Why Gatanka Exists: A Platform to Practice Bulgarian Language

If you’re here, you probably want to practice Bulgarian and get better at understanding and speaking to locals. In my experience of both learning and teaching languages, consistent practice is fundamental if you want to get real results. Spending tons of hours doing grammar exercises sounds boring, I know, but it pays off when you finally don’t have to think about the correct tense or word order. It just becomes automatic.

A lot of people hate grammar, but you can’t make a sentence without it, and you can’t have an actual conversation without making your own sentences. And being able to have a conversation, isn’t this why we want to learn languagesafter all?

When I started teaching Bulgarian, I realized how scarce the available learning resources were. There was nowhere I could direct my students for additional practice, so I had to create my own database of grammar exercises, as well as listening and reading comprehension activities, matching learners’ different levels and goals. These resources are the foundation Gatanka is built on. 

Gatankais the Bulgarian word for ‘riddle’, and its mission is to help you figure out the answers you need to improve your Bulgarian. It’s a dedicated space where you can practice your Bulgarian language skills, make mistakes without anyone watching, learn from them and make real, visible progress.

Gatanka is a practice platform where you can actively use what you already know by forming simple phrases, checking your understanding of written and spoken Bulgarian, and applying grammar in relevant context.

You can choose from a variety of Bulgarian practice activities depending on what skills you want to focus on:

Bulgarian grammar exercises – Get the logic and structure of the language through real-life examples, rather than rule memorization, so you can understand how Bulgarian actually works.

Vocabulary practice – Build a list of the words you will need in your day-to-day communication with Bulgarians. 

Listening practice – Get used to hearing and understanding real Bulgarian speech. 

Reading comprehension – Work with authentic Bulgarian texts (the kind of content you’ll actually encounter in real life).

Alphabet practice – Improve your Cyrillic script reading and writing skills through simple exercises if you’re just starting out.

Everything here is created by a native Bulgarian teacher (me) and is focused on active practice. If you’ve been struggling to find authentic Bulgarian contentthat’s not textbook-style or AI-generated, you’re exactly who Gatanka was built for. This is your safe space to practice Bulgarian language for free without fear of judgment.

I’m Liliana Chernin, a native Bulgarian speaker and language teacher. I’ve spent 10+ years helping people bridge that understanding-speaking gap. I’ve also learned 4 languages myself, so I know what actually works and what’s just meaningless noise.

I built Gatanka because I got tired of seeing learners struggle with the same problem over and over and having nowhere to send them for quality Bulgarian practice.

Gatanka works best when you already have some foundation, such as being familiar with the Bulgarian alphabet and with some very basic vocabulary and grammar.

If you’re starting from zero, I created a Bulgarian basics course that covers everything you need before practice makes sense. Once you’ve built that foundation, come back here and the Bulgarian grammar exercises and other practice activities will click.

Already have some Bulgarian knowledge? You’re in the right place, start practicing.

I hope the patterns start making sense instead of feeling like chaos. I hope you stop feeling intimidated by grammar and get to actually enjoy practicing Bulgarian language. I hope you finally break through that paralysis and no longer avoid situations because you’re afraid of freezing up. And I hope you shift from feeling like an outsider to actually choosing life in Bulgaria.

If you have any questions or suggestions, send an email to contact@gatanka.com. I’m a real person and I actually respond.

Help shape Gatanka: I’m actively looking for feedback from people using the platform. If you’ve tried the Bulgarian grammar exercises, listening practice, or any other activities and want to share your thoughts – what’s working, what’s confusing, what’s missing – fill out this short feedback form. Your input directly shapes what gets built next.

Liliana Chernin, a teacher and a language enthusiast