Learning numbers in Bulgarian is an essential part of mastering the language! Whether you’re shopping, traveling, or chatting with locals, knowing how to count in Bulgarian will definitely come in handy. So, let’s break down Bulgarian numbers, and we’ll dive into both cardinal and ordinal numbers (because who doesn’t want to sound extra cool when counting?). We’ll also get into the nitty-gritty of how gender affects the way we talk about numbers. Ready? Let’s go!
Cardinal Numbers: The Basics
First, let’s start with cardinal numbers—these are the basic numbers used for counting things. They're the same as the ones you’re used to: one, two, three, etc. The good news is that Bulgarian numbers aren't that hard once you get the hang of them. Here’s a quick rundown of the first ten numbers in Bulgarian:
1 – едно (edno) [Used for neutral] един (edin) [Used for masculine nouns]
една (edna) [Used for feminine nouns]
2 – два (dva) [Used for masculine nouns]
2 – две (dve) [Used for feminine and neutral nouns]
3 – три (tri)
4 – четири (chetiri)
5 – пет (pet)
6 – шест (shest)
7 – седем (sedem)
8 – осем (osem)
9 – девет (devet)
10 – десет (deset)
The first ten are pretty straightforward, right? You’ll notice that 1 and 2 are a bit special because they have different forms for the different genders.
два (dva) for masculine nouns.
две (dve) for feminine nouns.
For example, if you're talking about two sofas, you would use два (dva), but if you’re talking about two tables, you would use две (dve). Just to make things a bit more interesting, if you talk about people and there is at least one man in the group, you would use - един, двама, трима, четирима, петима, шестима ....
пример:
На две маси, на два стола седят двама мъже.
Big Numbers: 20, 30, 40... and Beyond
Once you get through the first ten, the pattern starts to repeat itself. It’s just about adding words and combining numbers! For the teen numbers we advice our students to add a "nice" ending after the number
11 - единайсет (edin + nice)
12 - дванайсет
13 - тринайсет
14 - четиринайсет
15 - петнайсет
16 - шестнайсет
17 - седемнайсет
18 - осемнайсет
19 - деветнайсет
When you hit 20 and beyond, Bulgarian numbers start to look more like what you’re used to in English. The easiest way is to add "deset" after the nuber you see. Here’s how the tens work:
20 – двадесет (dvadeset)
30 – тридесет (trideset)
40 – четиридесет (chetirideset)
50 – петдесет (petdeset)
60 – шестдесет (shestdeset)
70 – седемдесет (sedemdeset)
80 – осемдесет (osemdeset)
90 – деветдесет (devetdeset)
When you want to say something like "21" or "35," you simply combine the tens with the ones:
21 – двадесет и едно (dvadeset i edno) – “Twenty and one”
35 – тридесет и пет (trideset i pet) – “Thirty and five”
68 – шестдесет и осем (shestdeset i osem) – “Sixty and eight”
So far, it’s all pretty logical, right? But now let’s get to the more complex stuff. Ready for hundreds and thousands?
Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond!
After the basics, we move into bigger numbers like hundreds, thousands, and beyond. Here's how you tackle the big leagues:
100 – сто (sto)
200 – двеста (dvesta)
300 – триста (trista)
400 – четиристотин (chetiristotin)
1,000 – хиляда (hilyada)
10,000 – десет хиляди (deset hilyadi)
100,000 – сто хиляди (sto hilyadi)
For example:
2,345 – две хиляди триста четиридесет и пет (dve hilyadi trista chetirideset i pet) – “Two thousand three hundred forty-five.”
And just like that, you’re counting the big numbers like a pro!
Ordinal Numbers: First, Second, Third...
Now, let’s talk about ordinal numbers—those are the numbers you use when you want to talk about position or order, like “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on. Ordinal numbers are a little different in Bulgarian because they change based on gender. Yep, you heard that right—just like other adjectives in Bulgarian, ordinal numbers agree with the noun’s gender.
Here’s a breakdown of the first few ordinal numbers in all their gendered glory:
1st – първи (parvi) [Masculine]
1st – първа (parva) [Feminine]
1st – първо (parvo) [Neuter]
2nd – втори (vtori) [Masculine]
2nd – втора (vtora) [Feminine]
2nd – второ (vtoro) [Neuter]
3rd – трети (treti) [Masculine]
3rd – трета (treta)
4th – четвърти (chetvarti) [Masculine]
4th – четвърта (chetvarta) [Feminine]
4th – четвърто (chetvarto) [Neuter]\
5th – пети (peti) [Masculine]
5th – пета (peta) [Feminine]
5th – пето (peto) [Neuter]
Let’s look at some examples of how you can use these ordinal numbers in real-life situations:
Моят първи ден в София беше невероятен. (Moyat parvi den v Sofiya beshe neveroyaten.) – “My first day in Sofia was amazing.”
Тя е втора в класа. (Tya e vtora v klasa.) – “She’s second in the class.”
Това е третото ми кафе днес. (Tova e tretoto mi kafe dnes.) – “This is my third coffee today.”
Notice how the ordinal number changes based on the gender of the noun? For masculine nouns (like ден - day), you use първи (first), but for feminine nouns (like жена - woman), you use първа (first). Neuter nouns take a slightly different form, like първо. An interesting and important fact is that the masculine and the plural have the same form!
първи ден и първи дни
Fun with Names of Numbers
Now for the cherry on top - numbers also have names! If you see the number one you can call it out as - единица! Grammatically speaking now we are treating numbers as nouns, not as adjectives. These names refer to the being of the number, it is used for listing numbers you see, the grades kids get at school and very importantly for card games!
1 - единица (edinitsa)
2 - двойка (dvoika)
3 - тройка (troika)
4 - четворка (chetvorka)
5 - петица (petitsa)
6 - шестица (shestitsa)
7 - седмица (sedmitsa)
8 - осмица (osmitsa)
9 - девятка (devqtka)
10 - десятка (desqtka)
A great way to practice these is by playing some cards with Bulgarians. This is a favorite activity for many people and it usually takes a lot of hours, beer and sunflower seeds.
Numbers in Everyday Bulgarian
Now, let’s look at some practical examples that will help you sound like a local in everyday Bulgarian situations:
Колко струва това? (Kolko struva tova?) – “How much does this cost?”If you’re shopping, you’ll be asking this a lot! To respond, just say the number:20 лева (dvadeset leva) – “20 leva.”
Keep in mind that Лев is masculine, so you will count money like this:
един лев, два лева, три лева, четири лева ...
Коя дата е? Коя година е? (Koya data e? Koq godina e?) - What date is it today? What year?
When talking about dates and years you will always have to use the ordinal numbers. This tends to be a pain, because unlike English, we would spell out the entire year!
Днес е двадесет и девети декември, две хиляди двадесет и четвърта година.
(Dnes e dvadeset i deveti dekemvri, dve hilqdi dvadeset i chetvurta godina)
Let’s Wrap It Up!
Now you’re equipped with the knowledge of cardinal numbers (the basics of counting), ordinal numbers (the ones you use to describe position), and the secret to using them with the correct gender. You’ll be well on your way to mastering Bulgarian numbers and using them in conversation, whether you’re telling someone your age, talking about how much something costs, or giving directions.
So go ahead and start counting—whether you're in Sofia, Plovdiv, or just chatting with a Bulgarian friend. Numbers might seem like a small part of the language, but they’re super powerful when it comes to building fluency. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be counting in Bulgarian like a native!
Happy counting! 😊
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