здравей, как си?
zdravey, kak si?
hi, how are you? in Bulgarian is здравей, как си? (zdravey, kak si?)
The phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being.
Which one should you use?
здравей, как си? is the singular and informal version. In contrast, здравейте, как сте? is used for both formal situations and when addressing multiple people. If you want to ask how someone is feeling specifically, you can use Здравейте, как се чувствате?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Black Sea coast dialect, it is common to add the word море (meaning 'sea') to the end of informal greetings.
How does it change in a sentence?
здравей, как си? is the singular/informal form, while здравейте, как сте? serves as the formal or plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
zdravey, kak si?
When do people say it?
A common response to the question как си? is Добре, благодаря!, which means 'Fine, thank you!'
Did you know?
- The greeting здравей is actually a command. It is the imperative form of an archaic verb meaning 'to be healthy'.
- In some informal circles, the question как си? is treated as a rhetorical greeting, meaning the speaker is saying 'hello' without actually expecting a health report.
- The word си in this phrase is a short form of the verb 'to be', which is a common feature in many Slavic languages.
Examples in context
- Здравей, как си?Zdravei, kak si?Hi, how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries здравей, как, си, CC BY-SA 4.0.
