In a dictionary, Bulgarian verbs are listed with their first-person-singular-present-tense form, due to the lack of an infinitive. This form is called the citation form.
Bulgarian verbs are conjugated using the formula:
where thematic vowel and inflection suffix are only optional. The stem of the verb is what is left of the citation form after removing its final letter. Sometimes in the course of conjugation, the stem may undergo some alterations. In this article, any alteration of the stem is coloured in blue, the thematic vowels are coloured in red, and the inflectional endings in green.
All verbs with citation forms ending in а use the endings -а and -ат in first person singular and third person plural respectively.
Citation form
Stem
Present Tense
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
чета /tʃɛˈt̪ɤ/
чет- /tʃɛt̪/
чета* /tʃɛˈt̪ɤ/
четеш /tʃɛˈt̪ɛʃ/
чете /tʃɛˈt̪ɛ/
четем /tʃɛˈt̪ɛm/
четете /tʃɛˈt̪ɛt̪ɛ/
четат* /tʃɛˈt̪ɤt̪/
пиша /ˈpiʃə/
пиш- /piʃ/
пиша /ˈpiʃə/
пишеш /ˈpiʃɛʃ/
пише /ˈpiʃɛ/
пишем /ˈpiʃɛm/
пишете /ˈpiʃɛt̪ɛ/
пишат /ˈpiʃət̪/
* Notice that the endings -а and -ат when stressed are pronounced /ɤ/ and /ɤt̪/, not /a/, /at̪/.
All verbs with stems ending in a vowel use the endings -я and -ят in first person singular and third person plural respectively.
Citation form
Stem
Present Tense
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
пея /ˈpɛjə/
пе- /pɛ/
пея /ˈpɛjə/
пееш /ˈpɛ.ɛʃ/
пее /ˈpɛ.ɛ/
пеем /ˈpɛ.ɛm/
пеете /ˈpɛ.ɛt̪ɛ/
пеят /ˈpɛjət̪/
играя /iˈɡrajə/
игра- /iˈɡra/
играя /iˈɡrajə/
играеш /iˈɡra.ɛʃ/
играе /iˈɡra.ɛ/
играем /iˈɡra.ɛm/
играете /iˈɡra.ɛt̪ɛ/
играят /iˈɡrajət̪/
All verbs with citation forms ending in я also use the endings -я and -ят in first person singular and third person plural.
Citation form
Stem
Present Tense
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
къпя /ˈkɤpʲə/
къп- /kɤp/
къпя /ˈkɤpʲə/
къпеш /ˈkɤpɛʃ/
къпе /ˈkɤpɛ/
къпем /ˈkɤpɛm/
къпете /ˈkɤpɛt̪ɛ/
къпят /ˈkɤpʲət̪/
дремя /drɛmʲə/
дрем- /drɛm/
дремя /ˈdrɛmʲə/
дремеш /ˈdrɛmɛʃ/
дреме /ˈdrɛmɛ/
дремем /ˈdrɛmɛm/
дремете /ˈdrɛmɛt̪ɛ/
дремят /ˈdrɛmʲət̪/
All verbs with stems ending in -к (/k/) or -г (/g/) change to -ч (/tʃ/) and -ж (/ʒ/) respectively, before the thematic vowel е. This change is not limited solely to the present tense and happens always before /i/, /ɛ/ and the yat vowel.
All verbs with stems not ending in -ж (/ʒ/), -ч (/tʃ/) or -ш (/ʃ/) use the endings -я and -ят in first person singular and third person plural.
Citation form
Stem
Present Tense
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
говоря /ɡoˈvɔrʲə/
говор- /ɡoˈvɔr/
говоря /ɡoˈvɔrʲə/
говориш /ɡoˈvɔriʃ/
говори /ɡoˈvɔri/
говорим /ɡoˈvɔrim/
говорите /ɡoˈvɔrit̪ɛ/
говорят /ɡoˈvɔrʲət̪/
вървя /vɐrˈvʲɤ/
върв- /vɐrv/
вървя* /vɐrˈvʲɤ/
вървиш /vɐrˈviʃ/
върви /vɐrˈvi/
вървим /vɐrˈvim/
вървите /vɐrˈvit̪ɛ/
вървят* /vɐrˈvʲɤt̪/
стоя /st̪oˈjɤ/
сто- /st̪o/
стоя* /st̪oˈjɤ/
стоиш /st̪oˈiʃ/
стои /st̪oˈi/
стоим /st̪oˈim/
стоите /st̪oˈit̪ɛ/
стоят* /st̪oˈjɤt̪/
* Notice that the endings -я and -ят when stressed are pronounced /jɤ/ and /jɤt̪/, not /ja/, /jat̪/.
