Lesson 13: Work & Directions
Jobs, Prepositions & Navigation
Jobs, Professions & Workplaces
Click the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation.
Useful Questions
What do you do? Какво работиш?
Where do you work? Къде работиш?
I am a teacher. Аз съм учител.
I work in a bank. Работя в банка.
I work at home. Работя от вкъщи.
Professions A–L
Accountant /əˈkaʊntənt/ Счетоводител
Actor /ˈæktər/ Актьор
Architect /ˈɑːrkɪtekt/ Архитект
Artist /ˈɑːrtɪst/ Художник
Chef /ʃef/ Готвач
Dentist /ˈdentɪst/ Зъболекар
Doctor /ˈdɒktər/ Лекар
Driver /ˈdraɪvər/ Шофьор
Engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪər/ Инженер
Farmer /ˈfɑːrmər/ Фермер
Firefighter /ˈfaɪərfaɪtər/ Пожарникар
Journalist /ˈdʒəːrnəlɪst/ Журналист
Lawyer /ˈlɔːjər/ Адвокат
Professions M–Z
Manager /ˈmænɪdʒər/ Мениджър
Mechanic /məˈkænɪk/ Механик
Nurse /nