A1 Numbers & Counters 1 min read Fácil

Plurals with Counting Forms (Бройна форма)

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Pratique

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When counting masculine nouns, use the special '-а' or '-я' ending instead of the standard plural.

  • Use the counting form only for masculine nouns after a number (e.g., 'два стола').
  • If the noun ends in a consonant, add '-а' (e.g., 'стол' -> 'два стола').
  • If the noun ends in '-й' or '-я', add '-я' (e.g., 'трамвай' -> 'два трамвая').
Number + Masculine Noun (ending in -а/-я) = Counting Form

Counting Form Formation

Singular Number Counting Form Type
стол
2
два стола
Inanimate
трамвай
3
три трамвая
Inanimate
брат
2
двама братя
Animate
лекар
3
трима лекари
Animate
вестник
4
четири вестника
Inanimate
студент
2
двама студенти
Animate

Meanings

The counting form is a specific grammatical case used exclusively for masculine nouns when they follow a cardinal number.

1

Masculine Counting

Used for masculine nouns after numbers.

“Двама ученици”

“Три стола”

2

Person Counting

Special form for male persons.

“Двама мъже”

“Трима приятели”

Reference Table

Reference table for Plurals with Counting Forms (Бройна форма)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Number + Noun(-а/-я)
Имам два стола.
Negative
Нямам + Number + Noun(-а/-я)
Нямам два стола.
Question
Имаш ли + Number + Noun(-а/-я)?
Имаш ли два стола?
Animate
Number(-ма) + Noun
Имам двама братя.
Inanimate
Number + Noun(-а/-я)
Имам два стола.
Exception
Numbers > 4
Имам пет стола (standard plural).

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
Имам двама братя.

Имам двама братя. (Family)

Neutro
Имам двама братя.

Имам двама братя. (Family)

Informal
Имам двама братя.

Имам двама братя. (Family)

Gíria
Имам двама братя.

Имам двама братя. (Family)

Counting Form Logic

Masculine Noun

Inanimate

  • стол chair
  • трамвай tram

Animate

  • брат brother
  • лекар doctor
Cadastre-se grátis para ler a explicação completa

Exemplos por nível

1

Имам два стола.

I have two chairs.

2

Купих три хляба.

I bought three loaves of bread.

3

Виждам два трамвая.

I see two trams.

4

Имам двама братя.

I have two brothers.

1

На масата има четири ножа.

There are four knives on the table.

2

Видях трима лекари.

I saw three doctors.

3

Купих два вестника.

I bought two newspapers.

4

Има двама студенти тук.

There are two students here.

1

Поръчах два кафе-автомата.

I ordered two coffee machines.

2

В парка има трима музиканти.

There are three musicians in the park.

3

Трябват ми два молива.

I need two pencils.

4

Видях двама полицаи.

I saw two policemen.

1

Той купи два нови компютъра.

He bought two new computers.

2

На срещата дойдоха трима директори.

Three directors came to the meeting.

3

Използвах два различни метода.

I used two different methods.

4

Търся двама опитни шофьори.

I am looking for two experienced drivers.

1

Разгледахме два архитектурни проекта.

We examined two architectural projects.

2

На конференцията присъстваха трима лектори.

Three lecturers attended the conference.

3

Избрахме двама кандидати за поста.

We chose two candidates for the position.

4

Нужни са два стабилни аргумента.

Two solid arguments are needed.

1

Той анализира два сложни феномена.

He analyzed two complex phenomena.

2

На сцената излязоха трима артисти.

Three artists stepped onto the stage.

3

Предложиха двама експерти за комисията.

They proposed two experts for the committee.

4

Прочетох два обемисти тома.

I read two bulky volumes.

Fácil de confundir

Plurals with Counting Forms (Бройна форма) vs Standard Plural vs. Counting Form

Learners often use the plural for everything.

Plurals with Counting Forms (Бройна форма) vs Animate vs. Inanimate

Learners use -ма for everything.

Plurals with Counting Forms (Бройна форма) vs Feminine vs. Masculine

Learners try to use this rule for all genders.

Erros comuns

✗

два столове

✓

два стола

Standard plural used instead of counting form.
✗

двама стола

✓

два стола

Adding -ма to inanimate objects.
✗

два брат

✓

двама братя

Missing -ма for people.
✗

две стола

✓

два стола

Wrong gender for the number.
✗

три лекари

✓

трима лекари

Missing -ма for people.
✗

четирима стола

✓

четири стола

Adding -ма to inanimate objects.
✗

два трамваи

✓

два трамвая

Using standard plural.
✗

двама компютъра

✓

два компютъра

Animate suffix on inanimate object.
✗

трима метода

✓

три метода

Animate suffix on inanimate object.
✗

двама професори

✓

двама професори

Wait, this is correct, but learners often forget the -ма.
✗

двама феномени

✓

два феномена

Animate suffix on inanimate object.
✗

трима тома

✓

три тома

Animate suffix on inanimate object.
✗

двама артисти

✓

двама артисти

Wait, this is correct, but learners often forget the -ма.

