Ways to say it
| Bulgarian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| оти́вам си | otívam si | imperfective |
| оти́да си | otída si | perfective |
The verb forms are used to describe the act of departing or leaving a place. While the verb forms describe the action of leaving, you may also use interjections like изчезвай! or махай се! to command someone to leave.
Which one should you use?
In Bulgarian, the perfective form оти́да си can be used in the present tense to express a future intention to leave, such as saying "I will go away."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you need to ask someone to leave politely in a formal setting, you should use the phrase Моля Ви, оттеглете се, which means "please withdraw." In contrast, the interjections махай се! and изчезвай! are informal. Махай се! is direct and assertive, while махай се! can be colloquial and somewhat rude, similar to "get lost." The interjection изчезвай! is a harsh way to tell someone to go away, literally meaning "disappear!"
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb has two aspectual forms: the imperfective оти́вам си and the perfective оти́да си.
How do you pronounce it?
otívam si
Did you know?
- The command махай се! is derived from a verb meaning 'to wave' or 'to shake'. Telling someone to 'go away' this way is like telling them to 'wave themselves' out of the room.
- In certain contexts, the phrase махай се! loses its literal meaning of 'go away' entirely. Depending on your tone, it can be used to mean 'Don't be ridiculous!' or 'Nonsense!' when someone says something unbelievable.
- Without the particle си, the verb оти́вам changes its core meaning. Instead of describing the act of departing, it simply describes the physical process of moving toward a destination.
Examples in context
- Не искам да те видя повече. Махай се!I don't want to see you anymore. Go away!
- Вече трябва да оти́вам си.Veche tryabva da otivam si.I must be going now.
- Оти́вам си, защото е късно.Otivam si, zashtoto e kasno.I am leaving because it is late.
- Трябва да оти́вам си скоро.Tryabva da otivam si skoro.I need to be heading off soon.
Example conversation
Viktoria is leaving a party at Dimitar's house.
- Виктория ViktoriyaДимитър, беше много мило, но оти́вам си.Dimitar, beshe mnogo milo, no otivam si.Dimitar, it was very nice, but I am leaving.
- Димитър DimitarО, вече ли? Още сега е рано!O, veche li? Oshte sega e rano!Oh, already? It is still early!
- Виктория ViktoriyaУтре имам работа рано сутринта.Utre imam rabota rano sutrinta.I have work early tomorrow morning.
- Димитър DimitarРазбирам, приятен път, Виктория!Razbiram, priyaten pat, Viktoriya!I understand, have a safe trip, Viktoria!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go away” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
