Compliments provide encouragement that makes people feel valuable and important. These words can even improve their self-esteem and help them believe that they can achieve more. Moreover, compliments imply that you have something—whether it’s a great appearance, a cheerful character, or an exceptional mind—which other people find noteworthy. In fact, every person is unique and possesses something that he or she can receive compliments for.

Although Bulgarians are sparing with their praise and compliments, just like people of many other nations, they also love to get sincere compliments. You probably want to learn various Bulgarian compliments, such as how to compliment a Bulgarian girl or how to praise someone in Bulgarian. Or maybe you’re just curious what kind of compliments Bulgarian people give their friends?

You’re in the right place, as BulgarianPod101 will reveal to you a completely new part of Bulgarian culture. By the end of this guide, you’ll not only be able to offer someone praise in Bulgarian words, but also know how to accept compliments that Bulgarians give to you.

Table of Contents

1. What Compliments will Impress Your Bulgarian Girlfriend?
2. Bulgarian Compliments On Your Girlfriend/Boyfriend’s Look
3. Bulgarian Compliments On Someone’s Work
4. Bulgarian Compliments On Girlfriend/Boyfriend’s Skills
5. How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere?
6. What to Expect After Giving Compliments?
7. How to Avoid Awkward Situations When Making Compliments?
8. Practice Time: What Compliments You Will Give to People in the Following 6 Situations?
9. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Impress Other People with Your Bulgarian?

1. What Compliments Will Impress Your Bulgarian Girlfriend?

Four Little Secrets For Building a Lasting Relationship with a Bulgarian Girl

There are a few surefire ways to impress your Bulgarian girlfriend. No, you don’t have to offer her a holiday in Miami or buy a star in the sky to make her happy. Here are four little secrets that can make a big turnaround in a timid relationship:

• Be a real gentleman, as girls notice every act of attention. You’ll definitely attract her attention if you open the door for her, ask her for a date and bring her back home afterward, or show her some other little signs of care.
• Pay the bill when you’re out together for dinner. Even if a lady can afford to pay her bill, a gentleman will show his sincere interest by paying the bills.
• Give her some little presents, even without a reason. It doesn’t have to be something expensive; it could be a flower or something small, for example. The gift will show her that you’re thinking about her.
• Offer her compliments in Bulgarian every time you see her. This will maintain the flame of love.

What Bulgarian Compliments Will Make Her Happy?

Now, let’s learn some beautiful compliments to tell a girl in Bulgarian. Let’s start with “You are beautiful!” in Bulgarian.

• Много си красива!
  Mnogo si krasiva
  “You are so beautiful!“
• Толкова си интелигентна!
  Tolkova si inteligentna
  “You are so smart!“
• С теб може да се говори на толкова много теми!
  S teb mozhe da se govori na tolkova mnogo temi
  “You can talk about so many topics!“

This compliment is equivalent to “You are so smart!” but it’s not so direct. So by using it, you can just hint at her intelligence, which will definitely make your Bulgarian girlfriend happy during the initial stage of your relationship!

Смехът ти е очарователен!
Smehat ti e ocharovatelen
“Your laugh is charming!“

This also tells her that you like to see her happy.

Now, let’s learn some more Bulgarian flirting phrases:

• Имаш толкова нежен глас, че мога да те слушам с часове!
  Imash tolkova nezhen glas, she moga da te slusham s chasove
  “You have such a gentle voice that I can listen to you for hours!“
• Очите ти са толкова дълбоки, че мога да потъна в тях!
  Ochite ti sa tolkova dalboki, che moga da potana v tyah
  “Your eyes are so deep that I can sink into them!“
• Нямам търпение да се срещнем отново!
  Nyamam tarpenie da se sreshtnem otnovo
  “I can’t wait to meet you again!“

This compliment will assure her that you like her a lot, and that you would like to spend much more time with her.

What if You Have a Bulgarian Boyfriend?

Just like girls, boys and men also need to receive compliments to know that they’re valuable in their partner’s eyes. Here’s a list of Bulgarian romantic phrases and compliments that a foreign girl can learn to impress her Bulgarian boyfriend.

• Вярвам в теб!
  Vyarvam v tep
  “I believe in you!“

It’s very important for a man to know that the girl he likes trusts in him. If you do, tell him so.

• Голям майстор си!
  Golyam maystor si
  “You’re an expert in your field!“
• Хората искат да работят с теб, защото се доверяват на твоите способности!
  Horata iskat da rabotyat s tep, zashtoto se doveryavat na tvoite sposobnosti
  “People want to work with you because they trust your abilities!“
• Ти си и талантлив, и трудолюбив!
  Ti si i talantlif, i trudolyubif
  “You are both talented and hardworking!“

All three of the compliments above are important for men to hear, because they emphasize their skills and achievements. A man who works hard and is independent is a reliable man who can maintain his own family. So use these compliments to show that you’re impressed with his achievements.

