Basic Phone Etiquette

Кой се обажда, моля?

Koy se obazhda, molya?

Who's calling, please?

When you pick up and don't recognise the number.

На телефона е Джон.

Na telefona e Dzhon.

This is John speaking.

The standard way to say who you are on a call.

Удобно ли е да говорим сега?

Udobno li e da govorim sega?

Is it a good time to talk?

A small courtesy that lands well when you call someone unprompted.

Изчакайте един момент, моля.

Izchakayte edin moment, molya.

Hold on a moment, please.

Buys you a second without hanging up on them.

В момента не мога да говоря.

V momenta ne moga da govorya.

I can't talk right now.

Politely defer a call that comes at a bad time.

Може ли да ви звънна по-късно?

Mozhe li da vi zvanna po-kasno?

Can I call you back later?

Pairs with 'I can't talk now' to end the call gracefully.

Сгрешили сте номера.

Sgreshili ste nomera.

You've got the wrong number.

A polite way to end a misdialled call.

Може ли да оставя съобщение?

Mozhe li da ostavya saobshtenie?

Can I leave a message?

When the person you wanted isn't available.

Моля, обадете ми се.

Molya, obadete mi se.

Please call me back.

Leave this with whoever answers.

Връзката е лоша.

Vrazkata e losha.

The connection is bad.

Names the problem so they speak up or call again.

Не ви чувам.

Ne vi chuvam.

I can't hear you.

The blunt version when the line drops out.

Моля?

Molya?

Sorry, what?

The everyday 'pardon?' — a single word that asks for a repeat.

Благодаря за обаждането!

Blagodarya za obazhdaneto!

Thanks for calling!

Warm close when someone has called you.

Ще се чуем скоро!

Shte se chuem skoro!

Talk soon!

Literally 'we'll hear each other soon' — the friendly phone sign-off.

Дочуване!

Dochuvane!

Goodbye!

The phone-specific goodbye — use it to hang up politely.

Ало?

Alo?

Hello?

The one word every call in Bulgaria starts with — you say it when you pick up, and it's the first thing you'll hear when someone answers you.

Да, моля?

Da, molya?

Yes, hello?

A slightly more formal pick-up than plain 'Ало' — use it when the screen shows a number you don't know.

Слушам ви.

Slusham vi.

I'm listening — go ahead.

Something you HEAR: an office or a shop answers and invites you to state your business. It is not cold, it just means 'start talking'.

Кажете, моля.

Kazhete, molya.

Go ahead, please.

Something you HEAR right after you say who you are — your cue to explain why you called.

Ало, здравейте!

Alo, zdraveyte!

Hello, hi there!

Answering a call you were expecting — from the letting agent, the courier or the clinic.

Ало, кой е?

Alo, koy e?

Hello, who is it?

The blunt 'ти' version — fine with friends and family, too abrupt for a business call.

Обажда се Джон.

Obazhda se Dzhon.

This is John calling.

The standard self-introduction on an outgoing call — literally 'John is calling'. Swap in your own first name.

Обаждам се за срещата утре.

Obazhdam se za sreshtata utre.

I'm calling about tomorrow's meeting.

State the reason in the first breath — on the phone nobody can read your face, so the topic has to come early.

Обаждам се по обявата.

Obazhdam se po obyavata.

I'm calling about the listing.

The exact phrase for ringing about a flat, a car or a job ad you saw online — every landlord here expects it.

Вие ми се обадихте преди малко.

Vie mi se obadihte predi malko.

You called me a moment ago.

Ringing back an unknown number that showed up as a missed call and you have no idea who it was.

Извинете, чужденец съм и говоря малко български.

Izvinete, chuzhdenets sam i govorya malko balgarski.

Sorry, I'm a foreigner and I speak a little Bulgarian.

Say this IN Bulgarian near the start of a hard call. It buys you patience and slower speech — far better received than opening with an English request.

Извинявайте, че се обаждам толкова късно.

Izvinyavayte, che se obazhdam tolkova kasno.

Sorry for calling so late.

