How to Use Possessive Constructions and the Genitive Case in Bulgarian

Understanding Possessive Constructions in Bulgarian

In Bulgarian, possessive constructions are used to indicate ownership or association, similar to English. However, Bulgarian uses different grammatical structures, including possessive pronouns and the genitive case, to express possession.

Possessive Pronouns

Bulgarian possessive pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Here are the main possessive pronouns in Bulgarian:

• мой (my) - masculine singular
• моя (my) - feminine singular
• мое (my) - neuter singular
• мои (my) - plural
• твой (your, informal)
• негов (his)
• нейн (her)
• наш (our)
• ваш (your, formal or plural)
• техен (their)

For example, моята книга means "my book" where книга is feminine, so the feminine form моята is used.

Using the Genitive Case for Possession

Bulgarian uses the genitive case primarily in fixed expressions and some formal contexts. The genitive is marked by the ending -а or -я on masculine and neuter nouns and is often used to indicate possession, similar to the English "of".

For example, къщата на Иван means "Ivan's house" or literally "the house of Ivan." Here, на plus the name in the nominative is used instead of a genitive ending.

Forming Possessive Constructions with <em>на</em>

The most common way to express possession in Bulgarian is by using the preposition на (meaning "of") followed by the possessor in the nominative case.

Structure: Possessed noun + definite article + на + possessor noun

Example: книгата на Мария - "Maria's book" (literally "the book of Maria").

Definite Article Agreement

The possessed noun takes the definite article, which agrees in gender and number with the noun. For example:

• столът на Петър - "Peter's chair" (masculine singular)
• къщата на баба - "grandmother's house" (feminine singular)
• дърветата на парка - "the park's trees" (plural)

Possessive Adjectives and Their Agreement

Possessive adjectives in Bulgarian must agree in gender, number, and definiteness with the noun they modify. For example:

• моят приятел - "my friend" (masculine singular, definite)
• моята книга - "my book" (feminine singular, definite)
• моето дете - "my child" (neuter singular, definite)
• моите родители - "my parents" (plural, definite)

Note that the possessive adjective changes form depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers learning Bulgarian often make these mistakes with possessive constructions:

• Using the English 's equivalent instead of на + noun
• Forgetting to use the definite article on the possessed noun
• Not matching the possessive adjective with the gender and number of the noun
• Confusing the use of possessive pronouns and the на construction

Summary

To express possession in Bulgarian, use possessive pronouns that agree with the noun's gender and number, or use the preposition на plus the possessor noun with the possessed noun in the definite form. The genitive case is rarely used in modern Bulgarian outside of fixed expressions.