• Вече си постигнал толкова много в живота си!
  Veche si postignal tolkova mnogo v zhivota si
  “You’ve already achieved so much in your life!“
• Мисля, че притежаваш качества, които не се срещат в много други мъже!
  Mislya che pritezhavash kachestva koito ne se sreshtat v mnogo drugi mazhe
  “I think you have qualities that many other men don’t have!“
• Ти си толкова мил с мен!
  Ti si tolkova mil s men
  “You are so kind to me!“
• Мнението ти е важно за мен!
  Mnenieto ti e vazhno za men
  “Your opinion is important to me!“

By saying this, you make your man a part of your life; it means that you’ll not only consider, but also follow, his advice.

→ For more romantic Bulgarian compliments, click on this list of 15 compliments available on BulgarianPod101.com.

2. Bulgarian Compliments on Your Girlfriend’s/Boyfriend’s Look

Tell These Bulgarian Compliments to Your Girlfriend

• Истинска ли си?
  Istinska li si
  “Are you real?“
• Ти си прекрасна жена!
  Ti si prekrasna zhena
  “You are a wonderful woman!“
• Изглеждаш като Джулия Робъртс!
  Izglezhdash kato Dzhuliya Robarts
  “You look like Julia Roberts!“
• Ти си красива и отвътре, и отвън!
  Ti si krasiva i otvatre i otvan
  “You are beautiful both inside and outside!“
• Ти си моята причина да бъда щастлив!
  Ti si moyata prichina da bada shtastlif
  “You are my reason to be happy!“

Tell These Bulgarian Compliments to Your Boyfriend

• Истински ли си?
  Istinski li si
  “Are you real?“
• Ти си прекрасен мъж!
  Ti si prekrasen mazh
  “You are a wonderful man!“
• Изглеждаш като Арнолд Шварценегер.
  Izglezhdash kato Arnold Shvartseneger
  “You look like Arnold Schwarzenegger!“
• Ти си красив и отвътре, и отвън.
  Ti si krasiv i otvatre i otvan
  “You are beautiful both inside and outside!“
• Ти си моята причина да бъда щастливa.
  Ti si moyata prichina da bŭda shtastliva
  “You are my reason to be happy!“

Compliments That Fit for Both Genders

• Не мога да си представя света без теб!
  Ne moga da si predstavya sveta bez tep
  “I can’t imagine the world without you!“
• Искам дъщеря ми да прилича на теб.
  Iskam dashterya mi da prilicha na tep
  “I want my daughter to look like you!“
• Не усещам как минава времето, когато съм с теб!
  Ne useshtam kak minava vremeto, kogato sam s tep
  “I can’t feel the time when I’m with you!“

Funny Compliments on Your Girlfriend’s/Boyfriend’s Look

Sometimes, a little joke can break the tension and make your boyfriend or girlfriend relax. Laughter brings people together, so it might be useful to learn the following funny compliments and use them at the right time:

• Толкова си сладка, че ще те изям!
  Tolkova si sladka, che shte te izyam
  “You are so sweet that I will eat you up!“
• Ти си като елексир на живота!
  Ti si kato eleksir na zhivota
  “You are like the elixir of life!“
• Когато те видя, всичко останало изчезва!
  Kogato te vidya, vsichko ostanalo izchezva
  “When I see you, everything else disappears!“
• Колко си красива днес! Също като мен!
  Kolko si krasiva dnes! Sashto kato men
  “How beautiful you are today! Just like me!“

→ BulgarianPod101.com offers Bulgarian lessons for beginners. Click here to learn three ways to say thank you to the Bulgarian person you really like.

3. Bulgarian Compliments on Someone’s Work

Although it’s nice to get compliments about your looks, many people like hearing compliments about their work even more. This praise means that your friends appreciate what you’ve done and acknowledge that you’re a master in something.

To make other people happy, you can learn the right way to compliment in Bulgaria. Here are some examples that you can apply in your work environment:

• Свърши чудесна работа!
  Svarshi chudesna rabota
  “You did a great job!“
• Ти си много вдъхновяваща личност!
  Ti si mnogo vdahnovyavashta lichnost
  “You are a very inspiring person!“
• Вярвам ти и те ценя!
  Vyarvam ti i te tsenya
  “I trust you and I appreciate you!“
• Поздравявам те за начина, по който се справи със ситуацията!
  Pozdravyavam te za nachina, po koyto se spravi sas situatsiyata
  “I congratulate you on the way you handled the situation!“
• Имам нужда от твоя съвет!
  Imam nuzhda ot tvoya savet
  “I need your advice!“

