Аз уча, ти спиш.
|
|
Formal
|
Вие + Verb
|
Вие сте тук.
|
Spectre de formalité
Аз се прибирам у дома. (Daily life)
Прибирам се вкъщи. (Daily life)
Прибирам се. (Daily life)
Бегам към нас. (Daily life)
Pronoun Gender Map
Masculine
- Той He
Feminine
- Тя She
Neuter
- То It
Exemples par niveau
Аз съм студент.
I am a student.
Ти си тук.
You are here.
Той чете книга.
He is reading a book.
Тя учи български.
She is studying Bulgarian.
Аз не разбирам.
I don't understand.
Той ли е тук?
Is he here?
Тя работи в София.
She works in Sofia.
То е много хубаво.
It is very nice.
Аз мисля, че ти си прав.
I think that you are right.
Той не иска да дойде с нас.
He doesn't want to come with us.
Тя каза, че тя ще дойде.
She said that she will come.
Ние сме тук, а вие къде сте?
We are here, but where are you?
Аз самият не знам отговора.
I myself don't know the answer.
Той, който винаги закъснява, дойде навреме.
He, who is always late, arrived on time.
Тя не само учи, но и работи.
She not only studies but also works.
Това е решението, което той предложи.
This is the solution that he proposed.
Аз бих казал, че това е грешно.
I would say that this is wrong.
Той би могъл да помогне, ако поиска.
He could help if he wanted to.
Тя, бидейки уморена, си легна рано.
She, being tired, went to bed early.
Това е той, човекът, когото търсиш.
This is him, the person you are looking for.
Аз, като човек с опит, ви съветвам това.
I, as an experienced person, advise you this.
Той, в своята безкрайна мъдрост, реши случая.
He, in his infinite wisdom, solved the case.
Тя не би се съгласила с подобно твърдение.
She would not agree with such a statement.
То, само по себе си, не е проблем.
It, in itself, is not a problem.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up 'Аз' (I) and 'Мен' (Me).
Using 'Ти' with strangers.
Thinking you MUST use a pronoun.
Erreurs courantes
Аз съм Иван, аз съм от София.
Аз съм Иван, от София съм.
То е момче.
Той е момче.
Тя е дете.
То е дете.
Ти работи.
Ти работиш.
Аз не знам.
Не знам.
Той и тя отиде.
Те отидоха.
Аз ли?
Аз ли?
Аз го виждам той.
Аз го виждам.
Той е човекът кой дойде.
Той е човекът, който дойде.
Аз мисля, че той е добър.
Мисля, че е добър.
Аз, който съм тук, знам.
Аз, който съм тук, знам.
Той, бидейки уморен, не дойде.
Той, бидейки уморен, не дойде.
Аз бих направил това.
Бих направил това.
Structures de phrases
Аз съм ___.
Ти си ___.
Той/Тя ___.
Аз не съм ___.
Real World Usage
Идваш ли?
Аз имам опит.
Искам кафе.
Той е супер!
Ние сме от САЩ.
Вие сте поканени.
Drop it!
Gender matters
Listen to verbs
Formal 'Вие'
Smart Tips
Drop the pronoun! The verb ending already says 'I'.
Always use 'Вие'.
Keep the pronoun.
Check the noun ending.
Prononciation
Vowel reduction
Bulgarian vowels are clear. 'Аз' is pronounced like 'ahz'.
Question
Аз ли? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'Аз' (I) sounds like 'As' in 'As I was saying'.
Association visuelle
Imagine a mirror: 'Аз' is you looking at yourself. 'Ти' is you pointing at a friend.
Rhyme
Аз съм тук, ти си там, той е някъде сам.
Story
Аз (I) went to the store. Ти (You) were there too. Той (He) bought bread, and Тя (She) bought milk. То (It) was a good day.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about your day using only the pronouns 'Аз' and 'Той'.
Notes culturelles
Bulgarians value directness but use 'Вие' for respect.
Bulgarian pronouns derive from Proto-Slavic.
Amorces de conversation
Как се казваш?
Какво правиш?
Той идва ли с нас?
Какво мислиш за това?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ съм студент.
___ е момче.
Find and fix the mistake:
Аз съм Иван, аз съм от София.
Аз уча.
А: Как си? Б: ___ съм добре.
Which is neuter?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Order: [уча / Аз / български]
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ съм студент.
___ е момче.
Find and fix the mistake:
Аз съм Иван, аз съм от София.
Аз уча.
А: Как си? Б: ___ съм добре.
Which is neuter?
Match 'Тя'.
Order: [уча / Аз / български]
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, Bulgarian is a pro-drop language. You can often omit them.
Use 'Той' for masculine nouns and 'То' for neuter nouns.
Use 'Вие' for formal situations or when addressing more than one person.
Bulgarians find it repetitive. Let the verb endings do the work.
Only at the beginning of a sentence.
Usually no, unless they ask you to.
'Аз' is the subject (doer), 'Мен' is the object (receiver).
Add 'ли' after the verb.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Yo, Tú, Él/Ella
Bulgarian has a neuter pronoun 'То'.
Je, Tu, Il/Elle
Bulgarian allows dropping pronouns.
Ich, Du, Er/Sie/Es
German is not pro-drop.
Watashi, Anata, Kare/Kanojo
Japanese pronouns are often omitted based on politeness.
Ana, Anta, Huwa/Hiya
Arabic has dual forms.
Wo, Ni, Ta
Chinese verbs don't change.
