Bulgarian and Ukrainian: 53 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Bulgarian | Ukrainian |
|---|---|---|---|
| добреbg [doˈbrɛ]uk [ˈdɔbre] | well | #25 | #47 |
| там[tam] | there | #78 | #43 |
| точноbg [ˈtɔt͡ʃno]uk [ˈtɔt͡ʃnɔ] | exactly, precisely, accurately | #102 | #146 |
| безbg [bɛs]uk [bɛz] | without | #109 | #99 |
| триbg [tri]uk [trɪ] | three | #215 | #169 |
| мамоbg /ˈmamo/uk [ˈmamɔ] | vocative singular of ма́ма | #230 | #330 |
| дваbg [dva]uk [ˈdʋa] | two | #273 | #140 |
| брат[brat] | brother | #274 | #269 |
| ясноbg [ˈja̟sno]uk [ˈjasnɔ] | clearly | #276 | #245 |
| моментbg [moˈmɛnt]uk [mɔˈmɛnt] | moment, instant | #300 | #488 |
| сестраbg [sɛˈstra]uk [seˈstra] | sister | #348 | #525 |
| надbg [nat]uk [nad] | above, over | #353 | #232 |
| де[dɛ] | where | #358 | #69 |
| синbg [sin]uk [sɪn] | son | #399 | #345 |
| план[pɫan] | plan, scheme | #554 | #432 |
| вашеbg [ˈvaʃɛ]uk [ˈʋaʃe] | your, yours | #603 | #361 |
| вашаbg [ˈvaʃɐ]uk [ˈʋaʃɐ] | your, yours | #704 | #189 |
| раноbg [ˈrano]uk [ˈranɔ] | early | #714 | #627 |
| групаbg [ˈɡrupɐ]uk [ˈɦrupɐ] | group | #762 | #1,556 |
| абсолютноbg [ɐpsoˈlʲu̟tno]uk [ɐbsoˈlʲutnɔ] | absolutely | #773 | #562 |
| системаbg [siˈstɛmɐ]uk [seˈstɛmɐ] | system | #795 | #1,282 |
| тихоbg [ˈtixo]uk [ˈtɪxɔ] | quietly | #807 | #518 |
| музикаbg [ˈmuzikɐ]uk [ˈmuzekɐ] | music | #817 | #1,218 |
| книгаbg [ˈkniɡɐ]uk [ˈknɪɦɐ] | book | #821 | #1,154 |
| телефонbg [tɛlɛˈfɔn]uk [teɫeˈfɔn] | telephone | #874 | #500 |
| президентbg [prɛziˈdɛnt]uk [prezeˈdɛnt] | president | #891 | #1,008 |
| шоуbg [ˈʃɔw]uk [ˈʃɔʊ] | show | #910 | #797 |
| славаbg [ˈsɫavɐ]uk [ˈsɫaʋɐ] | glory | #926 | #747 |
| чайbg [t͡ʃa̟j]uk [t͡ʃai̯] | tea | #941 | #1,061 |
| геройbg [ɡɛˈrɔj]uk [ɦeˈrɔi̯] | hero | #954 | #1,369 |
| виноbg [ˈvino]uk [ʋeˈnɔ] | wine | #987 | #1,198 |
| сезонbg [sɛˈzɔn]uk [seˈzɔn] | season | #1,063 | #966 |
| клубbg [kɫup]uk [kɫub] | club | #1,090 | #1,317 |
| мирbg [mir]uk [mɪr] | peace | #1,095 | #561 |
| наш[naʃ] | our, ours | #1,146 | #179 |
| половинаbg [poɫoˈvinɐ]uk [pɔɫɔˈʋɪnɐ] | half | #1,148 | #1,674 |
| окоbg [oˈkɔ]uk [ˈɔkɔ] | eye | #1,224 | #1,525 |
| наша[ˈnaʃɐ] | our, ours | #1,275 | #312 |
| генералbg [ɡɛnɛˈraɫ]uk [ɦeneˈraɫ] | general | #1,276 | #1,740 |
| костюмbg [koˈstʲu̟m]uk [koˈsʲtʲum] | suit | #1,299 | #1,193 |
| тест[tɛst] | test | #1,346 | #1,572 |
| вашbg [vaʃ]uk [ʋaʃ] | your, yours | #1,351 | #191 |
| принцbg [print͡s]uk [prɪnt͡s] | prince | #1,430 | #1,615 |
| ключbg [klʲu̟t͡ʃ]uk [klʲut͡ʃ] | key | #1,483 | #828 |
| рак[rak] | crawfish, crayfish | #1,523 | #1,709 |
| сто[stɔ] | hundred | #1,566 | #847 |
| професорbg [proˈfɛsor]uk [prɔˈfɛsɔr] | professor | #1,571 | #1,695 |
| урокbg [oˈrɔk]uk [ʊˈrɔk] | lesson | #1,653 | #1,285 |
| мак[mak] | poppy | #1,729 | #1,441 |
| звукbg [zvuk]uk [zwuk] | sound | #1,755 | #1,041 |
| правилоbg [ˈpraviɫo]uk [ˈpraʋeɫɔ] | rule | #1,757 | #1,415 |
| майор[mɐˈjɔr] | major | #1,787 | #1,880 |
| закон[zɐˈkɔn] | law | #1,835 | #1,205 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.