When You're Completely Lost

Здравейте!

Zdraveyte!

Hello!

Opening word when you approach a stranger to ask for help.

Съвсем се обърках.

Savsem se obarkah.

I'm completely lost.

The honest reset — the conversation has gone somewhere you can't follow and you say so.

Не говоря добре български.

Ne govorya dobre balgarski.

I don't speak Bulgarian well.

Sets expectations up front so the other person slows down and keeps it simple.

Извинявайте, уча български.

Izvinyavayte, ucha balgarski.

Sorry, I'm learning Bulgarian.

Bulgarians warm up instantly to someone trying — this earns patience and a smile.

По-бавно, моля.

Po-bavno, molya.

Slower, please.

Your most-used lifeline — catches half-heard sentences before they run away.

Може ли да го напишете?

Mozhe li da go napishete?

Can you write it down?

Reading is far easier than listening in a new language — get the key bit on paper or a phone screen.

Може ли да ми покажете на картата?

Mozhe li da mi pokazhete na kartata?

Can you show me on the map?

When directions are hopeless in words — hold up your phone map and let them point.

Не разбирам.

Ne razbiram.

I don't understand.

The bedrock phrase — say it the moment you freeze, no matter the situation.

Трябва ми помощ.

Tryabva mi pomosht.

I need help.

Plain and direct — the sentence that starts almost any rescue.

Може ли някой да ми помогне?

Mozhe li nyakoy da mi pomogne?

Can someone help me?

Said to a room or a queue when the person in front of you can't help.

Къде мога да намеря някой, който говори английски?

Kade moga da namerya nyakoy, koyto govori angliyski?

Where can I find someone who speaks English?

The last-resort escape hatch — only after you've tried to recover in Bulgarian.

Благодаря за търпението!

Blagodarya za tarpenieto!

Thank you for your patience!

For the stranger who slowed down and stuck with you — it leaves them glad they did.

Един момент, моля.

Edin moment, molya.

One moment, please.

The most useful three words in the language for a beginner — the clerk has asked something and you need two seconds before the silence turns awkward. 'Вие' form, safe with anyone.

Чакайте малко да помисля.

Chakayte malko da pomislya.

Wait a moment, let me think.

Said out loud while you assemble the sentence in your head. Bulgarians will simply wait — silence with no explanation is what makes them switch to English.

Сега ще се сетя за думата.

Sega shte se setya za dumata.

I'll remember the word in a second.

Mid-sentence, the noun you need has vanished. This keeps your turn alive instead of handing the conversation away.

Знам как е, само да се сетя.

Znam kak e, samo da se setya.

I know how to say it, just let me remember.

The face-saving version of the same move — it tells the other person you have the Bulgarian, you just need a beat, so they hold off on rescuing you.

Не бързайте, слушам ви.

Ne barzayte, slusham vi.

Don't rush, I'm listening.

Something you hear the moment you say one of the phrases above. It is permission to take your time — take it, and finish the sentence in Bulgarian.

Извинете, може ли пак?

Izvinete, mozhe li pak?

Sorry, could you say that again?

The everyday repeat request. The 'Извинете' at the front is what keeps it polite — bare 'Може ли пак?' is fine with a friend but curt with a stranger.

Извинете, не ви чух добре.

Izvinete, ne vi chuh dobre.

Sorry, I didn't catch that.

Use this rather than 'не разбирам' when the problem was noise or speed, not vocabulary — it tells the other person to repeat, not to simplify.

Още веднъж, ако обичате.

Oshte vednazh, ako obichate.

Once more, if you would.

'Ако обичате' is the softer, slightly more formal 'please' you hear in offices and pharmacies — worth having alongside 'моля'.

Моля? Не ви чух.

Molya? Ne vi chuh.

Sorry? I didn't hear you.

Something you hear — and the single most common reply to a beginner's first attempt. It is not criticism: it means say it again, a little louder. Repeat the same sentence rather than switching.

Какво? Не разбирам какво искате.

Kakvo? Ne razbiram kakvo iskate.

