Home Repair and Service Requests

Добър ден!

Dobar den!

Good day!

The standard polite opener when a tradesperson answers the phone.

Обаждам се за една повреда.

Obazhdam se za edna povreda.

I'm calling about a breakdown.

Sets up the whole call — you have a fault and you want it looked at.

Трябва ми водопроводчик.

Tryabva mi vodoprovodchik.

I need a plumber.

When water is the problem — leaks, blockages, no pressure. Swap in електротехник for an electrician.

Може ли да изпратите майстор?

Mozhe li da izpratite maystor?

Can you send a handyman?

'Майстор' is the catch-all local word for a skilled repair person — use it when you're not sure which trade you need.

Имам проблем с климатика.

Imam problem s klimatika.

I have a problem with the air conditioner.

The reusable way to name the faulty thing — climate units are the classic summer callout.

Контактът не работи.

Kontaktat ne raboti.

The outlet isn't working.

A concrete symptom the electrician can act on — point to the dead socket if they're on site.

Спешно е.

Speshno e.

It's urgent.

Two words that move you up the queue when water is spreading or there's no power.

Колко ще струва ремонтът?

Kolko shte struva remontat?

How much will the repair cost?

Ask before they start — a good tradesperson gives a range, a vague one dodges.

Може ли да дойдете днес?

Mozhe li da doydete dnes?

Can you come today?

Push for a same-day visit when the fault can't wait — swap in утре for tomorrow.

Може ли да напишете цената?

Mozhe li da napishete tsenata?

Can you write down the price?

Numbers are the easiest thing to mishear — get the quote in writing so there's no argument later.

Моля, повторете.

Molya, povtorete.

Please repeat.

When technical talk flies past — ask for it once more before agreeing to anything.

Не разбирам.

Ne razbiram.

I don't understand.

The clean reset when the explanation of the fault has lost you entirely.

Нещо се повреди в апартамента.

Neshto se povredi v apartamenta.

Something has broken in the flat.

The opening line to a neighbour, a landlord or a майстор before you know which trade you need. 'Повреди се' is the everyday word for a thing that stopped working by itself.

От вчера е така.

Ot vchera e taka.

It's been like this since yesterday.

The single most useful follow-up in the whole scenario. Every майстор asks how long it has been going on, and 'от' plus a time is the whole answer — от сутринта, от два дни, от една седмица.

Става все по-зле.

Stava vse po-zle.

It's getting worse.

Says the fault is moving, not stable — this is what turns a 'next week' visit into a today visit. The opposite you might need is 'От вчера е същото' (it's the same as yesterday).

Откога е така?

Otkoga e taka?

How long has it been like this?

Something you hear on the phone within the first ten seconds. Written as one word, откога. Answer with 'От...' and a time — a date is not expected, an approximation is fine.

Тече вода под мивката.

Teche voda pod mivkata.

Water is leaking under the sink.

'Тече' is the verb for anything running or leaking, and it carries the whole sentence — swap the place: под ваната, зад тоалетната, от тавана.

Кранът капе непрекъснато.

Kranat kape neprekasnato.

The tap drips constantly.

The distinction a plumber wants: капе is a drip, тече is a flow. Getting this one word right changes what they bring in the bag.

На тавана в банята има мокро петно.

Na tavana v banyata ima mokro petno.

There's a wet patch on the bathroom ceiling.

A ceiling stain means the leak is upstairs, not yours — the same sentence is what you say to the neighbour above you before you call anyone.

Откъде точно тече?

Otkade tochno teche?

Where exactly is it leaking from?

Something you hear, and 'точно' is the part that matters — they want a place, not a room. Useful answers: от тръбата, от крана, от сифона, изпод ваната.

Мивката е запушена.

Mivkata e zapushena.

The sink is blocked.

Запушено is the word for anything blocked — drain, pipe, toilet. Say it and the plumber already knows to bring the drain spiral.

Водата се оттича много бавно.

Vodata se otticha mnogo bavno.

The water drains very slowly.

The stage before a full blockage, and worth its own sentence — a slow drain is a cheap visit, a stopped one often is not.

Тоалетната е запушена.

Toaletnata e zapushena.

The toilet is blocked.

