Добре съм
dobre sam[doˈbrɛ sɤm]word by word
The Bulgarian phrase for "I am fine" is Добре съм (dobre sam).
Добре съм is a standard, neutral response used to answer the question Как си? (How are you?) to indicate that you are healthy or doing well. You can also use Чудесно съм. to say "I am wonderful" or "I am great."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb добре (well) and the first-person singular form of the verb съм (to be).
Which one should you use?
While Добре съм is a standard response, you can also use the informal phrase Всичко наред. to mean "Everything is okay."
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Добре съм, the verb съм is in the first-person singular present tense, which corresponds to "I am".
How do you pronounce it?
dobre sam
When do people say it?
When someone asks how you are, you can use Добре съм to respond. It is common to return the question by asking А вие? (And you?).
Did you know?
- In Bulgaria, nodding your head up and down can actually mean 'no', while shaking it side to side can mean 'yes'. If you respond to Как си? with a confused-looking nod, you might accidentally signal that you are not fine.
- The verb съм in Добре съм shares a common ancestor with the English verb 'to be'. Both come from the same Proto-Indo-European roots, making the structure of this simple sentence a distant relative of English grammar.
- If someone is genuinely 'fine' or 'great', they might use Чудесно съм, using a root that shares its origin with the word for 'miracle' (чудо).
Examples in context
- Добре съм, благодаря.I am fine, thank you
- Добре съм, благодаря за въпроса.Dobre sum, blagodarya za vaprosa.I am fine, thank you for asking.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- Димитър DimitarЗдравей, Десислава! Как си?Zdravey, Desislava! Kak si?Hello, Desislava! How are you?
- Десислава DesislavaЗдравей, Димитър! Добре съм, а ти?Zdravey, Dimitar! Dobre sam, a ti?Hello, Dimitar! I am fine, and you?
- Димитър DimitarИ аз съм много добре.I az sam mnogo dobre.I am also very well.
- Десислава DesislavaРадвам се да го чуя!Radvam se da go chuya!I am glad to hear that!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (добре, съм) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries съм, CC BY-SA 4.0.
I was repeating Всичко е наред. over and over just trying to hear how it sounds. It really does end up sounding more like Всичконаред. instead. I know Spaniards are some of the fastest speakers but I guess Bulgarians are chasing that goal too, eating our vowels in between lol.