After about 9pm a Bulgarian will apologise before anything else — skipping it reads as rude even to a friend.

С кого разговарям?

S kogo razgovaryam?

Who am I speaking to?

Formal and neutral — the version to use with a company when the caller never gave a name.

Откъде се обаждате?

Otkade se obazhdate?

Where are you calling from?

You have a name but no idea which office, bank or agency it belongs to.

Не разбрах името ви.

Ne razbrah imeto vi.

I didn't catch your name.

Bulgarian names come fast and unstressed on a bad line — this is the honest, blame-free way to ask again.

Може ли да повторите името си?

Mozhe li da povtorite imeto si?

Could you repeat your name?

The follow-up when the second attempt still slipped past you.

Тук няма такъв човек.

Tuk nyama takav chovek.

There's nobody by that name here.

Something you HEAR when you have dialled wrong — it means the name you asked for is not at this number.

Извинете, сгрешил съм номера.

Izvinete, sgreshil sam nomera.

Sorry, I've dialled the wrong number.

Owning the mistake as you back out of the call. A woman says 'сгрешила съм' instead of 'сгрешил съм'.

Това ли е номерът на офиса?

Tova li e nomerat na ofisa?

Is this the office number?

Checking you reached the right place before you launch into your question.

Извинете за безпокойството.

Izvinete za bezpokoystvoto.

Sorry to have bothered you.

The set phrase for hanging up after a wrong number — a Bulgarian will not just cut the line silently.

Прекъсва.

Prekasva.

You're breaking up.

One word, said and HEARD constantly — the audio is chopping in and out and neither of you is getting whole sentences.

Чувам ви много слабо.

Chuvam vi mnogo slabo.

I can barely hear you.

Softer than 'Не ви чувам' — the line works, it is just too quiet, so they'll move or speak up.

Тук няма обхват.

Tuk nyama obhvat.

There's no signal here.

In a lift, a basement bar or a village road — explains the problem is your location, not you.

Прекъсна ни преди малко.

Prekasna ni predi malko.

We got cut off a moment ago.

The first thing you say when you ring straight back after the call died.

Може ли да ме наберете пак?

Mozhe li da me naberete pak?

Could you dial me again?

Hand the redial to them when your own signal keeps collapsing.

В метрото съм, ще ви звънна като изляза.

V metroto sam, shte vi zvanna kato izlyaza.

I'm on the metro, I'll call you when I'm out.

Sofia's metro eats the signal between stations — say this before it drops rather than after.

Извинете, не разбрах.

Izvinete, ne razbrah.

Sorry, I didn't catch that.

Your single most useful line on the phone. Past tense — 'I didn't get THAT', not 'I don't understand Bulgarian'.

Може ли по-бавно, моля?

Mozhe li po-bavno, molya?

Could you go slower, please?

Keeps the call in Bulgarian at a speed you can follow — reach for this before you ever mention English.

Може ли малко по-високо?

Mozhe li malko po-visoko?

Could you speak up a bit?

They're speaking clearly but the handset volume or a noisy street is winning.

Още веднъж, моля.

Oshte vednazh, molya.

One more time, please.

Short and neutral when you only need the last few words again.

Как се пише?

Kak se pishe?

How is that spelled?

For a street, a surname or a company name you'll have to write down — Bulgarians dictate letter by letter after this.

Може ли да ми го напишете?

Mozhe li da mi go napishete?

Could you write it to me?

The escape hatch that works better than switching to English: reading a text is far easier than hearing it.

Моля, изчакайте на линията.

Molya, izchakayte na liniyata.

Please hold the line.

Something you HEAR from any office or call centre right before the hold music starts.

Ще ви прехвърля.

Shte vi prehvarlya.

I'll transfer you.

Something you HEAR — don't hang up, you're being passed to another extension.

Ще ви свържа с колега.

Shte vi svarzha s kolega.

I'll connect you with a colleague.

Something you HEAR when the person who answered can't help but someone else can.

Линията е заета.

Liniyata e zaeta.

The line is busy.

Something you HEAR: the extension they tried is on another call, so you'll be asked to wait or ring back.