All verbs with stems ending in -ж (/ʒ/), -ч (/tʃ/) or -ш (/ʃ/) use the endings -а and -ат in first person singular and third person plural.
Citation form
Stem
Present Tense
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
движа /d̪viʒə/
движ- /d̪viʒ/
движа /ˈd̪viʒə/
движиш /ˈd̪viʒiʃ/
движи /ˈd̪viʒi/
движим /ˈd̪viʒim/
движите /ˈd̪viʒit̪ɛ/
движат /ˈd̪viʒət̪/
мълча /mɐɫˈtʃɤ/
мълч- /mɐɫtʃ/
мълча* /mɐɫˈtʃɤ/
мълчиш /mɐɫˈtʃiʃ/
мълчи /mɐɫˈtʃi/
мълчим /mɐɫˈtʃim/
мълчите /mɐɫˈtʃit̪ɛ/
мълчат* /mɐɫˈtʃɤt̪/
* Notice that the endings -а and -ат when stressed are pronounced /ɤ/ and /ɤt̪/, not /a/, /at̪/.
Third conjugation
Strictly speaking, verbs from the third conjugation are athematic, because the personal endings are added directly to the stem with no thematic vowel in between. It may seem that the vowel а (/ə/) is inserted between them, but that vowel is actually part of the stem. All verbs have stems ending in either а or я.
* The consonants к (/k/) and г (/g/) change to ч (/tʃ/) and ж (/ʒ/) before the front vowels е (/ɛ/) and и (/i/).
Additionally, after ж (/ʒ/), ч (/tʃ/) and ш (/ʃ/) the stressed yat vowel can be pronounced either as /a/ (as above) or as /ɛ/. The latter forms have fallen largely into disuse.
In the first and second conjugation, verbs are additionally divided into classes according to the thematic vowel they use. In the third conjugation, verbs are divided into classes according to the final vowel of the stem.
Stress
Verbs with stress on the stem can keep it there or move it to the thematic vowel (or the final vowel of the stem in the case of the athematic third conjugation verbs). However, this shift can only happen if the verb is unprefixed or if it is imperfective. Forms with unshifted stress are usually typical for the eastern dialects and forms with shifted stress for the western dialects. However, the latter forms have become stylistically marked as dialectal and should be avoided and used only to distinguish otherwise homonymous forms.
Prefixed perfective verbs with stress on the stem do not change it.
* The consonant к (/k/) changes to ч (/tʃ/) before the front vowel е (/ɛ/).
The verbs (съ-)блекá, влекá, (в-)ля́за and секá have the old yat vowel in the stem, which alternates between я (/ja/) and е (/ɛ/) according to the pronunciation in the eastern dialects.
Stems ending in -ер (/ɛr/), such as бера, пера and дера, lose the е (/ɛ/):
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
пера /pɛˈrɤ/
пер- /pɛr/
прах /prax/
пра /pra/
пра /pra/
прахме /ˈpraxmɛ/
прахте /ˈpraxt̪ɛ/
праха /ˈpraxə/
In the verbs греба and гриза the stress moves to the stem. This is so because they used to belong to the first class.
