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There are 9 verb tenses in Bulgarian, divided into three main categories: present, past, and future.
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Present Tense (Сегашно време)** – 1 tense
Describes actions happening now or general facts.
- Example: Аз чета. (I read.)
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Past Tenses (Минали времена) – 5 tenses
1. Past Simple (Минало свършено време)
Completed past actions.
- Example: Аз четох. (I read.)
2. Past Imperfect (Минало несвършено време)
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
- Example: Аз четях. (I was reading.)
3. Past Perfect (Минало предварително време)
An action completed before another past action.
- Example: Аз бях чел. (I had read.)
4. Past indefinite (Минало неопределено време)
Used in older texts and formal speech.
- Example: Аз бих чел. (I would have read.)
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Future Tenses (Бъдещи времена) – 3 tenses
1. Future Simple (Бъдеще време)
Actions that will happen in the future.
- Example: Аз ще чета. (I will read.)
2. Future Perfect (Бъдеще предварително време)
Actions that will be completed before a future moment.
- Example: Аз ще съм чел. (I will have read.)
3. Future in the Past (Бъдеще време в миналото)
Describes a future action from a past viewpoint.
- Example: Аз щях да чета. (I would read.)
4. Past Future (Минало бъдеще време)
An action that was expected to happen after a past moment.
- Example: Аз щях да чета. (I was going to read.)
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Reneta, Community Manager – Bulgarian
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