Ask if people speak English
- “Do you speak English?”: Говорите ли английски? (gohVOReeteh lee ahnGLEEskee?)
- “Sorry, my Bulgarian is bad”: Съжалявам, българският ми е лош. (suhjhalYAHvahm, BUHLgarskeeuht mee eh lohsh)
Quiet hours
People are expected to be quiet — for example, not use power tools — from 14:00 to 16:00 every day.
If you’re renovating your apartment, you can try asking your neighbors’ permission to work during the quiet hours.
Nighttime quiet hours are 22:00 to 08:00.
How to join a line of people
People who are waiting might not form one clear line. Instead, they could be standing or sitting in random places nearby. Your job is to find out who is last in “line” and, then, if someone new comes along, identify yourself as the last one.
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Identify who is the last person by asking, “Кой е последният?” (koi eh pohSLEDneeuht?)
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Your turn will be after that person, regardless of where they might be standing or sitting. Wait wherever you want nearby.
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If a new person comes, listen for their “Кой е последният?” and identify yourself.
Head shaking
Bulgarians outside the tourist zones might use head gestures that could confuse you.
- “Yes” = head wobbles from side to side
- “No” = chin jerks briefly up
If you tell a cab driver your destination and he wobbles his head, he’s saying, “Yes, I know the place.”
Viber instead of email
Have you been sending emails to a service provider and they haven’t responded? They might prefer a Viber message.