Още ли сте на линия?

Oshte li ste na liniya?

Are you still there?

Long silence and you can't tell whether it's hold, a dropped call or someone thinking.

Да, тук съм.

Da, tuk sam.

Yes, I'm here.

Your answer when they come back on and check you haven't given up.

В момента не е тук.

V momenta ne e tuk.

He's not here right now.

Something you HEAR when you ask for someone by name and they've stepped out.

Може ли да оставите съобщение?

Mozhe li da ostavite saobshtenie?

Would you like to leave a message?

Something you HEAR — the 'вие' form of the phrase you'd say yourself. Recognising it saves the call.

Предайте му, че съм се обаждал.

Predayte mu, che sam se obazhdal.

Please tell him I called.

Leaving the minimum with whoever picked up. A woman says 'обаждала' instead of 'обаждал'; for a woman on the other end, 'предайте ѝ'.

Кога ще се върне?

Koga shte se varne?

When will they be back?

Deciding whether to wait or to call again later — ask before you hang up.

Може ли да му дадете номера ми?

Mozhe li da mu dadete nomera mi?

Could you give him my number?

So the call comes back to you instead of you chasing it all afternoon.

Оставете съобщение след сигнала.

Ostavete saobshtenie sled signala.

Leave a message after the tone.

Something you HEAR: the voicemail greeting. 'Сигнал' is the beep, not a phone signal.

Абонатът е временно недостъпен.

Abonatat e vremenno nedostapen.

The subscriber is temporarily unavailable.

Something you HEAR: the recorded network message when their phone is off or out of range. Learn it or you'll keep redialling a dead number.

Оставих ви гласово съобщение.

Ostavih vi glasovo saobshtenie.

I left you a voicemail.

Worth knowing, though few Bulgarians actually check voicemail — a text usually lands better.

Имам пропуснато обаждане от вас.

Imam propusnato obazhdane ot vas.

I have a missed call from you.

The whole opening line for ringing back an unknown number — it explains itself in one sentence.

Извинете, не успях да вдигна.

Izvinete, ne uspyah da vdigna.

Sorry, I couldn't pick up.

You were driving or in a meeting when they rang — open your callback with this.

Опитах да се свържа с вас вчера.

Opitah da se svarzha s vas vchera.

I tried to reach you yesterday.

Picking up a thread after a call that never connected — polite, not accusatory.

Ще ви звънна пак.

Shte vi zvanna pak.

I'll call you back.

Said and HEARD constantly — often the polite way an office ends a call it can't finish now.

Кога да ви звънна?

Koga da vi zvanna?

When should I call you?

Pins down a vague 'call me later' before it evaporates.

Ще се чуем след час.

Shte se chuem sled chas.

We'll speak in an hour.

'Ще се чуем' — literally 'we'll hear each other' — is how Bulgarians say 'we'll talk'.

Обадете ми се утре сутринта.

Obadete mi se utre sutrinta.

Call me tomorrow morning.

Handing the next move to them with a concrete window instead of 'sometime'.

Удобно ли е да се чуем в три?

Udobno li e da se chuem v tri?

Is three o'clock a good time to talk?

Proposing a specific slot — the courteous way to book someone's attention.

До обяд съм зает, после съм свободен.

Do obyad sam zaet, posle sam svoboden.

I'm busy until noon, after that I'm free.

Offering your own window when they ask when to ring. A woman says 'заета' and 'свободна'.

Номерът ми е нула осем осем осем, седем шест пет, четири три две.

Nomerat mi e nula osem osem osem, sedem shest pet, chetiri tri dve.

My number is zero eight eight eight, seven six five, four three two.

Bulgarian mobiles are dictated digit by digit in groups of four-three-three, never as 'eighty-eight'.

Може ли да ми дадете номера си?

Mozhe li da mi dadete nomera si?

Could you give me your number?

Taking a direct line so the next call skips the switchboard.

Може ли да повторите номера?

Mozhe li da povtorite nomera?

Could you repeat the number?

