So, you’re heading for Bulgaria to travel or work. Awesome! You’re in for an amazing adventure! It’s a beautiful country, steeped in a rich culture that may be very unlike your own.

However, showing respect to the locals is a big deal in every country around the world. A respectful manner and attitude could open doors for you that would otherwise remain mystifyingly closed. Aside from just knowing ‘Thank you’ in Bulgarian, greeting someone correctly in Bulgarian could incline a local to treat you more favorably than otherwise! So, the clever thing to do would be to learn Bulgarian greetings before you embark on your journey. Bulgarian greetings are different from other languages and probably not what you’d expect. But if learning how to say ‘Hello!’ in Bulgarian in easy and fun ways is important to you, you’ve come to the right place at BulgarianPod101.

1. Must-Know Bulgarian Greetings

Start straight away with this greeting lesson. It’s short, but it packs a punch!

This short, but powerful lesson teaches you the basic ways to greet someone correctly in Bulgarian! At BulgarianPod101, you will be taught the correct pronunciation and intonation, as well as the correct times to greet in Bulgarian. And you will have fun!

The focus of this lesson is Greetings in Bulgarian

Topic 1: How to say “Hello”

Sentence from the lesson:

Здрасти
Zdrasti!
“Hello (Informal)”

Здрасти means “Hi,” or “Hello.” We should only use this greeting with friends or relatives. There is another informal way to say “Hello” – Здравей! It has the same meaning as Здрасти and is used when we speak with only one person. The formal way to greet people is Добър ден! Literally, Добър ден means “Good day”; so as a rule we can use Добър ден only during the daytime—from morning until evening. During the evening, we say: Добър вечер!
Вечер is Bulgarian for “Evening,” so Добър вечер means “Good evening.” During the morning we say: Добро утро!
Утро is Bulgarian for “Morning.” Добро утро, Добър ден and Добър вечер are used when we meet someone, but when we leave, we use another word.

For Example:

Добър ден! Добър вечер! Добро утро!
Dobyr den! Dobyr vecher! Dobro utro!
“Good day,” “Good evening,” “Good morning”

Topic 2: Greetings—”good-bye”

Sentence from the lesson:

До скоро!
Dovijdane!
“Goodbye (informal, formal)”

In Bulgarian we have an expression До скоро! meaning “See you soon” that can be considered both formal and informal. In a formal situation, Bulgarian people use Довиждане! Довиждане which means “Good-bye.”

Language Tip!

Bulgarian uses a lot of words borrowed from other languages, and we also have one for “Goodbye.” Ciao! Just like Italian. This is actually the phrase you will hear the most in Bulgaria. Friends often say it to each other when leaving. Try to say it yourself to your Bulgarian friends! Ciao!

2. Common Ways to Say Hello in Bulgarian

Standing at the airport in a foreign country for the first time can be a somewhat scary experience for anyone, especially if you need assistance. However, don’t worry – at BulgarianPod101 we teach you how to quickly get a local’s attention with friendly, correct Bulgarian greetings! You are more likely to get helped this way.

Here is our Bulgarian greetings list of all the general ways to address a person upon meeting. It is tailored for formal and informal situations.

1- Good morning.

Добро утро.
Dobro utro.

‘Good morning’ in Bulgarian is acceptable any time between approximately 5:30am and 12:00pm, when the day is still young. And smile – it’s the universal ice-breaker!

2- Good evening

Добър вечер.
Dobyr vecher.

This greeting is one you would use casually when night begins to fall. Address your friends, close family or close acquaintances, and those who are not your superiors, with this phrase.

3- How are you?

Как сте?
Kak ste?

Show your friendly interest in another person’s well-being by asking this question. This is the casual greeting form that you would use with your friends and family. For the sake of the friendship, it would be good to listen carefully to the answer! It shows caring and selflessness on your part.

4- How have you been?

Как си напоследък?
Kak si naposledak?

This is a good question to ask someone you have not seen for a while. The inference is that some catching-up is needed!

5- What’s up?

Какво става?
Kakvo stava?

An universally informal and energetic way to greet your friends or equals! Literally, it means ‘What’s going on in your life?’, yet often no answer is expected. It’s just a greeting! Crazy, right?!

6- Long time no see.

Отдавна не сме се виждали.
Otdavna ne sme se vizhdali.