The one fault nobody waits on. Said exactly like this on the phone, it usually gets you seen the same day.

Ще я отпуша със спиралата.

Shte ya otpusha sas spiralata.

I'll unblock it with the drain snake.

Something you hear when the plumber has decided it is a simple job. Спирала is the coiled drain snake; отпушвам is the verb for clearing a blockage.

Няма топла вода от сутринта.

Nyama topla voda ot sutrinta.

There's been no hot water since this morning.

The fault plus the timeframe in one breath — this is the sentence that gets you a same-day visit in winter.

Бойлерът не загрява.

Boylerat ne zagryava.

The boiler isn't heating up.

A бойлер here is the electric hot-water tank on the bathroom wall, not a gas central-heating boiler. 'Не загрява' says it has power but the water stays cold — a different fault from 'не работи'.

Водата е само хладка.

Vodata e samo hladka.

The water is only lukewarm.

Half-working is harder to describe than dead, and this is how you do it. Хладка sits between студена and топла.

Бойлерът тече отдолу.

Boylerat teche otdolu.

The boiler is leaking underneath.

Water under a wall-mounted tank is the one boiler symptom that is genuinely urgent — say it early in the call and cut the power to it.

Бойлерът е пълен с котлен камък.

Boylerat e palen s kotlen kamak.

The boiler is full of limescale.

Something you hear, and in most of Bulgaria it is the true answer — the water is hard and the heating element scales up. It means a clean or a new element, not a new boiler.

Няма ток в кухнята.

Nyama tok v kuhnyata.

There's no power in the kitchen.

Naming the room is what separates a blown circuit from a whole-flat outage, and it is the first thing the electrician asks about.

Бушонът изключва постоянно.

Bushonat izklyuchva postoyanno.

The fuse keeps tripping.

Бушон is what everyone calls the breaker in the консумативно табло, whatever is actually in there. A tripping fuse means something is wrong on that circuit — do not just keep resetting it.

Мисля, че има късо съединение.

Mislya, che ima kaso saedinenie.

I think there's a short circuit.

Късо съединение is the phrase, usually shortened to just 'късо' in speech. Saying you suspect one — rather than diagnosing it — keeps you honest and still gets the right person out.

Ще проверя таблото.

Shte proverya tabloto.

I'll check the fuse box.

Something you hear the moment the electrician walks in. Таблото is the consumer unit — usually by the front door or on the landing, so know where yours is before they arrive.

Ключът в банята не работи.

Klyuchat v banyata ne raboti.

The light switch in the bathroom doesn't work.

Ключ is both a door key and a light switch — context does all the work, and here 'в банята' makes it unambiguous. The socket is контакт, never ключ.

Контактът искри.

Kontaktat iskri.

The socket sparks.

Two words that move you to the front of any electrician's day. Stop using that socket until they come.

Лампата в коридора мига.

Lampata v koridora miga.

The light in the hallway flickers.

Мига is flickering on and off — a loose connection more often than a dying bulb, which is why it is worth reporting rather than living with.

Сменихте ли крушката?

Smenihte li krushkata?

Have you changed the bulb?

Something you hear before anyone agrees to drive over, and it is a fair question, not an insult. Вие form because the майстор does not know you — expect ти once you are on second-visit terms.

Пералнята не центрофугира.

Peralnyata ne tsentrofugira.

The washing machine isn't spinning.

A precise symptom beats 'it's broken': the machine washes but the drum will not spin the water out. That points at the pump or the belt, and the repairer can quote before coming.

Пералнята дава грешка на дисплея.

Peralnyata dava greshka na displeya.

The washing machine is showing an error on the display.

Follow it with the code read out digit by digit — the code often tells them exactly which part to bring, which saves a whole second visit.

Хладилникът не охлажда.

Hladilnikat ne ohlazhda.

The fridge isn't cooling.

Urgent in a Sofia summer, and worth saying whether the freezer still works — one compartment failing and both failing are different faults.

Пробвахте ли да го изключите и да го пуснете пак?

Probvahte li da go izklyuchite i da go pusnete pak?

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

Something you hear before he will get in the car, and it is worth doing rather than resenting — half of appliance callouts end here. Вие form, because he does not know you yet.