Padrões de frases

Имам ___ ___.

На масата има ___ ___.

Виждам ___ ___.

Трябват ми ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Shopping constant

Купих два хляба.

Street common

Виждам два трамвая.

Family common

Имам двама братя.

School common

Имам два молива.

Work common

Търся двама шофьори.

Hospital occasional

Видях трима лекари.

Cadastre-se grátis para ver todos os exemplos
💡

Check the gender

This rule only applies to masculine nouns.
⚠️

Don't use -ма for objects

Only use -ма for people.
🎯

Remember the -а

Most masculine nouns just need an -а.
💬

Natural sounding

Using this form makes you sound like a native.

Smart Tips

Always check if it's a person or object.

Двама стола → Два стола

Use the counting form.

Два столове → Два стола

Add -ма to the number.

Два лекари → Двама лекари

Don't use this rule.

Два маси → Две маси

Pronúncia

stola (STOH-la)

Stress

The stress usually stays on the original syllable.

Statement

Имам два стола. ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

Memorize

Mnemônico

Remember: 'Two chairs' is 'Dva stola'—the 'a' at the end is the 'counting' mark!

Associação visual

Imagine a chair (стол) with a giant letter 'A' painted on it. When you see two chairs, you see two 'A's.

Rhyme

Two chairs, two tables, two pens too, just add an 'A' and you'll get through!

Story

Ivan has two brothers (двама братя). He buys two chairs (два стола) and two trams (два трамвая). He is very busy counting his things.

Word Web

столтрамвайбратлекарвестникстудент

Desafio

Look around your room and count 3 masculine objects using the '-а' ending.

Notas culturais

This form is strictly used in standard Bulgarian. Dialects may vary.

The counting form is a remnant of the dual number in Proto-Slavic.

Iniciadores de conversa

“

Колко братя имаш?

“

Колко стола има в стаята?

“

Колко лекари работят тук?

“

Колко трамвая минаха?

Temas para diário

Write about your family using numbers.
Describe your room and count the furniture.
Describe a trip to the store.
Describe your office/school.

Erros comuns

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Имам два ___ (стол).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: стола
Masculine counting form.
Choose the correct form. Múltipla escolha

Имам двама ___ (брат).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: братя
Animate counting form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Видях два столове.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Видях два стола.
Standard plural is wrong.
Change to counting form. Sentence Transformation

Имам стол. (2)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Имам два стола.
Correct counting form.
Is this correct? True False Rule

Двама стола.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Inanimate object.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

А: Колко братя имаш? Б: Имам ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: двама братя
Animate counting form.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

два / стола / имам

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Имам два стола.
Correct word order.
Sort the words. Grammar Sorting

Which is animate?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: лекар
People are animate.

Score: /8

Exercicios praticos

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Имам два ___ (стол).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: стола
Masculine counting form.
Choose the correct form. Múltipla escolha

Имам двама ___ (брат).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: братя
Animate counting form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Видях два столове.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Видях два стола.
Standard plural is wrong.
Change to counting form. Sentence Transformation

Имам стол. (2)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Имам два стола.
Correct counting form.
Is this correct? True False Rule

Двама стола.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Inanimate object.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

А: Колко братя имаш? Б: Имам ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: двама братя
Animate counting form.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

два / стола / имам

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Имам два стола.
Correct word order.
Sort the words. Grammar Sorting

Which is animate?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: лекар
People are animate.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

Bulgarian uses a special counting form for masculine nouns.

No, only for masculine.

Use 'трима' for male persons.

Only for 2, 3, 4.

It sounds unnatural.

It is standard in all registers.

No, it's for counting.

Only for people.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Cadastre-se grátis para praticar

In Other Languages

Spanish low

Dos sillas

Bulgarian has a special form for numbers.

French low

Deux chaises

Bulgarian has a special form for numbers.

German low

Zwei Stühle

Bulgarian has a special form for numbers.

Japanese low

Ni-kyaku no isu

Bulgarian uses noun suffixes.

Arabic partial

Kursiyan

Bulgarian counting form is for 2-4.

Chinese low

Liang ge yizi

Bulgarian uses noun suffixes.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Nouns with Only Plural Form

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Using Counting Forms (Бройни форми)
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