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
греба /ɡrɛˈbɤ/
греб- /ɡrɛb/
гребах /ˈɡrɛbəx/
греба /ˈɡrɛbə/
греба /ˈɡrɛbə/
гребахме /ˈɡrɛbəxmɛ/
гребахте /ˈɡrɛbəxt̪ɛ/
гребаха /ˈɡrɛbəxə/
гриза /ɡriˈzɤ/
гриз- /ɡriz/
гризах /ˈɡrizəx/
гриза /ˈɡrizə/
гриза /ˈɡrizə/
гризахме /ˈɡrizəxmɛ/
гризахте /ˈɡrizəxt̪ɛ/
гризаха /ˈɡrizəxə/
Third class
These verbs also use the thematic vowelа (/a/ or /ə/). This class is almost identical to the previous one, the only difference is that the citation form ends in я. It contains 23 main verbs:
The verb дремя contains the yat vowel which alternates between я (/ja/) and е (/ɛ/):
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
дремя /ˈd̪rɛmʲə/
дрем- /ˈd̪rɛm/
дрямах /ˈd̪rʲaməx/ дремах /d̪rɛˈmax/
дряма /ˈd̪rʲamə/ дрема /d̪rɛˈma/
дряма /ˈd̪rʲamə/ дрема /d̪rɛˈma/
дрямахме /ˈd̪rʲaməxmɛ/ дремахме /d̪rɛˈmaxmɛ/
дрямахте /ˈd̪rʲaməxt̪ɛ/ дремахте /d̪rɛˈmaxt̪ɛ/
дрямаха /ˈd̪rʲaməxə/ дремаха /d̪rɛˈmaxə/
Fourth class
These verbs use the vowelа (/a/ or /ə/) between the stem and the personal endings. The stems of these verbs end in one of the consonants ж/ʒ/, ч/tʃ/ or ш/ʃ/, which in the aorist change to з/г (/z,g/), k (/k/) and с (/s/) respectively. This class contains 27 main verbs:
Change from /ʒ/ to /z/: бли́жа, въ́ржа, ка́жа, ли́жа, ма́жа, ни́жа, ре́жа, хари́жа
Change from /ʒ/ to /g/: лъ́жа, стри́жа, стъ́ржа
Change from /tʃ/ to /k/: ба́уча, дъ́вча, мя́уча, пла́ча, сму́ча, су́ча, тъ́пча
Change from /ʃ/ to /s/: бри́ша, бъ́рша, мири́ша, (о-)па́ша, пи́ша, ре́ша*, уйди́ша, уйдурди́ша, че́ша
The verb режа has the yat vowel, which alternates between я (/ja/) and е (/ɛ/).
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
режа /ˈrɛʒə/
реж- /ˈrɛʒ/
рязах /ˈrʲazəx/ резах /rɛˈzax/
ряза /ˈrʲazə/ реза /rɛˈza/
ряза /ˈrʲazə/ реза /rɛˈza/
рязахме /ˈrʲazəxmɛ/ резахме /rɛˈzaxmɛ/
рязахте /ˈrʲazəxt̪ɛ/ резахте /rɛˈzaxt̪ɛ/
рязаха /ˈrʲazəxə/ резаха /rɛˈzaxə/
The verbs глождя (глозгах), дращя (драсках) and пощя (посках) used to belong to this class but now have completely migrated to the second conjugation.
Fifth class
This class uses the yat vowel between the stem and the personal endings. It is consistently pronounced as я (/ja/) in all forms. The stems of these verbs end in a consonant + р (/r/), except for the defective verbща. This is the smallest class, containing only 6 main verbs:
вра, зра, мра, (с-)пра́, простра́, ща
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
спра /sprɤ/
спр- /spr/
спрях /sprʲax/
спря /sprʲa/
спря /sprʲa/
спряхме /ˈsprʲaxmɛ/
спряхте /ˈsprʲaxt̪ɛ/
спряха /ˈsprʲaxə/
простра /proˈst̪rɤ/
простр- /prost̪r/
прострях /proˈst̪rʲax/
простря /proˈst̪rʲa/
простря /proˈst̪rʲa/
простряхме /ˈproˈst̪rʲaxmɛ/
простряхте /ˈproˈst̪rʲaxt̪ɛ/
простряха /ˈproˈst̪rʲaxə/
Sixth class
This class uses the thematic vowelя (/ja/ or /jə/). The class contains a small number of verbs, whose stems end in the vowels а (/a/) or е (/ɛ/):
але́я, ба́я, бле́я, ва́я, ве́я, зе́я, зна́я*, ка́я се, (на-)кле́я, кре́я, ла́я, ма́я се, наде́я се, неха́я, отча́я се, ре́я се, тра́я, шля́я се
These verbs do not use any thematic vowel. The personal endings are added directly to the stem, which almost always ends in a vowel, either а (/a/), я (/ja/), е (/ɛ/), и (/i/), у (/u/) or ю (/ju/). This class contains over 250 main verbs, some of which are:
Stems in /a/ or /ja/ : веща́я, вита́я, влия́я, гада́я, жела́я, (по-)зна́я, игра́я, копа́я, мечта́я, обеща́я, сия́я, скуча́я, четра́я, etc.
Stems in /ɛ/ : венче́я, възмъже́я, върше́я, гре́я, дебеле́я, живе́я, ле́я, пе́я, се́я, тъмне́я, etc.
Stems in /i/ (only 9 main verbs) : би́я, ви́я, гни́я, кри́я, ми́я, пи́я, ри́я, три́я, ши́я.