Уредът в гаранция ли е?

Uredat v garantsiya li e?

Is the appliance still under warranty?

Something you hear early, because an in-warranty machine has to go back to the authorised service, not to a private майстор. In a rented flat the answer usually lives with the landlord.

Радиаторите не се затоплят.

Radiatorite ne se zatoplyat.

The radiators aren't warming up.

The classic October call. If only one radiator is cold it usually needs bleeding; if all of them are, the problem is the парно itself, so say which it is.

Парното не тръгва.

Parnoto ne tragva.

The heating won't come on.

Парно is central heating generally, whether it comes from the block's district supply or your own unit. 'Не тръгва' means it never starts, as opposed to starting and going cold.

Климатикът не изстудява, само духа топъл въздух.

Klimatikat ne izstudyava, samo duha topal vazduh.

The air conditioner isn't cooling, it just blows warm air.

Two symptoms in one sentence — it runs, but it does not cool. That is the description that gets the right technician instead of a general майстор.

Трябва да се обезвъздуши.

Tryabva da se obezvazdushi.

It needs bleeding.

Something you hear about a radiator that is warm at the bottom and cold at the top. It is air trapped inside, it takes two minutes with a key, and knowing the word saves you a callout every autumn.

Климатикът трябва да се зареди с фреон.

Klimatikat tryabva da se zaredi s freon.

The air conditioner needs a refrigerant top-up.

Something you hear constantly, and it is often true — but a unit that keeps needing фреон has a leak. Ask whether they can find it before you pay for the same top-up every summer.

Бравата заяде.

Bravata zayade.

The lock has jammed.

Брава is the lock body in the door. 'Заяде' is the everyday verb for a mechanism that has seized — no gendered form to worry about, so this one sentence works for anyone.

Ключът не се превърта.

Klyuchat ne se prevarta.

The key won't turn.

Here ключ is the door key, not a switch. Say whether it goes in and will not turn, or will not go in at all — that is the difference between the cylinder and the key itself.

Заключих се отвън.

Zaklyuchih se otvan.

I've locked myself out.

The emergency version — call a ключар (locksmith) rather than a general майстор. No gendered participle, so the same recording serves everyone.

Ще се наложи да разбия бравата.

Shte se nalozhi da razbiya bravata.

I'll have to break the lock open.

Something you hear at a locked door, and it is the moment to ask two things before nodding: the total price, and whether a new брава is included. In a rented flat, ring the landlord first.

На стената има влага.

Na stenata ima vlaga.

There's damp on the wall.

Влага is damp as a condition, not a puddle. Say where — външната стена, зад шкафа, под прозореца — because the place is most of the diagnosis.

В ъгъла на банята има мухъл.

V agala na banyata ima muhal.

There's mould in the corner of the bathroom.

Мухъл is the black mould itself. Worth reporting in writing to a landlord, since it is a building problem far more often than a housekeeping one.

Това е от конденз, стаята не се проветрява.

Tova e ot kondenz, stayata ne se provetryava.

That's condensation, the room isn't being aired.

Something you hear from almost every майстор and landlord, and it puts the fault on you. Sometimes it is right — but ask them to look at the outside wall too before you accept it.

Знаете ли добър майстор?

Znaete li dobar maystor?

Do you know a good tradesman?

The real search engine here is the neighbour on your landing. Вие because you are asking someone you barely know — and this question is a normal, welcome thing to ask a stranger in your block.

Може ли да ми дадете телефона му?

Mozhe li da mi dadete telefona mu?

Can you give me his number?

Straight after the recommendation, before the conversation moves on. Written numbers get lost — ask them to send it to you as a message if you can.

Имам един майстор, ще ви дам телефона.

Imam edin maystor, shte vi dam telefona.

I've got a guy, I'll give you his number.

Something you hear, and it is how nearly every repair in Bulgaria starts. A number passed hand to hand carries an obligation both ways — he will come for you because of who sent you.

Много е добър, но е зает.

Mnogo e dobar, no e zaet.

He's very good, but he's busy.

Something you hear about the best майстори, and it is a warning about the timeline rather than a refusal. Ring him anyway and say who gave you the number.

Един съсед ми даде вашия телефон.

