Numbers in the Bulgarian Language

A Practical Guide for English Speakers

Numbers are one of the first and most useful topics when learning Bulgarian. You need them to talk about age, prices, dates, time, quantities, addresses, and everyday situations. Bulgarian numbers follow clear patterns, but there are a few important differences compared to English.

In this article, you will learn how Bulgarian numbers are formed and used, with clear explanations and practical examples.

1. Cardinal Numbers in Bulgarian (0–10)

Cardinal numbers are used for counting people, objects, and things. In Bulgarian, the numbers one and two change depending on gender — something English speakers should pay special attention to.

Gender Forms of 1 and 2

• един – masculine

• една – feminine

• едно – neuter

• два – masculine

• две – feminine & neuter

Examples:

• един мъж — one man

• една жена — one woman

• едно дете — one child

• два града — two cities

• две книги — two books

2. Numbers from 11 to 19

Numbers from 11 to 19 have unique forms and must be memorized.

Examples:

• Той е на петнадесет години.
  He is fifteen years old.

• Имам осемнадесет въпроса.
  I have eighteen questions.

3. Tens and Numbers up to 100

Tens have specific forms. When adding units, Bulgarian uses the word и (“and”).

Examples:

• 21 — двадесет и едно

• 34 — тридесет и четири

• 58 — петдесет и осем

• 99 — деветдесет и девет

4. Hundreds and Thousands

Bulgarian numbers above 100 follow regular patterns.

Examples:

• 145 — сто четиридесет и пет

• 672 — шестстотин седемдесет и две

• 1,250 — хиляда двеста и петдесет

• 2024 — две хиляди двадесет и четири

5. Ordinal Numbers (First, Second, Third…)

Ordinal numbers show order and agree in gender and number with the noun.

Examples:

• първи урок — first lesson

• втора седмица — second week

• трети етаж — third floor

6. Using Numbers in Everyday Bulgarian

Age

Bulgarian uses the structure “на + number + години”.

• Аз съм на двадесет и пет години.
  I am 25 years old.

Prices

• Колко струва това? — How much is this?

• Струва десет лева. — It costs ten leva.

Time

• Часът е шест и половина.
  It is six thirty.

• Срещата е в девет часа.
  The meeting is at nine o’clock.

Counting Objects

• Имам три деца. — I have three children.

• В стаята има четири стола. — There are four chairs in the room.

7. Key Tips for English Speakers

✔ Numbers 1 and 2 change according to gender
✔ The word и (“and”) connects tens and units
✔ Bulgarian pronunciation is mostly phonetic
✔ Ordinal numbers behave like adjectives

Conclusion

Learning numbers in Bulgarian is essential for everyday communication. Although there are some differences compared to English — especially gender forms and the use of и — the system is logical and consistent. With practice, you’ll quickly feel confident talking about age, prices, time, dates, and quantities in Bulgarian.