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What you need to know

Whether you move to Bulgaria, purchase an investment property there, or go for a vacation, it’s best to have a translator with you at all times or learn at least some Bulgarian phrases.

At Bulgaria Portfolios we have staff who speak fluent English and Bulgarian who will be on hand to help you prior during and after purchasing.

If you intend to relocate permanently to Bulgaria, you will need to not only speak a little of the language, but it will help to have some understanding of written Bulgarian.

Bulgarian uses the Cyrillic alphabet. The downside is that it bears little resemblance to our Latin alphabet. On the other hand it is phonetic, so if you learn the sounds of each letter you can read words from a dictionary to make yourself understood.

Chances are that most of the tourist areas are well populated with English speakers.On the other hand the more rural areas have less English speakers and a translator is virtually a necessity.

Students in Bulgaria tend to choose English as a second language. Older Bulgarians learned Russian. Most of the estate agents in Bulgaria are staffed by young Bulgarians, speaking only basic English.

If you intend to travel on your own in Bulgaria, an understanding of the Bulgarian language is a must. The majority of the general public, police offers and public transport workers don’t understand English. Trying to communicate is virtually impossible.

One of the most important things to remember in Bulgaria is that the Bulgarians shake their heads from side to side when they mean “yes” and nod when they mean “no”.

It is advisable to listen carefully to the spoken words, such as da, which means yes and ne, which means no.

But be careful. If Bulgarians know they are speaking to foreigners, sometimes the nodding and shaking can be reversed, adding further to the confusion and general misunderstanding.