Stems in /u/ or /ju/ (only 6 main verbs) : (на-)ду́я, плу́я, плю́я, (об-)у́я, (на-)хлу́я, чу́я.
All stems ending in /ɛ/ actually end in the old yat vowel which is pronounced as я (/ja/) or а (/a/) after /ʒ/, /tʃ/ and /ʃ/ in all aorist forms.
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
играя /iˈɡrajə/
игра- /iˈɡra/
играх /iˈɡrax/
игра /iˈɡra/
игра /iˈɡra/
играхме /iˈɡraxmɛ/
играхте /iˈɡraxt̪ɛ/
играха /iˈɡraxə/
пея /ˈpɛjə/
пе- /ˈpɛ/
пях /pʲax/
пя /pʲa/
пя /pʲa/
пяхме /ˈpʲaxmɛ/
пяхте /ˈpʲaxt̪ɛ/
пяха /ˈpʲaxə/
вършея /vɐrˈʃɛjə/
върше- /vɐrˈʃɛ/
вършах /vɐrˈʃax/
върша /vɐrˈʃa/
върша /vɐrˈʃa/
вършахме /vɐrˈʃaxmɛ/
вършахте /vɐrˈʃaxt̪ɛ/
вършаха /vɐrˈʃaxə/
пия /ˈpijə/
пи- /pi/
пих /pix/
пи /pi/
пи /pi/
пихме /ˈpixmɛ/
пихте /ˈpixt̪ɛ/
пиха /ˈpixə/
чуя /ˈtʃujə/
чу- /tʃu/
чух /tʃux/
чу /tʃu/
чу /tʃu/
чухме /ˈtʃuxmɛ/
чухте /ˈtʃuxt̪ɛ/
чуха /ˈtʃuxə/
Stems ending in -ем (/ɛm/) are also considered to belong in this class since they do not use a thematic vowel. They are a special case because the stem loses the м (/m/) before adding the personal endings.
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
взема /ˈvzɛmə/
взем- /vzɛm/
взех /vzɛx/
взе /vzɛ/
взе /vzɛ/
взехме /ˈvzɛxmɛ/
взехте /ˈvzɛxt̪ɛ/
взеха /ˈvzɛxə/
наема /nɐˈɛmə/
наем- /nɐˈɛm/
наех /nɐˈɛx/
нае /nɐˈɛ/
нае /nɐˈɛ/
наехме /nɐˈɛxmɛ/
наехте /nɐˈɛxt̪ɛ/
наеха /nɐˈɛxə/
Second conjugation
First class
These verbs use the vowelи (/i/) between the stem and the personal endings. There are both stems ending in a consonant and stems ending in a vowel. The vast majority of the verbs from second conjugation belong to this class.
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
платя /pɫɐˈtʲɤ/
плат- /pɫɐt̪/
платих /pɫɐˈt̪ix/
плати /pɫɐˈt̪i/
плати /pɫɐˈt̪i/
платихме /pɫɐˈt̪ixmɛ/
платихте /pɫɐˈt̪ixt̪ɛ/
платиха /pɫɐˈt̪ixə/
говоря /ɡoˈvɔrʲə/
говор- /ɡoˈvɔɾ/
говорих /ɡoˈvɔɾix/ /ɡo̝voˈɾix/*
говори /ɡoˈvɔɾi/ /ɡo̝voˈɾi/*
говори /ɡoˈvɔɾi/ /ɡo̝voˈɾi/*
говорихме /ɡoˈvɔɾixmɛ/ /ɡo̝voˈɾixmɛ/*
говорихте /ɡoˈvɔɾixt̪ɛ/ /ɡo̝voˈɾixt̪ɛ/*
говориха /ɡoˈvɔɾixə/ /ɡo̝voˈɾixə/*
строя /st̪roˈjɤ/
стро- /st̪ro/
строих /st̪roˈix/
строи /st̪roˈi/
строи /st̪roˈi/
строихме /st̪roˈixmɛ/
строихте /st̪roˈixt̪ɛ/
строиха /st̪roˈixə/
реша /rɛˈʃɤ/
реш- /rɛʃ/
реших /rɛˈʃix/
реши /rɛˈʃi/
реши /rɛˈʃi/
решихме /rɛˈʃixmɛ/
решихте /rɛˈʃixt̪ɛ/
решиха /rɛˈʃixə/
движа /ˈd̪viʒə/
движ- /d̪viʒ/
движих /ˈd̪viʒix/ /d̪viˈʒix/*
движи /ˈd̪viʒi/ /d̪viˈʒi/*
движи /ˈd̪viʒi/ /d̪viˈʒi/*
движихме /ˈd̪viʒixmɛ/ /d̪viˈʒixmɛ/*
движихте /ˈd̪viʒixt̪ɛ/ /d̪viˈʒixt̪ɛ/*
движиха /ˈd̪viʒixə/ /d̪viˈʒixə/*
* Notice the double stress pattern as mentioned above.