What? I don't understand what you want.

Something you hear from a busy or blunt person. It sounds harsh in English; in Bulgarian it is just direct. Answer by naming the one thing you want, in three words, not by starting over.

Малко по-бавно, ако обичате.

Malko po-bavno, ako obichate.

A little slower, if you would.

The gentler cousin of 'По-бавно, моля.' — worth using with an older person or an official, where the bare imperative can land as an order.

Може ли с по-прости думи?

Mozhe li s po-prosti dumi?

Could you use simpler words?

The repair that actually works when speed is not the problem — the sentence was slow and you still missed it. Asks for smaller vocabulary, not a slower delivery.

Кажете го дума по дума, моля.

Kazhete go duma po duma, molya.

Say it word by word, please.

For the one sentence that really matters — an address, an instruction at a counter — where you need each word separated out.

Само най-важното, моля.

Samo nay-vazhnoto, molya.

Just the main thing, please.

When someone gives you a long, kind, thorough answer and you are drowning. Asking for the headline is far better than pretending you followed it.

Да ви го кажа ли по-бавно?

Da vi go kazha li po-bavno?

Shall I say it to you more slowly?

Something you hear once your accent registers. Say 'Да, моля' — this is the offer that keeps the whole exchange in Bulgarian.

Какво значи тази дума?

Kakvo znachi tazi duma?

What does this word mean?

The moment you can point at the one word that broke the sentence. Far more efficient than asking for the whole thing again.

Тази дума не я знам.

Tazi duma ne ya znam.

I don't know that word.

Naming the exact gap. The doubled object ('тази дума... не я знам') is normal spoken Bulgarian, not a mistake — it puts the word first for emphasis.

Може ли да ми го обясните с други думи?

Mozhe li da mi go obyasnite s drugi dumi?

Could you explain it to me in other words?

The best single repair line in this file: it keeps you in Bulgarian and puts the work on the person who actually has the vocabulary.

Не знаете ли какво значи?

Ne znaete li kakvo znachi?

You don't know what it means?

Something you hear, usually with mild surprise rather than scorn. The right answer is simply 'Не, не знам' — admitting it gets you the explanation.

Как е това на български?

Kak e tova na balgarski?

How do you say this in Bulgarian?

Said while holding or pointing at the thing. The short colloquial form Bulgarians actually use — 'Как се казва...' is the textbook version and also fine.

Как да го кажа правилно?

Kak da go kazha pravilno?

How do I say it properly?

After you have made an attempt and seen it not land. Asking to be corrected turns a stranger into a teacher, and Bulgarians enjoy the role.

Така правилно ли се казва?

Taka pravilno li se kazva?

Is that the right way to say it?

Check a phrase you half-remember before you commit to it in a shop or an office.

Не се казва така, казва се сметка.

Ne se kazva taka, kazva se smetka.

You don't say it like that, you say 'smetka'.

Something you hear the moment you ask to be corrected — here with 'сметка' (the bill) as the example word. Bulgarians correct directly and without softening; it is help, not a rebuke.

Напишете ми го, моля.

Napishete mi go, molya.

Write it down for me, please.

Reading Cyrillic is far easier than catching it at speed. This is the fastest way to rescue an address, a time or an amount.

Може ли да го напишете на телефона ми?

Mozhe li da go napishete na telefona mi?

Could you write it on my phone?

Hand over your unlocked phone with the notes app open. Almost nobody refuses, and you leave with the information saved instead of half-remembered.

Кажете ми го буква по буква, бавно.

Kazhete mi go bukva po bukva, bavno.

Spell it out for me, slowly.

For a surname or a street name. 'Буква по буква' is the standard way to ask someone to spell — Bulgarians do not use a spelling alphabet the way English speakers do.

Втората буква не я разбрах.

Vtorata bukva ne ya razbrah.

I didn't get the second letter.

Mid-spelling repair — you ask for the one letter you lost instead of making them start the whole name again.

Чакайте, ще ви го напиша.

Chakayte, shte vi go napisha.

