How to Express Ability and Permission in Bulgarian

Understanding Ability and Permission in Bulgarian

In Bulgarian, expressing ability and permission involves using specific modal verbs and phrases. These help you communicate what someone can do or is allowed to do. Unlike English, Bulgarian uses different verbs and sentence structures to convey these meanings.

Key Verbs for Expressing Ability

The most common verb to express ability in Bulgarian is "мога" (moga), which means "can" or "to be able to." It is used to indicate that someone has the ability or possibility to do something.

• мога (moga) – can, to be able to
• умея (umeya) – to know how to, to be skilled at
• зная (znaya) – to know (used for knowledge-based ability)

Using "мога" to Express Ability and Permission

"Мога" is a modal verb and is conjugated according to the subject. It is followed by an infinitive verb to indicate the action. It can express both ability and permission depending on context.

• Аз мога да пея. – I can sing. (ability)
• Ти можеш да отидеш. – You may go. (permission)

Conjugation of "мога" (to be able to/can)

1. Аз мога (Az moga) – I can
2. Ти можеш (Ti mozhesh) – You can (singular informal)
3. Той/Тя/То може (Toy/Tya/To mozhe) – He/She/It can
4. Ние можем (Nie mozhem) – We can
5. Вие можете (Vie mozhete) – You can (plural/formal)
6. Те могат (Te mogat) – They can

Expressing Permission with "мога" and Other Phrases

To ask for or give permission, Bulgarians often use "мога" or phrases like "разрешавам" (razreshavam) meaning "to allow." The context and intonation help clarify permission.

• Мога ли да вляза? – May I come in?
• Разрешавам ти да използваш компютъра. – I allow you to use the computer.

Other Useful Expressions for Ability and Permission