Funny Compliments on Someone’s Work

If you want to lighten up the situation with some humor, use one of the following funny compliments in Bulgarian:

• Добра работа, но можеше да е още по-добрa!
  Dobra rabota, no mozheshe da e oshte po-dobra
  “Good job, but it could have been even better!“
• Никой не може да се сравнява с теб!
  Nikoy ne mozhe da se sravnyava s tep
  “No one can compare to you!“
• Хората в живота ти са късметлии, че те имат!
  Horata v zhivota ti sa kasmetlii, che te imat
  “The people in your life are lucky to have you!“
• Личи си, че се учиш!
  Lichi si, che se uchish
  “You seem to be learning!“

4. Bulgarian Compliments on Your Girlfriend’s/Boyfriend’s Skills

To praise your boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s skills means that you acknowledge their talents and are inspired by their personality. By complimenting their skills, you show the other person that they’re valuable in your eyes. Here are some ways to demonstrate your deep appreciation:

• Обичам начина, по който ме караш да мисля!
  Obicham nachina, po koyto me karash da mislya
  “I love the way you make me think!“
• Постоянно ми напомняш, че хората са добри!
  Postoyanno mi napomnyash, che horata sa dobri
  “You keep reminding me that people are good!“
• Светът би бил толкова скучен без теб!
  Svetat bi bil tolkova skuchen bez teb
  “The world would be so boring without you!“
• Душата ти е великолепна!
  Dushata ti e velikolepna
  “You have a magnificent soul!“
• Имаш толкова добро сърце!
  Imash tolkova dobro sartse
  “You have such a good heart!“
• Никога не спирай да бъдеш това, което си!
  Nikoga ne spiray da badesh tova, koeto si
  “Never stop being who you are!“
• Ти ме караш да вярвам в доброто!
  Ti me karash da vyarvam v dobroto
  “You make me believe in good!“

Funny Compliments on Your Girlfriend’s/Boyfriend’s Skills

Add more fun to the conversation by using one of these Bulgarian compliments:

• Умен си колкото двама глупави!
  Umen si kolkoto dvama glupavi
  “You are as smart as two stupid people!“
• Сърцето ти е десет пъти по-голямо от средното!
  Sartseto ti e deset pati po-golyamo ot srednoto
  “Your heart is ten times larger than the average heart!“
• Не си толкова глупав, колкото позволяваш на хората да мислят за теб!
  Ne si tolkova glupav, kolkoto pozvolyavash na horata da mislyat za tep
  “You’re not as stupid as you allow people to think about you!“
• Има ли ден, който не си направил по-добър?
  Ima li den, koyto ne si napravil po-dobar
  “Is there a day you didn’t make better?“

→ BulgarianPod101 provides you with a list of the most common Bulgarian phrases you’ll need for a date. Check it out!

5. How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere

Bulgarian people love to get compliments—when they’re sincere. These praises not only tell them that the person they’re speaking with finds them valuable, but compliments also encourage them to make further improvements. To achieve this effect, we need to know how to make a good compliment in Bulgarian.

Indirect Compliments

There are indirect compliments you may find useful in your conversations with Bulgarians. You can use the following Bulgarian compliments after you successfully finish a project with others.

• Колко сме умни!
  Kolko sme umni
  “How smart we are!“
• Браво на нас!
  Bravo na nas
  “Good on us!“

If you’re not sure how the person will receive your compliment, you can offer a compliment that’s less emotional. For example, you can say kind words about something they own:

• Каква страхотна кола имаш!
  Kakva strakhotna kola imash
  “What a great car you have!“
• Имаш много хубава къща!
  Imash mnogo hubava kashta!
  “You have a very nice house!“

Direct Compliments

In order to make a direct compliment on someone’s look sincere, take a closer look at the person and note exactly what you like about him/her. It may sound like:

• Имаш страхотна прическа!
  Imash strahotna pricheska
  “You have a great hairstyle!“
• Тази рокля ти стои чудесно!
  Tazi roklya ti stoi chudesno
  “This dress looks great on you!“

Sincere Compliments with Facts

To make your direct compliments sound more sincere, add some irrefutable fact to them.

• Чудесен тен. Изглеждаш неотразимо!
  Chudesen ten. Izglezhdash neotrazimo
  “Great tan. You look irresistible!“
• Каква красива рокля. В нея си просто очарователна!
  Kakva krasiva roklya. V neya si prosto ocharovatelna
  “What a beautiful dress. You’re indeed charming!“
• Перфектна работа! Благодарение на нея нарастват печалбите на фирмата.
  Perfektna rabota! Blagodarenie na neya narastvat pechalbite na firmata
  “Perfect job! Thanks to it, the company’s profits increased!“

6. What to Expect After Giving Compliments

Although they like receiving compliments, Bulgarians may be shy about it. The most typical reaction to a compliment will be:

• Благодаря (Blagodarya), “Thank you!“
• Благодаря! Много мило! (Blagodarya! Mnogo milo!), “Thank you! Very kind of you!“

But sometimes, the person you’re speaking with might be too shy and try to oppose the compliment. For example, if you tell her “Oh, what a lovely dress you have today!” she might say: “Nothing special.”