Edin sased mi dade vashiya telefon.

A neighbour gave me your number.

Say this in the first ten seconds and you stop being a cold call. Naming the person who sent you is even better — it is the whole reason he will fit you in.

Занимавате ли се с бойлери?

Zanimavate li se s boyleri?

Do you do boilers?

Checking the trade before you describe the fault. Swap the noun: с климатици, с перални, с брави, с ел. инсталации.

Кажете какъв точно е проблемът.

Kazhete kakav tochno e problemat.

Tell me exactly what the problem is.

Something you hear as soon as you have said hello, and the whole call hangs on your answer. Give the thing, the symptom and the timeframe — three short sentences, not one long one.

Пратете ми снимка на Вайбър.

Pratete mi snimka na Vayber.

Send me a photo on Viber.

Something you hear constantly, and it is the best thing that can happen to a learner — a photo does the describing for you. Written in Latin letters as Viber; it is the default messaging app for trades here.

Ще дойда следобед.

Shte doyda sledobed.

I'll come in the afternoon.

Something you hear more than any other sentence in this scenario, and it is as precise as it is going to get. Half-day windows are normal; an exact hour usually is not. Treat it as a real commitment, just a wide one.

Може ли да ми кажете и час?

Mozhe li da mi kazhete i chas?

Can you give me a time as well?

Pushing politely for something narrower than 'следобед'. The 'и' softens it — you are asking for an extra detail, not disputing what he said.

Обадете ми се, преди да тръгнете.

Obadete mi se, predi da tragnete.

Call me before you set off.

The practical fix for a vague window — you get twenty minutes' notice and can stop waiting at home all day. Almost every майстор agrees to this.

Забавих се на друг обект, ще дойда утре.

Zabavih se na drug obekt, shte doyda utre.

I got held up on another job, I'll come tomorrow.

Something you hear late in the afternoon you were waiting in for, and it is not a brush-off — obect means another site, and the day genuinely overran. Confirm the new day out loud so it is agreed, not assumed.

Вчера се разбрахме да дойдете. Ще успеете ли днес?

Vchera se razbrahme da doydete. Shte uspeete li dnes?

We agreed yesterday that you'd come. Will you manage today?

The chasing call, and the tone matters: state the agreement, then ask about today. Anger loses you the майстор, and there is no second one with a free morning.

Заповядайте, ще ви покажа.

Zapovyadayte, shte vi pokazha.

Come in, I'll show you.

The doorway sentence. Заповядайте is the all-purpose 'please, go ahead' that gets used for come in, take a seat and here you are.

Ето тук, под мивката.

Eto tuk, pod mivkata.

It's here, under the sink.

Pointing while you speak carries most of the meaning — 'ето тук' plus a gesture is a complete sentence in a flat. Swap the place freely.

От какво е?

Ot kakvo e?

What's causing it?

Three words, and the most useful diagnostic question you can own. It asks for the cause rather than the name of the fault, which is what you actually need before agreeing to anything.

Трябва да се смени.

Tryabva da se smeni.

It has to be replaced.

Something you hear, usually said while he is still crouched under the sink. It is the sentence that turns a small bill into a bigger one — the right reply is 'Какво точно?' and then the price.

Кажете ми цената, преди да започнете.

Kazhete mi tsenata, predi da zapochnete.

Tell me the price before you start.

The single most valuable sentence in this file. Said plainly and early it is completely normal here — the awkwardness is entirely in your head, and the alternative is a number invented after the work is done.

Ще ви взема петдесет евро.

Shte vi vzema petdeset evro.

I'll charge you fifty euro.

Something you hear, and this is how a quote actually sounds — 'ще ви взема' rather than any formal word for a fee. Bulgaria has been on the euro since January, so евро is simply what everyone says.

В цената влизат ли частите?

V tsenata vlizat li chastite?

Does the price include the parts?

The question that prevents the classic second invoice. Usually labour and parts are separate, and he expects you to ask.

Само за идването е двайсет евро.

Samo za idvaneto e dvayset evro.

Just for coming out it's twenty euro.

Something you hear, and it is charged whether or not anything gets fixed. Ask about it on the phone, not on your doorstep.

Утре ще донеса частта.

