How to Speak Bulgarian
To speak Bulgarian, try watching Bulgarian TV shows and movies with subtitles on to pick up on common phrases and pronunciation. You can also listen to Bulgarian music and radio stations online to learn new words in Bulgarian. Also, try labeling all of the items around your house with Bulgarian words, like your fridge, table, and bed, so that you're exposed to new vocabulary every day. Or, you can try reading Bulgarian news websites or blogs, which can help you learn Cyrillic alphabet.
Start with zdrah-VEY-teh as a general greeting. This word is the formal way to say hello to someone. Use a formal address initially, or until the person tells you that you can speak to them informally. To say hello informally, to someone you know well, say zdrah-VEY. Because Bulgarian culture is relatively formal, don't use this form unless the other person uses it first. You may be considered rude. You can also say ZDRAHS-tee , which is a more casual way to say hello, similar to "hi" in English. In the morning, you might say dobro utro , which means "good morning." In the evening, use dobahr vecher , which means "good evening." Use the phrase KAHK steh to ask the question "How are you? " This is the formal way to ask this question, and typically follows a greeting. If you are friendly with the person, you can use the informal phrase KAHK see ? When someone asks you this question, respond by saying doh-BREH, blah-goh-dah-RYUH , which means "fine, thank you." Ask someone's name with the phrase kahk seh KAHZ-vash-teh? This phrase more literally means "how do they call you." The informal version of this phrase is kahk seh KAHZ-vash. Since you don't know the person's name, you would rarely use the informal version, unless perhaps you were talking to a child. If someone asks your name, respond by saying kahz-VUHM seh followed by your name. You could also say pryaht-NOH mee eh dah seh zah-POHZ-naem , which means "nice to meet you." Include polite phrases to indicate respect. Manners are important in any culture. Especially if you're just learning the language, people will be more willing to help you if you speak politely and formally. moh-LYAH means "please." It is also used as a response to "thank you," to mean "you're welcome." blah-goh-DAH-ryah means "thank you." Say eez-vee-NEH-teh to mean "excuse me" if you want to get someone's attention. If you're begging someone's pardon, you would say MOH-lyah dah meh eez-vee-NEH-teh. This is a more polite or formal way of saying "excuse me." suh-zhah-LYAH-vahm means "I'm sorry." Let the person know if you want to speak in Bulgarian. Especially if you're beginning to learn the language, native speakers may get frustrated and want to speak to you in English instead of Bulgarian. If the person asks you if you speak Bulgarian ( govorite li balgarski ), you might reply dah, malko , which means "yes, a little." You can also say az ne govorya balgarski dobre , which means "I can't speak Bulgarian well." If you're having trouble understanding the person, you might say moh-LYAH, overate po-bavno , which means "please speak more slowly." You could also say moh-LYAH vi povtorete , which means "please say that again." Close the conversation by saying doh-VEEZH-dah-neh. This is the standard way to say "goodbye" in Bulgarian. If you're speaking to someone your own age, or to a friend, you can also use "ciao." Although technically an Italian word, it's commonly used among Bulgarians as well. The phrase leka nosh means "good night" in Bulgarian, but it's typically only used if someone is going to sleep. If you're not close to the person, it might be considered rude. Practice conversations with a speaking partner. Once you have learned enough words and phrases that you can carry on a basic conversation, connect with a native speaker. They can help you improve your pronunciation and add new words to your vocabulary. You can try to find a Bulgarian culture group in your local community, or you can search for a speaking partner online. The website "My Language Exchange" will connect you with a native speaker for free. Download an alphabet chart to practice the Cyrillic alphabet. To become proficient with the Cyrillic alphabet, use a chart and learn a few letters a day. Write each letter several times, until the strokes become automatic. As you write the letter, pronounce the sound it makes. You can find charts online to help you study. For example, downloadable worksheets are available on the Omniglot and Lingua Junkie language websites. Start with the letters that look like Latin letters. Assuming your native language uses the Latin alphabet, the easiest way to learn the Cyrillic alphabet is to start with the letters you essentially already know. There are 6 letters in the Cyrillic alphabet that both look and sound the same as letters in the Latin alphabet: E, K, M, O, A, and T. You can remember these letters using the mnemonic "make tea." You may not even have to practice these letters like you do others, since you already know how to write them and what they sound like. Keep in mind that Bulgarian vowels only have a short sound, not short and long sounds as English vowels do. Add the other 3 Bulgarian vowels. Of the 6 letters that look like Latin letters, 3 of them are vowels. The other 3 vowels are и, у, and ъ. Bulgarian vowels only have a single sound, not different short and long sounds like English vowels. и makes an ee sound, similar to the i in the English word "machine." If you put a diacritic over the и , making it й , it makes a ye sound, similar to the ye in the English word "yes." у makes an oo sound, similar to the oo in the English word "moon." ъ makes an uh sound, similar to the u in the English word "stub." Continue with letters that look like Latin letters but sound differently. There are 6 Cyrillic consonants that look similar to Latin letters, but make a different sound. If you automatically associate the letter shape with the sound it makes in English, you may need to spend a little more time on these. Р makes an r sound, which is slightly to moderately rolled , similar to the r in the Spanish word "pero." It looks similar to the Greek letter rho , and has the same sound. з looks like the number 3, and makes a z sound, similar to the z in the English word "zoo." At the end of a word, it has an s sound. н makes an n sound, similar to the n in the English word "note." в makes a v sound, similar to the v in the English word "vine." If it is the last letter in a word, it has an f sound. It looks similar to the Greek letter beta , and has the same