Getting around in Bulgarian
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Bulgarian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Bulgarian phrases in this lesson
- Къде е тоалетната?kuh-DEH eh to-a-LET-na-ta
- Where is the toilet?
- Как да стигна до...?kak da STEEG-na do
- How do I get to...?
- Налявоna-LYA-vo
- To the left
- Надясноna-DYAS-no
- To the right
- Направоna-PRA-vo
- Straight ahead
- Тукtook
- Here
- ГараGA-ra
- Train station
- Автобусav-to-BOOS
- Bus
- Летищеleh-TEESH-teh
- Airport
- Един билет, моляeh-DIN bi-LET MO-lya
- One ticket, please
The most urgent sentence in any language. On doors, Ж is women (жени) and М is men (мъже). Remember that one before you need it.
Directions come at you fast, but наляво, надясно and направо cover nearly every answer you will get. Watch the hands, they carry half the information.
Careful: направо sounds like it should mean "to the right" but it means straight ahead. This catches every learner at least once, usually at a critical intersection.
Гара is the train station, автогара (av-to-GA-ra) the bus station. In most towns they sit right next to each other, which is convenient and confusing in equal measure.
Trams are трамвай (tram-VAY), the Sofia metro is метро. Validate your ticket on board where machines exist, inspectors do check.
Sofia airport is on the metro line to the center.
Works at ticket windows, machines with a human nearby, and on some buses from the driver. For a return ticket ask for "двупосочен" (dvoo-po-SO-chen).