Second class
These verbs use the old yat vowel between the stem and the personal endings. It is consistently pronounces as я (/ja/) in all forms. The majority of the stems end in a consonant (different from ж/ʒ/, ч/tʃ/ or ш/ʃ/) but there a few ending in a vowel. These verbs are characterized by the fact that the stress always falls on the thematic vowel across all forms, not exclusively in the aorist. This class contains 76 main verbs.
Citation form
Stem
Past Aorist
Singular
Plural
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
вървя /vɐrˈvʲɤ/
върв- /vɐrv/
вървях /vɐrˈvʲax/
вървя /vɐrˈvʲa/
вървя /vɐrˈvʲa/
вървяхме /vɐrˈvʲaxmɛ/
вървяхте /vɐrˈvʲaxt̪ɛ/
вървяха /vɐrˈvʲaxə/
стоя /st̪oˈjɤ/
сто- /st̪o/
стоях /st̪oˈjax/
стоя /st̪oˈja/
стоя /st̪oˈja/
стояхме /st̪oˈjaxmɛ/
стояхте /st̪oˈjaxt̪ɛ/
стояха /st̪oˈjaxə/
Third class
These verbs use the vowelа (/a/) between the personal endings and the stem, which always ends in ж/ʒ/ or ч/tʃ/. The stress is always on the thematic vowel in all forms, just as in the previous class. The class contains 27 main verbs:
All verbs conjugate in the same fashion (without a thematic vowel, simply by adding the personal endings directly to the stem), nevertheless, Bulgarian grammar books divide them into two classes, depending on the final vowel of the stem.
First class
These are stems ending in а (/a/). The vast majority of third conjugation verbs belong to this class.
Stems ending in a vowel (which include all third-conjugation verbs) use the thematic (semi)vowel й (/j/) between the stem and the personal endings. These verbs usually do not have a stress shift, they keep the stress of the present tense, unless it is on the thematic vowel, in which case it moves on the preceding syllable, since /j/ is not a vowel and cannot be stressed.
Some verbs, most notably stems ending in з (/z/) from the first class of the first conjugation, and a few other frequently used ones, use only the bare stem without a thematic vowel:
Stems ending in с (/s/), з (/z/) and к (/k/) have an epentheticъ (/ə/) between the stem and the л (/ɫ/) in the masculineindefinite form (it is absent in all the other forms).
The vast majority of the verbs use the ending н (/n/), only some verbs from the first conjugation use т (/t̪/), namely all verbs with stems ending in н (/n/) from the second class, and a few verbs from the seventh class (all stems ending in /i/, /u/, /ju/, /ɛm/ and a few others). Some verbs from the seventh class can use both endings.
Although the past passive participle is formed from the past aorist, it does not have a stress shift, it always keeps the stress of the present tense, except for first conjugation verbs from the first class, and the verbs греба and гриза which used to belong to the first class.
5 Notice that the thematic vowel и (/i/) is changed to е (/ɛ/).
Adverbial Participle
Only imperfective verbs have an adverbial participle. Verbs from the first and second conjugation use the thematic vowelе (/ɛ/) between the stem and the ending -йки (/jkʲi/). Verbs from the third conjugation just add the ending without using a thematic vowel. This participle is immutable.
Stems ending in н (/n/) from the second class of the first conjugation, and stems ending in е (/ɛ/), и (/i/), у (/u/) and ю (/ju/) from the seventh class use only the past imperfect to form the verbal noun. All verbs from the first class of the second conjugation use only the past aorist. The remaining verbs may use only the past aorist, only the past imperfect or both. This is not determined by which conjugation or class a verb belongs to, it is an inherent characteristic of each verb.
1 Notice that the thematic vowel о (/o̝/) is changed to е (/ɛ/).
3 Since the yat vowel is followed by a syllable containing е (/ɛ/), it is pronounced as е (/ɛ/).
3 Since both the vowel о (/o̝/) and the yat vowel are changed to е (/ɛ/), the two forms of the verbal noun are written the same, but pronounced differently, they differ by stress position.