When preparing for a trip to another country, most travelers wonder which language they will need to use, whether communication with locals will be difficult, or if they will have to rely on gestures. In this article, we will tell you which language is spoken in Bulgaria, whether English is understood, and share other useful information.
National Language of Bulgaria
The official national language here is Bulgarian, which belongs to the group of Slavic languages.
How Bulgarians Write
You will sometimes come across English signs in supermarkets and shops, as well as on street name plates. The same applies to landmarks — their names are often displayed in English.
The English Language in Bulgaria
You can easily communicate in English with younger Bulgarians. Thanks to travelers from Europe and America, many locals speak English fairly well.
Helpful Travel Tips
Install a translator. Before leaving for the country, you can install Google translator on your phone and download Russian and Bulgarian to it. This way you can do basic translation offline.
Learn a couple of basic phrases in Bulgarian. The locals will be pleased to hear a tourist speaking their native language.
Rule of Gestures. In Bulgaria, nodding means "no" and shaking your head from one shoulder to the other means "yes". Keep this in mind when communicating with Bulgarians to avoid awkward situations.