Houseviewing

Introduction to Houseviewing in Bulgarian

This lesson focuses on the essential vocabulary and expressions you need when viewing or renting a property in Bulgaria. At the B1 level, you will engage with practical language used in real-life scenarios such as inspecting a house, asking about features, and discussing rental or purchase conditions.

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

Understanding and using the right terms will help you communicate effectively during houseviewings. Some essential words include:

• апартамент – apartment
• къща – house
• наем – rent
• цена – price
• стая – room
• баня – bathroom
• кухня – kitchen
• етаж – floor (level of a building)
• светъл – bright
• тих – quiet

Example phrases you might use or hear include:

• "Бих искал/а да видя апартамента." (I would like to see the apartment.)
• "Колко е наемът?" (How much is the rent?)
• "Има ли балкон?" (Is there a balcony?)
• "Колко стаи има?" (How many rooms are there?)

Language Structure Highlights

In Bulgarian, when asking questions, intonation and question words such as какво (what), къде (where), and колко (how much/how many) are crucial. For example, Колко е цената? (What is the price?) uses колко to inquire about quantity or cost.

Differences Between English and Bulgarian in the Context of Houseviewing

Unlike English, Bulgarian is a Slavic language with a different grammar structure and alphabet (Cyrillic). Many words related to housing may look foreign at first but often have direct equivalents. For instance, the English word "rent" corresponds to Bulgarian наем, which is a noun rather than a verb. When forming questions, Bulgarian often places question words at the beginning, similar to English, but relies more on verb conjugation and intonation.

Additionally, Bulgarian uses gender and number endings that affect adjectives and nouns. For example, тих (quiet) changes depending on the noun it describes: тих апартамент (quiet apartment - masculine), but тиха стая (quiet room - feminine).

Useful Bulgarian Phrases and Their English Equivalents

• Има ли тоалетна? – Is there a toilet?
• Колко е голям апартаментът? – How big is the apartment?
• Кога мога да се нанесa? – When can I move in?
• Депозитът включен ли е? – Is the deposit included?