Hold on, I'll write it down for you.

Something you hear from a clerk who has decided to make this work. Let them — and photograph what they write before you leave.

Нека повторя, за да проверя.

Neka povtorya, za da proverya.

Let me repeat it, to check.

Announce the read-back before you do it, so the other person knows to listen and correct rather than answer.

Правилно ли разбрах?

Pravilno li razbrah?

Did I understand correctly?

Three words that catch most misunderstandings before they cost you a wasted trip. No gendered form, so it works for any learner.

Значи трябва да отида там, така ли?

Znachi tryabva da otida tam, taka li?

So I have to go there, is that right?

The pattern to copy for any instruction: say back what you think you must do, and end with 'така ли?'. That tag is the whole trick.

Точно така, разбрахте ме.

Tochno taka, razbrahte me.

Exactly right, you understood me.

Something you hear when your read-back lands. 'Точно така' is the standard confirmation — hearing it means you can move on with confidence.

Не, не така. Слушайте пак.

Ne, ne taka. Slushayte pak.

No, not like that. Listen again.

Something you hear when the read-back was wrong. It sounds abrupt but it is exactly what you wanted — the mistake surfaced in the shop instead of at the address.

Кажете ми числото по цифри, моля.

Kazhete mi chisloto po tsifri, molya.

Tell me the number digit by digit, please.

Bulgarian numbers run together fast. Asking for digits instead of a whole number is the reliable fix for phone numbers, flat numbers and codes.

Тринайсет или трийсет?

Trinayset ili triyset?

Thirteen or thirty?

The pair that catches every learner. Тринайсет/трийсет are the spoken Sofia forms; the written ones are тринадесет/тридесет. Ask outright rather than guessing.

Може ли пак номера, по-бавно?

Mozhe li pak nomera, po-bavno?

Could you give me the number again, slower?

For a phone number or a case number read out at speed. Have the phone open and type as they go.

Ще го повторя бавно.

Shte go povtorya bavno.

I'll repeat it slowly.

Something you hear after you ask. Do not interrupt to say thank you — write it down first, thank them after.

Говоря малко български, но се справям.

Govorya malko balgarski, no se spravyam.

I speak a little Bulgarian, but I manage.

The framing that keeps you in Bulgarian: it warns them you are slow and promises you will get there. Much better than an apology, which invites them to switch languages for you.

Разбирам повече, отколкото говоря.

Razbiram poveche, otkolkoto govorya.

I understand more than I speak.

True for almost every learner and enormously useful — it tells the other person to keep speaking Bulgarian and just be patient with your replies.

Тепърва започвам да уча езика.

Teparva zapochvam da ucha ezika.

I'm only just starting to learn the language.

For a first exchange where you want the bar set low from the outset. No gendered participle, so one recording works for any learner.

Откога учите български?

Otkoga uchite balgarski?

How long have you been learning Bulgarian?

Something you hear as soon as you say you are learning. It is friendly interest and an invitation to keep talking — answer with a number of months, however small.

Разбрах само половината.

Razbrah samo polovinata.

I only understood half of it.

Honest and precise. It tells the other person to repeat rather than re-explain from scratch, which is usually all you need.

Изгубих се някъде по средата.

Izgubih se nyakade po sredata.

I lost you somewhere in the middle.

For the long answer that started clear and ran away from you. Bulgarians find this funny and sympathetic rather than embarrassing.

Кое беше последното, което казахте?

Koe beshe poslednoto, koeto kazahte?

What was the last thing you said?

Surgical repair — you got most of it and lost the ending, which is often where the actual instruction lives.

Разбрахте ли ме дотук?

Razbrahte li me dotuk?

Have you followed me so far?

Something you hear from someone explaining something long — a doctor, a landlord, a clerk. Answer honestly: a 'да' you do not mean costs you the rest of the explanation.

Не ви разбирам.

Ne vi razbiram.

I don't understand you.

Something you hear more than any other line in your first months. It is about your sentence, not about you — say it again slower, or say the one key noun on its own.

Какво? Не чух.

