The Focus of this Lesson Is Expressions Used When Asking for Something or When Giving Orders
Ставай вече!
Stavay veche!
"Get up already!"

Asking or inviting someone to do something or giving orders can be done by using one specific form of imperative mood expressions. Let's look at the Bulgarian expressions used in such cases.

A simple way to ask someone to do something in Bulgarian is to use the imperative mood. It is formed with the second person singular (or plural, for many people) form of the verb in the imperative form. So, this form in Bulgarian usually ends in -ай for the singular and -айте for the plural. Also, note that -те is a typical ending for the plural for most of the different verb forms, so it's useful to remember it. For example, Хайде, тръгвай! which, in English, is something like "Come on, let's go!" is the singular, and Хайде, тръгвайте! is the plural, used when talking to more than one person.

Using the Imperative Form in the Plural

The plural form is the one used in formal situations, but in this case, we must note that, since the imperative form is kind of a not-very-formal expression, it would not sound very good to use it with superiors and elderly people. Still, in cases when drawing someone's attention is necessary, we can use it. For example, Внимавайте! (in English, "Be careful!") is a formal expression that can be used, not only with more than one person, but also with people with whom you are using formal language.

For example:

1. Казвай кое избираш!
   Kazvay koe izbirash!
   "Say which one you choose!"
2. Побързай, закъсняваме.
   Pobarzay, zakasnyavame.
   "Hurry up, we're late."
3. Внимавай, чашата ще падне!
   Vnimavay, chashata shte padne!
   "Be careful, the glass will fall!"
4. Давай!
   Davay!
   "Go!" (for example when cheering someone at a sports event)

Examples from this dialogue:

1. Елена: Ставай вече! Седем и половина е.
   Elena: Stavay veche! Sedem i polovina e.
   Elena: Get up already! It's seven thirty.

Language Tip

Some verbs have different endings for their imperative form. For example, the verb "to live" (живея in Bulgarian) will end in -ей for the second person singular and -ейте for the second person plural, like in the sentences Живей в името на свободата! and Живейте така, че да накарате родителите ви да се гордеят с вас. The first one means "Live in the name of freedom!" and the second one is "Live so that you make your parents proud of you."

Вече is a Bulgarian adverb meaning "already" or "yet." It usually comes at the beginning or at the end of the sentence. For example, "Are you already awake?" in Bulgarian will be Буден ли си вече? Вече is used in both formal and informal situations.

Още is a Bulgarian adverb meaning the opposite of "yet," or, in other words, "still." It can also have the meaning of "more." For example, "Give me more details, please" in Bulgarian will be Дай ми още информация, моля те. You can see that, in this case, it goes together with the noun.

Пак is a Bulgarian adverb meaning "again," "once more," and so on. Since it sounds a bit informal, in more formal situations, we can use another adverb in Bulgarian—отново—which also means "again."

Work and School Hours in Bulgaria

In this lesson, the two main characters were in a typical situation-a mother tries to wake her son up in the morning so that he won't be late for school. So now, let us check what the typical hours to go to school and work in Bulgaria are, when people commute to school and work, and when those facilities usually finish classes and business hours. Schools start usually at 7:30 or 8 o'clock and have classes until noon or 1 pm. There are ten-minute breaks between classes and one longer, twenty-minute break after the third class. Usual working hours are a bit different. For example, a typical clerk's business day will start at 8:30 or 9 am and will end at 5 pm. There are businesses that have longer working hours-usually IT-related ones. These numbers may vary depending on the type of school or company, but still, that makes commuting to school and work easier, since kids and grown-ups generally commute during different hours.