Present perfect tense in Bulgarian
Exercises
- Fill in the right form of the verb Score -/-
- Choose the right signal word Score -/-
Lesson Outline
Hide1. When to use the Present perfect tense
The present simple tense in Bulgarian is used to talk about:
an action thet happened in a non-specific time in the past, the results of which are evident in or affect the present.
| Бил съм в Канада. | Bila sum v Kanada. | I have been un Canada. |
| Купила съм хляб. | Kupila sum hlyab. | I have bought bread. |
| Чела съм тази книга. | Chela sum tazi kniga. | I have read this book. |
In most cases the Bulgarian perfect tense is translated into English by the use of the present perfect tense (I have played)
Unlike in English, we can use the present perfect in Bulgarian when the time of the action is specified. In those cases it is translated into English by using past simple tense:
| Виждал/а ли си го днес? | Vizhdal/а li si go dnes? | Did you see him today? |
| Бил/а си в магазина тази седмица? | Bil/а li si v magazina tazi sedmitza? | Did you go to the supermarket this week? |
| Купил/а ли си захар вчера? | Kupil/а li si zahar vchera? | Did you buy sugar yesterday? |
2. Signal words
With this tense we only tell that something have happened or we have done something, but we don´t specify when. The event happened at some point in the past but the information "when it happened" is missing or not important. However, there are some time markers that will help you use this tense correctly:
| Някога | Nyakoga | Ever |
| Никога | Nikoga | Never |
Explore the following examples:
| Някога била/а ли си в Куба? | Nyakoga bil/a li si v Kuba? | Have you ever been in Cuba? |
| Никога не съм/а била в КУба? | Nikoga ne sym bil/a v Kuba? | I have never been in Cuba? |
3. Formation and verb conjugation
The present perfect tense is formed by using the present tense of the verb "to be" and the past participle of the main verb.
СЪМ (to be) + ходил/правил/живял (past partisiple)
the verb "СЪМ" ("to be") is usually placed before the pst prtisiple but if there is no other word before the past simple participle "СЪМ" ("to be") goes after it.
Аз съм ходила = Ходила съм.
| + | + | - | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Аз съм ходил/а | I have walked | Аз не съм ходил/а | I have not walked |
| Ти си ходил/а | You have walked | Ти не си ходил/а | You have not walked |
| Той е ходил/а | He has walked | Той не е ходил/а | He has not walked |
| Ние сме ходили | We have walked | Ние не сме ходили | We have not walked |
| Вие сте ходили | You have walked | Вие не сте ходили | You have not walked |
| Те са ходили | They have wlaked | Те не са ходили | They have not walked |
Ask questions using Present perfect tense
In Bulgaran language we use the question word "ли" to convert the sentence into a question.
+ |
+ | - | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Бил/а ли съм? | Have I been? | Не съм ли бил/а? | Have I not been? |
| Бил/а ли си? | Have you been? | Не си ли бил/а? | Have you not been? |
| Бил/а ли е? | Has he been? | Не е ли бил/а? | Has he not been? |
| Били ли сме? | Have we been? | Не сме ли били? | Have we not been? |
| Били ли сте? | Have you been? | Не сте ли били? | Have you not been? |
| Били ли са? | Have they been? | Не са ли били? | Have they not been? |
4. Conjugation of reflexive verbs
The word order of the reflexive verbs in the present perfect tense requires special attention - in 3rd person singular the reflexive participle "СЕ" is placed before the verb while in all other forms it come after it.
| + | + | - | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Аз съм се върнал/а | I have returned | Аз не съм се върнал/а | I have not returned |
| Ти си се върнал/а | You have returned | Ти не си се върнал/а | You have returned |
| Той/тя се е върнал/а | He/she has returned | Той/тя не се е върнал | He/she has returned |
| Ние сме се върнали | We have returned | Ние не сме се върнали | We have returned |
| Вие сте се върнали | You have returned | Вие не сте се върнали | You have returned |
| Те са се върнали | They have returned | Те не са се върнали | They have returned |
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
Bulgarian / English for Beginners and Advanced
I teach: Bulgarian, English
My name is Monika and I am fluent Bulgarian and English speaker. I can help you to learn Bulgarian and/or English if you are a beginner or... if you want to prepare for your exams in Bulgarian grammar. I am passionate about languages because I found it easy to study languages in general. I took my final exam in Bulgarian grammar and literature with A. I also graduated Glasgow Caledonian University, which of course required IELTS.I would discribe myself as a very patient, supportive and highly motivated person. I don't like to put pressure on my students because the brain works better when the focus goes on the learning materials, not on the stress.I want to help everyone, who wants to learn Bulgarian and/or English without any struggle.Hope to see you soon. Здравейте, казвам се Моника и перфектно владея български и английски език. Мога да ти помогна да научиш български и/или английски, ако си начинаещ или да те подготвя за изпит по български език. Харесвам да уча езици, защото го намирам за нещо, с което се справям лесно. Средното си образование завърших с 5.80 на матурата по български език и литература. След него, завърших и бакалавър в Glasgow Caledonian University, който разбира се изискваше езиков изпит по английски - IELTS. Бих описала себе си като много спокоен, насърчителен и силно мотивиран човек. Не обичам да подлагам учениците си под напрежение, тъй като мозъкът работи по-добре, когато фокусът е насочен към учебната дейност, а не към стреса. Искам да помогна на всеки, който желае да научи български и/или английски без трудности. Надявам се да се видим скоро. Read more
Welcome to my class!
I teach: Bulgarian
Hi there,I am glad to meet you.First of all, let me congratulate you on the decision to learn or improve a new language. In your case this is... Bulgarian.My country, Bulgaria, is a beautiful country with nice and hospitable people. It is an ancient land with a great history and rich culture. Having learned our language you will be able to get in touch freely with our good people and country.I come from the town of Vidin, Bulgaria. I am a qualified English and Bulgarian teacher. I graduated back in 1972 from Sofia University with an MA in English Philology and Bulgarian Philology as a second subject. Since then I have spent most of my professional career teaching Bulgarian students.First of all, we will have a 20-30-minute trial lesson during which we can get to know each other, set expectations towards the lessons and schedule the timetable. The next step is simple - we start learning the language of your choice!Cannot wait to meet you and help you on your journey to learn Bulgarian. Read more
About me and my teaching style
I teach: Bulgarian, English, French
Hello, I am Zlatko. I have over 12 years of French, English and Bulgarian teaching experience. My style is to have natural... conversations about a wide range of topics. I always encourage my students to speak and give them hints about how to remember as much as possible.We can focus on a different grammar point during a lesson too. The way I explain grammar rules is simple and fun. How does that grab you? Are you willing to learn Bulgarian, French or English with me? If so, please let me know what your language learning goals are, and I will build a realistic study plan for you.I look forward to meeting you soon. Read more