This phrase means is another greeting comment that means “I have not seen you for a while!” Often, no response is expected, except to reciprocate.

7- Hey!

Хей!
Hey!

This is a friendly exclamation to greet your friends or equals with. Reserve its use more for people you see regularly!

8- Good afternoon.

Добър ден.
Dobyr den.

‘Good afternoon’ in Bulgarian is an informal greeting and is used during the second part of the day. The appropriate period falls, in most cultures, from 12:00am till sunset.

9- How’s it going?

Как върви?
Kak varvi?

This greeting phrase basically means the same as ‘How are things progressing?’, ‘How are things going in your life?’ or even ‘What’s up?’ Depending on the friendship, a lengthy answer is not always expected.

10- It’s nice to see you again.

Радвам се отново да те видя.
Radvam se otnovo da te vidya.

This friendly, welcoming phrase is best used after greeting someone you have not seen for a while. If you mean it, you will make the person feel special! This is a good thing to say to make someone feel welcome in Bulgarian.

11- How’s everything?

Как вървят нещата?
Kak varvyat neshtata?

This is a variation of ‘How’s it going?’ Use casually with your equals or close acquaintances.

12- How’s your day?

Как върви деня ти?
Kak varvi denya ti?

Ask this when you’re speaking to your Bulgarian friend during the day. It’s a friendly phrase to start a conversation with.

13- Yo!

Ехо!
Eho!

Yo! is English slang and a universal greeting popular among young men of most nationalities. Rather don’t answer the phone with this, unless you know your caller well!

14- Hello!

Здравей!
Zdravey!

Suitable for use in most settings, situations and persons, this is an important Bulgarian greeting to know. Be sure to master this word first at BulgarianPod101!

15- It’s nice to meet you.

Приятно ми е да те видя.
Priyatno mi e da te vidya.

When meeting someone for the first time, this is a polite and friendly way to welcome them. It means you are happy to make their acquaintance.

3. Why Should You Choose BulgarianPod101 To Learn How To Greet In Bulgarian?

Online learning systems abound, and it’s not easy to know which one will suit your needs best. This means you have to be careful and select a system with a good reputation, and that has proven longevity. BulgarianPod101, which is part of InnovativeLearning.com, ticks all the boxes! With millions of lesson downloads and over a decade of teaching, we can say with confidence that this is one of the best language learning systems on the web. Why is it such an excellent system? Let us count the ways…

1- Video Presentations with Native Speakers

Friendly native Bulgarian speakers guide you step-by-step through the process of learning vocabulary, phrases and much more. They demonstrate correct pronunciation and emphasis of the words, so as to ensure that you speak like a native when you’re done! Watching the enthusiastic tutors makes not only for a pleasant and more personal experience – it also allows you to copy mouth and lip movements. It’s like learning from your own Bulgarian friend in your own home!

2- Superb Flexibility with 24/7 Access to Learning Material – Anywhere and on Any Device connected to the Internet!

PC, Android, iPhone, iPad, laptop, even TV – whatever device you prefer! Go online with our FREE app to do your lessons, no matter where you are or which device you are using. All you need is a good internet connection to log on and learn to speak Bulgarian at your own pace, in your own place!

3- Pronunciation Tool Ensures You Really Speak Bulgarian!

In any language, correct pronunciation is often crucial. The nuances in language require this, or you could find yourself saying things you don’t mean. You will find our Pronunciation Tool invaluable to wrap your mouth around the correct way to greet in Bulgarian!

4- Our Content is Always New and Dynamic

Every week, new audio and video lessons are uploaded, so as to keep our promise that learning Bulgarian with BulgarianPod101 is always fun and exciting! In addition, you will get access to bonus material and basic Bulgarian phrases. These are a fantastic way to build your comprehension and speaking skills!

5- Need to Fast Track your Learning? We Have the Solution!

Most learning activities are more fun when you’re not doing them alone. For this reason we developed Premium PLUS, which gives you a personal tutor – 24/7! Also, this way you’re likely to learn to speak Bulgarian much faster!

So, if our lively Bulgarian blog is not enough for you, just upgrade to Premium PLUS to get your very own teacher. Personalised goals and lessons based on your needs, assessment of your progress, non-stop feedback and many other super features makes this a very attractive option.

Say ‘Hello’ to a wonderful, exciting way to learn another language, and learn how to say ‘Hello’ in Bulgarian in no time! You will be very happy you did!