Kakvo? Ne chuh.

What? I didn't hear.

Something you hear, often in a noisy shop. Bare 'Какво?' is normal spoken Bulgarian and carries no rudeness — it is not the sharp 'What?' it looks like in English.

Говорите ли български?

Govorite li balgarski?

Do you speak Bulgarian?

Something you hear when your accent lands before your grammar does. The right answer is 'Малко' and then carrying on in Bulgarian — that is what earns you the slower speech.

Откъде сте?

Otkade ste?

Where are you from?

Something you hear constantly, and almost always as warmth rather than suspicion. It is also a gift: it moves the conversation onto ground you can handle.

Кажете пак.

Kazhete pak.

Say it again.

Something you hear as a bare imperative. In Bulgarian this is neutral, not brusque — 'моля' is often left off between strangers without any loss of politeness.

Хайде, по-бързо, има опашка.

Hayde, po-barzo, ima opashka.

Come on, faster, there's a queue.

Something you hear at a busy counter. Do not restart your sentence — say the single most important word (the product, the destination, the document) and let them work with it.

Няма как да ви помогна.

Nyama kak da vi pomogna.

There's no way I can help you.

Something you hear when you are at the wrong desk or the wrong office. It is usually literally true rather than a brush-off — ask 'Кой може?' and you will get a name or a floor.

Аз не говоря английски.

Az ne govorya angliyski.

I don't speak English.

Something you hear, and the reason this whole file exists. It is a plain fact, not a refusal — everything else in these clusters is what you do next.

Следващият, моля!

Sledvashtiyat, molya!

Next, please!

Something you hear as your turn is being ended for you. If you are not finished, 'Един момент, моля' buys the seconds back.

Спокойно, не бързайте.

Spokoyno, ne barzayte.

Take it easy, there's no rush.

Something you hear far more often than beginners expect. 'Спокойно' is the standard Bulgarian way of telling someone to relax.

Ще ви обясня пак, бавно.

Shte vi obyasnya pak, bavno.

I'll explain it again, slowly.

Something you hear once someone decides to help properly. This is the sentence that saves the exchange — stay quiet and listen right through it.

Кажете го както можете, ще ви разбера.

Kazhete go kakto mozhete, shte vi razbera.

Say it however you can, I'll understand you.

Something you hear from a genuinely kind stranger. Take it at face value: broken word order and wrong endings really are enough.

Няма проблем, ще се разберем.

Nyama problem, shte se razberem.

No problem, we'll understand each other.

Something you hear as a promise that the conversation will not be abandoned. 'Ще се разберем' is used for both 'we'll understand each other' and 'we'll sort it out'.

Браво, че се опитвате на български!

Bravo, che se opitvate na balgarski!

Well done for trying in Bulgarian!

Something you hear once they see you are not reaching for English. This is the warmth on the other side of the effort — answer 'Благодаря' and keep going.

Ще ви покажа какво имам предвид.

Shte vi pokazha kakvo imam predvid.

I'll show you what I mean.

Say it before you start pointing or scrolling, so the pause reads as a plan rather than as you giving up.

Може ли да ми го посочите?

Mozhe li da mi go posochite?

Could you point it out for me?

'Посоча' is specifically to point at, where 'покажа' is to show — the sharper verb when you want a finger on the shelf, the form or the map.

Може ли да прочетете това на екрана?

Mozhe li da prochetete tova na ekrana?

Could you read this on the screen?

For a message, a booking or an address you have in writing but cannot pronounce. Written Bulgarian on a screen sidesteps your accent entirely.

Покажете ми какво искате.

Pokazhete mi kakvo iskate.

Show me what you want.

Something you hear from a shopkeeper who has given up on the words and moved to a faster channel. It is cooperation, not impatience.

Може ли да попитаме някой друг?

Mozhe li da popitame nyakoy drug?

Could we ask someone else?

The 'we' matters — it keeps the person on your side instead of implying they failed you.

Един приятел говори добре български. Да му звънна ли?

