Bulgaria in Europe.
Problem
How do I learn the Cyrillic alphabet easily? How close are Russian and Bulgarian alphabets and vocabulary and will learning one help me learn the other?
BULGARIAN MONTHS (from Wikitravel)
Months[edit]
- January
- янyapи (yah-noo-AH-ree)
- February
- фeвpyapи (feh-vroo-AH-ree)
- March
- мapт (mahrt)
- April
- aпpил (ah-PREEL)
- May
- мaй (mai)
- June
- юни (YOO-nee)
- July
- юли (YOO-lee)
- August
- aвгycт (AHV-goost)
- September
- ceптeмвpи (sehp-TEHM-vree)
- October
- oктoмвpи (ohk-TOHM-vree)
- November
- нoeмвpи (noh-EHM-vree)
- December
- дeкeмвpи (deh-KEHM-vree)
RUSSIAN MONTHS (from Wikipedia)
| Russian | English | Transcription | |
| Месяц | Month | Mésyats | |
| Год | Year | Goad | |
| Январь | January | Yanvár' | |
| Февраль | February | Fevrál' | |
| Март | March | Mart | |
| Апрель | April | Aprél' | |
| Май | May | Maj | |
| Июнь | June | Iyún' | |
| Июль | July | Iyúl' | |
| Август | August | Avgust | |
| Сентябрь | September | Sentyábr' | |
| Октябрь | October | Oktyábr' | |
| Ноябрь | November | Noyábr' | |
| Декабрь | December | Dekábr' | |
You can see which months are exactly the same:
MARCH
March
мapт (mahrt)
May
мaй (mai)
August
aвгycт (AHV-goost)
Start learning the easiest word, for the month of May. The first two letters are Ma. The last letter is a bit like the English letter i. I think of it as the backwards letter n being hit on the head and shouting 'ee!' MA-EE. Of our three words which are exactly the same, this has only three letters, and the first two are the same as English.
We now recognize the word for May in both Russian and Bulgarian.
Using the months of the year, we can learn to recognize the individual letters and at the same time learn twelve words in two languages. We can also discuss, in English, the Cyrillic alphabet, when talking to somebody from Russian or Bulgaria about the Cyrillic alphabet, or learning Russian and learning Bulgarian.
For the word for March, I think of Martha or Marta was born in March. Imagine that either a thief or a worker who went off for a tea break or left work early put up a sign and did not finish the letter R, so what looks like the letter P was left. When you see the Bulgarian or Russian letter P you know it's mean to be the letter R. Alternatively, think of the abbreviation for Public Relations, PR. When you see P in the Russian or Bulgarian it is the letter R in English.
Call To Action
Every day for a week, or every hour today, read through the entire list of months in both Russian and Bulgarian.
When visiting Russia or Bulgaria, every time you see a calendar in a cafe or newsagent, look at the words for the months of the year to remind yourself of the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet and the months of the year in Russian and Bulgarian.
Places To Visit And Practise Your Languages
Russia. Major cities include Moscow in the west and St Petersburg (Vladivostock) in the east.
MARCH
Start learning the easiest word, for the month of May. The first two letters are Ma. The last letter is a bit like the English letter i. I think of it as the backwards letter n being hit on the head and shouting 'ee!' MA-EE. Of our three words which are exactly the same, this has only three letters, and the first two are the same as English.
We now recognize the word for May in both Russian and Bulgarian.
Using the months of the year, we can learn to recognize the individual letters and at the same time learn twelve words in two languages. We can also discuss, in English, the Cyrillic alphabet, when talking to somebody from Russian or Bulgaria about the Cyrillic alphabet, or learning Russian and learning Bulgarian.
For the word for March, I think of Martha or Marta was born in March. Imagine that either a thief or a worker who went off for a tea break or left work early put up a sign and did not finish the letter R, so what looks like the letter P was left. When you see the Bulgarian or Russian letter P you know it's mean to be the letter R. Alternatively, think of the abbreviation for Public Relations, PR. When you see P in the Russian or Bulgarian it is the letter R in English.
Call To Action
Every day for a week, or every hour today, read through the entire list of months in both Russian and Bulgarian.
When visiting Russia or Bulgaria, every time you see a calendar in a cafe or newsagent, look at the words for the months of the year to remind yourself of the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet and the months of the year in Russian and Bulgarian.
Places To Visit And Practise Your Languages
BULGARIA
Bulgaria: Capital Sofia in the north west. The beaches are on the east.
RUSSIA
Travel Tip - Bulgaria - Sofia
http://www.freesofiatour.com Free walking tour, three times a day. The map on their website shows the guides and places on the route (which you could walk on your own) including a synagogue and a mosque so a wide variety of both popular and minority interests are well covered.
Travel Tip - Russia - Moscow
Take a walking tour of statues and check out the captions and life stories on Wikipedia. See my blog post on Moscow statues and Kalashnikov.
Useful Websites for Language Learning and Travel:
http://www.bulgariantouristboard.com
https://wikitravel.org/en/Bulgarian_phrasebook
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/russian-alphabet-made-easy-b-v-go.html
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/learn-bulgarian-in-three-minutes.html
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages. See my previous post on Bulgarian. Please bookmark and share your favourite posts.
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