sound. х makes an h sound, similar to the h in the English word "hotel." It looks similar to the Greek letter chi , and has the same sound. с makes an s sound, similar to the s in the English word "spit." It can also help to think of this as the soft- c in English, as in the word "city." Practice the 6 remaining single consonants. The remaining single consonants don't look like Latin letters at all, so they may require some additional practice to write correctly. Some of these letters are more similar to Greek letters. ф makes an f sound, similar to the f in the English word "fish." It looks similar to the Greek letter phi , and has the same sound. п makes a p sound, similar to the p in the English word "pork." It looks similar to the Greek letter pi , and has the same sound. г makes a hard g sound, similar to the g in the English word "gull." It makes a k sound at the end of a word. б makes a b sound, similar to the b in the English word "boy." д makes a d sound, similar to the d in the English word "deal." л makes an l sound, similar to the l in the English word "look." Memorize the sounds of the blended consonants. There are 7 remaining consonants that represent the blended sound of single consonants pronounced together. Whereas in English, you would write both single consonants, in Bulgarian there are separate letters for some of the most common consonant blends. ж makes a zh sound, similar to the s in the English word "pleasure" or the ge at the end of the English word "garage." ц makes a ts sound, similar to the ts in the English word "gets" or the ts at the beginning of "tsunami." ч makes a ch sound, similar to the ch in the English word "cheap.Think of it as an upside down chair, CH chair." ш makes an sh sound, similar to the sh in the English word "sheep." щ makes an shd sound, similar to the shed in the English word "crushed." я makes a ya sound, similar to the ya in the English word "yap," or as in the German word "ja." ю makes a yoo sound, as in the English word "you." Try spelling words you already know how to say. If you've already learned some conversational words or phrases, try to spell them out using the Cyrillic alphabet. Check a Bulgarian dictionary to see if your spelling is correct. For example, the formal word for hello in Bulgarian is Здравейте. Use a calendar to learn the words for days and months. Buy a Bulgarian calendar, or make one yourself using a word processing or spreadsheet app. If you're still working on your understanding of Cyrillic, you can add phonetic pronunciations under the words themselves. Put the calendar in a place where you will see it several times a day, such as in your bathroom or on your refrigerator door. You could also write the words for numbers on each of the days. This way, you could also learn at least 31 number words in Bulgarian as well. Label items around your home to expand your vocabulary. Cut small squares of paper, or use index cards or post-it notes to write the Bulgarian word for items around your home. Start with larger items, and replace the labels as you've committed a word to memory. There are numerous language-learning websites that have vocabulary lists you can access for free. For example, the websites Bulgarian Pod 101 and My Languages have extensive vocabulary lists available. Listen to Bulgarian music and radio broadcasts. The rhythm of music and repetitive nature of the lyrics make it a good way to learn any language. You can find Bulgarian traditional and popular music on sites such as YouTube, as well as many Bulgarian radio stations that stream online for free. A list of Bulgarian radio stations is available at http://www.surfmusic.de/country/bulgaria.html. Watch Bulgarian television and movies. Search online for Bulgarian television shows and movies that you can watch for free. Some of these may have English captions, which you can use initially to help you make sense of what's happening on the screen. However, you'll want to leave the captions off for a truly immersive experience. There's a list of Bulgarian television streaming online available at https://www.bgonair.bg/tvonline. If the option is available, you might turn on closed-captioning in Bulgarian. That way you're seeing the words the people on screen are saying as they are saying them. Read about current events online in Bulgarian. Search for Bulgarian news sites on the internet. Use the URL extension for Bulgarian websites (".bg") to restrict your search. Blogs and news articles typically are written more simply. If you read articles about events you already know about, you'll be able to figure out a lot of the words from context. Find a good Bulgarian-English dictionary so you can look up words you don't know. When you first start reading, it may take you an hour just to get through a short article, but with time you'll be able to read more smoothly. Write down words you don't know on a card, then write the translation or explanation of the word on the back of the card. Use the cards to practice new words. Spend time in Bulgaria. Visiting the country where the language is spoken is the ultimate immersive experience. Bulgaria is also one of the least expensive European countries to visit. The Black Sea beaches are the main tourist attraction. If you plan to travel to Bulgaria, make sure you learn Cyrillic before you go. That way you'll be able to read basic street signs and find your way around. Outside heavily populated areas or tourist towns, many people don't speak English. If you travel to more rural areas, you'll be fully immersed in Bulgarian language and culture. 
Start with zdrah-VEY-teh as a general greeting. Use the phrase KAHK steh to ask the question "How are you? Ask someone's name with the phrase kahk seh KAHZ-vash-teh? Include polite phrases to indicate respect. Let the person know if you want to speak in Bulgarian. Close the conversation by saying doh-VEEZH-dah-neh. Practice conversations with a speaking partner. Download an alphabet chart to practice the Cyrillic alphabet. Start with the letters that look like Latin letters. Add the other 3 Bulgarian vowels. Continue with letters that look like Latin letters but sound differently. Practice the 6 remaining single consonants. Memorize the sounds of the blended consonants. Try spelling words you already know how to say. Use a calendar to learn the words for days and months. Label items around your home to expand your vocabulary. Listen to Bulgarian music and radio broadcasts. Watch Bulgarian television and movies. Read about current events online in Bulgarian. Spend time in Bulgaria. 