Edin priyatel govori dobre balgarski. Da mu zvanna li?

A friend of mine speaks good Bulgarian. Shall I call him?

The Bulgarian-internal rescue: a Bulgarian-speaking friend on speakerphone, not an English speaker. Says 'приятел' (male friend); for a woman it is 'Една приятелка... Да ѝ звънна ли?'.

Може ли да го обясните и на приятеля ми?

Mozhe li da go obyasnite i na priyatelya mi?

Could you explain it to my friend as well?

When you have someone with you who has more Bulgarian than you do — hand the explanation across rather than losing it.

Сега ще извикам колега.

Sega shte izvikam kolega.

I'll call a colleague over.

Something you hear in a bank, a shop or an office. Wait where you are — it usually means someone more patient, and sometimes someone with English, is coming.

Трудно разбирам, когато се говори бързо.

Trudno razbiram, kogato se govori barzo.

I find it hard to understand when people speak fast.

Explains the problem once, up front, so you do not have to say 'по-бавно' four times in the same conversation. No gendered form.

По телефона ми е по-трудно. Може ли да ми пишете?

Po telefona mi e po-trudno. Mozhe li da mi pishete?

It's harder for me on the phone. Could you text me?

The phone strips out lips, hands and context. Moving to written messages — most people here will use Вайбър, written 'Viber' — turns an impossible call into a solvable one.

Тук така си говорим.

Tuk taka si govorim.

That's how we talk around here.

Something you hear outside Sofia when you say you cannot follow. Regional speech really is different — it is not your Bulgarian failing, and saying so cheerfully usually gets you a slower, more standard repeat.

Ало? Чувате ли ме?

Alo? Chuvate li me?

Hello? Can you hear me?

Something you hear when your silence on a call reads as a dropped line. Answer 'Да, чувам ви' immediately, even if you understood nothing else — otherwise they hang up.

Кажи пак, моля те.

Kazhi pak, molya te.

Say that again, please.

The 'ти' version of the repeat request — 'кажи' not 'кажете', 'моля те' not 'моля'. Use it with friends, colleagues your own age, and anyone who has already said 'на ти'.

По-бавно, не те разбирам.

Po-bavno, ne te razbiram.

Slower, I don't understand you.

Blunt in a way that would be rude to a stranger and completely normal with a friend. 'Те' is the 'ти' object form where a stranger gets 'ви'.

Какво значи това? Не знам думата.

Kakvo znachi tova? Ne znam dumata.

What does that mean? I don't know the word.

With a friend you can stop mid-sentence on a single word without any of the softening a stranger needs. This is how your vocabulary actually grows.

Разбра ли ме?

Razbra li me?

Did you get me?

Something you hear from a friend mid-story. Say 'не' when it is 'не' — friends are the cheapest place in your life to not understand things.

Чакай, ще ти го кажа по-простичко.

Chakay, shte ti go kazha po-prostichko.

Hang on, I'll say it to you more simply.

Something you hear from a friend who is adjusting to you. 'По-простичко' is the affectionate diminutive of 'по-просто' — it carries no condescension at all.

Няма нищо, ще дойда пак.

Nyama nishto, shte doyda pak.

Never mind, I'll come back.

The dignified exit when the exchange is genuinely unrecoverable today. It ends things warmly and leaves the door open for a second attempt with better vocabulary.

Извинявайте, че ви отнех времето.

Izvinyavayte, che vi otneh vremeto.

Sorry for taking up your time.

Said on the way out of a failed exchange. It costs nothing and it is what people remember when you come back next week and try again.

Благодаря, че не се отказахте от мен!

Blagodarya, che ne se otkazahte ot men!

Thank you for not giving up on me!

For the clerk who spent five minutes getting there with you. This one line does more for how you are treated on your next visit than any amount of correct grammar.

Ще се научите, не се притеснявайте.

Shte se nauchite, ne se pritesnyavayte.

You'll learn, don't worry.

Something you hear at the end of a hard conversation you got through in Bulgarian. It is the reward for not switching to English, and it is offered sincerely.