Animals

1. Куче

   Ku-che

   Dog

   Usage

   "Ухапа ме куче" — a dog bit me. Loose guard dogs and strays are common on Bulgarian village roads, so take care on foot

2. Котка

   Kot-ka

   Cat

   Usage

   Community cats are everywhere in Black Sea towns and old quarters, and they will join you on a restaurant terrace

3. Птица

   Pti-tsa

   Bird

   Usage

   The general word. Bulgaria sits on the Via Pontica migration route, so it turns up constantly on birdwatching tours

4. Риба

   Ri-ba

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word for the animal and the dish; Black Sea eateries advertise "прясна риба", fresh fish

5. Кон

   Kon

   Horse

   Usage

   Used on riding tours in the Rhodopes and the Balkan range; in the countryside horses still pull carts

6. Крава

   Kra-va

   Cow

   Usage

   Herds often block mountain roads. Milk is labelled "краве мляко" to set it apart from sheep and buffalo milk

7. Прасе

   Pra-se

   Pig

   Usage

   Pork as a food is "свинско"; say "Без свинско" if you need to avoid it

8. Овца

   Ov-tsa

   Sheep

   Usage

   A common sight on mountain pasture; "овче сирене", sheep's cheese, is a staple of Bulgarian cooking

9. Коза

   Ko-za

   Goat

   Usage

   Still herded in Rhodope villages; you will order "козе сирене" or "козе мляко"

10. Кокошка

    Ko-kosh-ka

    Chicken (hen)

    Usage

    The living bird; chicken as a meat is the separate word "пилешко" on menus

11. Магаре

    Ma-ga-re

    Donkey

    Usage

    Still a working animal in the villages. Applied to a person it means "idiot", so keep it to the animal

12. Мечка

    Mech-ka

    Bear

    Usage

    Brown bears — "кафява мечка" — live in Rila, Pirin and the Rhodopes; the word appears on hut warning signs

13. Вълк

    Valk

    Wolf

    Usage

    Present in the mountains but rarely seen; it comes up in shepherds' talk and folk tales

14. Лисица

    Li-si-tsa

    Fox

    Usage

    Often seen at dusk on the edge of towns and on mountain roads; do not feed them

15. Дива свиня

    Di-va svi-nya

    Wild boar

    Usage

    Widespread in Bulgarian forests and a hunting quarry; the male is "глиган". Never approach one with young

16. Елен

    E-len

    Deer

    Usage

    Lives in the forests; watch for them crossing mountain roads at night

17. Заек

    Za-ek

    Rabbit / Hare

    Usage

    One word for the wild hare and the pet rabbit alike; on a menu it is the meat

18. Таралеж

    Ta-ra-lezh

    Hedgehog

    Usage

    Turns up in gardens and campsites after dark; do not handle it — they carry fleas and ticks

19. Катерица

    Ka-te-ri-tsa

    Squirrel

    Usage

    Common in Sofia's Borisova gradina and in the pine woods of Vitosha

20. Мишка

    Mish-ka

    Mouse

    Usage

    The small one. If you find one at your lodging, say "Има мишка в стаята" — there is a mouse in the room

21. Плъх

    Plah

    Rat

    Usage

    A separate word from "мишка" for the big one; use it when a hygiene complaint needs to be precise

22. Прилеп

    Pri-lep

    Bat

    Usage

    Always mentioned on a Bulgarian cave tour — Prohodna, Magura and the rest. Never touch one

23. Змия

    Zmi-ya

    Snake

    Usage

    The venomous one is the nose-horned viper, "пепелянка", found on rocky ground in the Rhodopes and by the sea. If bitten, say "Ухапа ме змия" and call an ambulance

24. Гущер

    Gush-ter

    Lizard

    Usage

    Everywhere on sunny walls and ruins in summer, and harmless

25. Костенурка

    Kos-te-nur-ka

    Tortoise / Turtle

    Usage

    Bulgaria's land tortoises are protected species — illegal to move or take, so look and leave them

26. Жаба

    Zha-ba

    Frog

    Usage

    Abundant in the wetlands along the Danube; the same word covers toads

27. Комар

    Ko-mar

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Bad along the Danube and the coast in summer. Ask a pharmacy "Има ли препарат против комари?" for repellent

28. Кърлеж

    Kar-lezh

    Tick

    Usage

    The parasite to watch for in Bulgarian grass and forest — it carries Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. Do not pull it out yourself: say "Ухапа ме кърлеж" at a clinic

29. Пчела

    Pche-la

    Bee

    Usage

    If you are allergic, say "Алергичен съм към ужилване". A wasp is the separate word "оса"

30. Мравка

    Mrav-ka

    Ant

    Usage

    For a complaint about your room: "Има мравки" — there are ants

31. Хлебарка

    Hle-bar-ka

    Cockroach

    Usage

    The word for a hygiene complaint: "Има хлебарки в стаята" will get you another room

32. Паяк

    Pa-yak

    Spider

    Usage

    Bulgaria has virtually no dangerous spiders; you will meet them in huts and barns

33. Муха

    Mu-ha

    Fly

    Usage

    A nuisance on summer terraces; "Има много мухи" may get you a different table

34. Щъркел

    Shtar-kel

    Stork

    Usage

    Nests on village utility poles are a Bulgarian sign of spring, and a nest on your house is thought to bring luck

35. Медуза

    Me-du-za

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    They bloom in the Black Sea in summer. Few of them sting, but it is worth asking "Има ли медузи?" before you swim

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