Utre shte donesa chastta.

I'll bring the part tomorrow.

Something you hear halfway through a job, and it is normal — nobody carries stock for every model. Ask what the part costs and whether you are paying now or at the end.

Това не се поправя.

Tova ne se popravya.

This can't be repaired.

Something you hear, delivered flatly and without softening — that bluntness is not rudeness here. It means replace, not repair, so ask what a new one would cost fitted before you agree.

За колко време ще го оправите?

Za kolko vreme shte go opravite?

How long will it take you to fix it?

Ask about the job, not the visit. 'Ще го оправите' is the everyday verb for putting something right — the answer decides whether you take an afternoon off work.

Може ли вие да купите частта?

Mozhe li vie da kupite chastta?

Can you buy the part yourself?

The 'вие' is stressed on purpose — you are asking him to source it rather than sending yourself to a supplier you do not know. He will usually say yes and add a small margin, which is worth it.

Може ли да го пробваме заедно?

Mozhe li da go probvame zaedno?

Can we test it together?

Say it before the money changes hands, while he still has his tools out. 'Заедно' makes it collaborative rather than an accusation.

Още капе малко.

Oshte kape malko.

It's still dripping a bit.

The polite way to say the job is not finished. Understating it — 'малко' — leaves him room to fix it without losing face, which is exactly what you want.

В брой, ако може.

V broy, ako mozhe.

Cash, if possible.

Something you hear at the end of almost every job. Cash is the norm for private trades — have notes ready before he arrives, because a card terminal is unlikely.

Може ли да ми издадете бележка?

Mozhe li da mi izdadete belezhka?

Can you give me a receipt?

A fair ask if you need to claim the cost back from a landlord, though a private майстор may not have anything to give you. If not, agree the amount in a message instead so there is a written trace.

Пак се повреди, а бяхте тук миналата седмица.

Pak se povredi, a byahte tuk minalata sedmitsa.

It's broken again, and you were here last week.

States the facts and lets him draw the conclusion. Keep it factual — the goal is a free return visit, not an argument you win.

Не е от моя ремонт.

Ne e ot moya remont.

It's not from my repair.

Something you hear when he is defending the work. Do not push back straight away — ask him to come and show you what it is instead, which is usually where it resolves.

Ще мина да го погледна, без пари.

Shte mina da go pogledna, bez pari.

I'll drop by and look at it, no charge.

Something you hear from a майстор who wants to keep his name good in your block. There is no written guarantee behind it — the reputation is the guarantee.

Коя част казахте, че трябва да се смени?

Koya chast kazahte, che tryabva da se smeni?

Which part did you say has to be replaced?

Names of parts are the hardest words in this scenario. Asking again with 'казахте' shows you were listening rather than that you were not.

Може ли пак цената?

Mozhe li pak tsenata?

The price again, please?

Short enough to say without breaking the flow, and money is the one number you cannot afford to mishear.

Може ли да ми покажете какво имате предвид?

Mozhe li da mi pokazhete kakvo imate predvid?

Can you show me what you mean?

The best repair strategy in a flat: turn the words into pointing. Works when you have no idea what the noun was, and it keeps everything in Bulgarian.

Още уча български. Може ли да го кажете по-просто?

Oshte ucha balgarski. Mozhe li da go kazhete po-prosto?

I'm still learning Bulgarian. Could you say it more simply?

Use it after you have visibly tried in Bulgarian — the effort is what earns the slower, simpler version. Asks for easier Bulgarian, not for another language.

Благодаря, че дойдохте толкова бързо.

Blagodarya, che doydohte tolkova barzo.

Thank you for coming so quickly.

Worth saying out loud even when it took two days — a майстор who feels appreciated answers the phone next time.

Ще ви препоръчам на съседите.

Shte vi preporacham na sasedite.

I'll recommend you to the neighbours.

The currency this whole trade runs on. Said sincerely it is a genuine thank-you, and it is how a good майстор builds a street's worth of work.

Ако пак се повреди, звънете.

Ako pak se povredi, zvanete.

If it breaks again, give me a ring.

Something you hear on the way out, and it is the closest thing to a warranty you will get. Save the number under the trade, not the name — водопроводчик is easier to find later than Митко.