In Bulgarian, it will sound like this:

• О, каква прекрасна рокля носиш днес!
  O, kakva prekrasna roklya nosish dnes
  “Oh, what a beautiful dress you are wearing today!“
• Нищо особено!
  Nishto osobeno
  “Nothing special.“

This doesn’t mean that your interlocutor doesn’t like your compliment. Usually, it means that she or he is shy. In a case like that, you can just add:

• Наистина, много ми харесва!
  Naistina, mnogo mi haresva
  “Indeed, I like it a lot!“

After such a comment, most Bulgarians will say: “Thank you!”

Now, watch the following video to find out the best ways of accepting a compliment in Bulgarian:

7. How to Avoid Awkward Situations When Making Compliments

You have to be careful when giving compliments in specific situations, as your compliments might not be considered appropriate.

Such a situation may be giving compliments about a girl’s look in the presence of her boyfriend or husband. It’s not okay to praise a woman’s beauty in this case. Instead, you can say a compliment that includes both of them as a couple. For example:

• Изглеждате чудесно като двойка!
  Izglezhdate chudesno kato dvoyka
  “You look great as a couple!“

Or

• Много си подхождате!
  Mnogo si podhozhdate
  “You are so matching!“

You should also avoid accidentally giving weird Bulgarian compliments on someone’s look, which can happen if that person has a physical disability. In that case, you can just emphasize on his good character or skills. For example:

• Голям майстор си!
  Golyam maystor si
  “You are an expert in your field!“

Or

• В това си ненадминат!
  V tova si nenadminat
  “You are unsurpassed in this!“

8. Practice Time: What Compliments Will You Give to People in the Following Situations?

Now that you’ve learned a lot of Bulgarian compliments, it’s time to practice them in real-life situations. Your task will be to choose the right compliment to say for each specific situation described below. You can write down your answers now and check the correct answers at the end of this article.

Situation #1

You’re in the market searching for good apples to buy. You see very nice apples on the stall and you would like to give a compliment to the seller, who is standing beside them. What are you going to say?

Situation #2

Your colleague has offered you help, as you’re new to the company. He explained to you all of the details related to your working position. What compliment will you tell him/her to thank them for their kindness?

Situation #3

Your friend has a new hairstyle. What will you say to him/her?

Situation #4

You have a date with a Bulgarian girl. She looks really beautiful! What compliment will you give her?

Situation #5

You take a bus. There are no seats available, but a young man stands up to give you his seat. What will you tell him?

Situation #6

You were invited to your friend’s house, and the dinner you ate was very delicious. What will you tell the lady of the house?

9. How BulgarianPod101 Can Help You Impress Other People with Your Bulgarian

BulgarianPod101 prepared this extensive guide on Bulgarian compliments not only to help you learn about compliments in Bulgarian culture, but also to help you feel more confident in your Bulgarian skills during a date with a Bulgarian man or woman. If you need even more detailed explanations about this topic or help in specific situations, you can turn to a Bulgarian language expert using our MyTeacher program. You’ll find an excellent coach who will understand your needs and determine the right learning approach to improve your language skills.

If you’ve met some difficulties completing the practical exercises in Section 8, you can share them in the comments below. We’re always happy to hear from you and to support you in your struggles. We’ll also appreciate hearing your thoughts on this article!

Answers to Section 8: Practice Time

Situation #1

• Много хубави ябълки!
  Mnogo hubavi yabalki
  “Very nice apples!“

Situation #2

• Много мило от твоя страна! Благодаря за помощта!
  Mnogo milo ot tvoya strana! Blagodarya za pomoshta
  “Very nice of you! Thanks for the help!“

Situation #3

• Много хубава прическа! Много ти отива!
  Mnogo hubava pricheska! Mnogo ti otiva
  “Very nice hairstyle! It really suits you much!“

Situation #4

• Изглеждаш страхотно!
  Izglezhdash strahotno
  “You look great!“

Situation #5

In this case, we’ll use the formal Ваша instead of the informal твоя.

• Много мило от Ваша страна! Благодаря!
  Mnogo milo ot Vasha strana! Blagodarya
  “Very kind of you! Thank you!“

Situation #6

• Много e вкусно! Благодаря!
  Mnogo е fkusno! Blagodarya
  “It’s very tasty! Thank you!“