Digits are the easiest thing to lose on a phone line — ask before you write the wrong one down.

Сега ще повторя номера, за да проверя.

Sega shte povtorya nomera, za da proverya.

Let me read the number back to check.

Reading it back catches the digit you misheard while they're still on the line.

Имате ли Вайбър?

Imate li Vaybar?

Do you have Viber?

Viber is the default messenger in Bulgaria — plumbers, landlords and clinics all use it.

Може ли да ми пишете на Вайбър?

Mozhe li da mi pishete na Vaybar?

Could you message me on Viber?

The best rescue on a call you're losing: written Bulgarian you can translate beats spoken Bulgarian you can't catch.

Ще ви пратя подробностите на Вайбър.

Shte vi pratya podrobnostite na Vaybar.

I'll send you the details on Viber.

Taking the writing on yourself — dates, addresses and totals belong in text, not in a phone call.

Може ли да ми пратите адреса със съобщение?

Mozhe li da mi pratite adresa sas saobshtenie?

Could you send me the address by message?

Bulgarian street names are brutal by ear — always get the address in writing.

По-лесно ми е писмено, извинявайте.

Po-lesno mi e pismeno, izvinyavayte.

It's easier for me in writing, sorry.

An honest, apologetic reason for moving to text — this lands far better here than asking whether they speak English.

До колко часа работите днес?

Do kolko chasa rabotite dnes?

What time are you open until today?

The most common reason to ring a Bulgarian shop — posted hours here are often out of date.

Искам да си запазя час.

Iskam da si zapazya chas.

I'd like to book an appointment.

'Запазя час' is THE phrase for a doctor, dentist, hairdresser or garage slot.

Може ли да поръчам по телефона?

Mozhe li da porcham po telefona?

Can I order over the phone?

Checking a small shop or kitchen will take the order without an app.

Може ли да говоря с управителя?

Mozhe li da govorya s upravitelya?

Could I speak to the manager?

When the person answering clearly can't decide the thing you're calling about.

Доставяте ли до центъра?

Dostavyate li do tsentara?

Do you deliver to the centre?

Swap in your own neighbourhood — delivery zones here are narrow and rarely published.

Здрасти, какво правиш?

Zdrasti, kakvo pravish?

Hi, what are you up to?

The 'ти' opener with a friend. Note the -ш ending on 'правиш' — with a stranger it would be 'правите'.

Удобно ли ти е сега?

Udobno li ti e sega?

Is now a good time?

The 'ти' twin of the formal 'Удобно ли е да говорим сега?' — switch to it once you're on first-name terms, usually after the first meeting.

Обади ми се, като можеш.

Obadi mi se, kato mozhesh.

Call me when you can.

The line every Bulgarian leaves in a text or a voicemail. 'Обади ми се' is 'ти'; the formal version is 'обадете ми се'.

Ще ти звънна довечера.

Shte ti zvanna dovechera.

I'll ring you tonight.

Closing a short call with a friend by promising the longer one.

Тръгвам, ще ти звънна като стигна.

Tragvam, shte ti zvanna kato stigna.

I'm leaving now, I'll call you when I get there.

The standard Bulgarian check-in habit — people really do call on arrival.

Благодаря ви за помощта!

Blagodarya vi za pomoshtta!

Thank you for your help!

The warm close after someone at an office has actually sorted your problem.

Това беше всичко, благодаря.

Tova beshe vsichko, blagodarya.

That was everything, thanks.

Signals you have no more questions so the call can wrap — Bulgarians don't hang up mid-topic.

Приятен ден, дочуване!

Priyaten den, dochuvane!

Have a nice day, goodbye!

The full formal sign-off, greeting plus phone-goodbye, in one breath.

Значи се разбрахме, до утре!

Znachi se razbrahme, do utre!

So we're agreed, see you tomorrow!

Restating the arrangement as you close — the spoken equivalent of a confirmation email.

Хайде, чао!

Hayde, chao!

Alright, bye!

The everyday 'ти' hang-up. 'Хайде' here just means 'right then' — with a stranger use 'Дочуване' instead.