добре ли си?
dobre li si?
The Bulgarian phrase for "are you okay?" is добре ли си? (dobre li si?)
добре ли си? is used to ask if someone is okay, often implying a check on their well-being after an event. This differs from the standard greeting Как си?, which is the common way to ask "How are you?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of добре (well), ли (a particle used to form yes/no questions) and си (you are).
Which one should you use?
While добре ли си? focuses on whether someone is okay, Как си? is the general greeting for "How are you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people or using a polite form of address, use добре ли сте? instead of the singular добре ли си?
How do you pronounce it?
dobre li si?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you добре ли си?, a standard response is Да, добре съм (Yes, I am well).
Did you know?
- The word си comes from the Proto-Slavic esi, which is a distant relative of the English word 'is'.
- Depending on the tone, добре ли си? can be used sarcastically to ask if someone is 'feeling okay' after they have done something foolish.
- The particle ли is a 'question particle' that can be moved around in a sentence to change the emphasis, though it most commonly follows the first word of the question.
Example conversation
Martin looks tired at work.
- Елена ElenaМартин, добре ли си?Martin, dobre li si?Martin, are you okay?
- Мартин MartinДа, просто съм много уморен.Da, prosto sam mnogo umoren.Yes, I'm just very tired.
- Елена ElenaИскаш ли да си починеш?Iskash li da si pochinesh?Do you want to take a break?
- Мартин MartinЩе бъде добре, благодаря ти.Shte bade dobre, blagodarya ti.It will be fine, thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ли, си, CC BY-SA 4.0.
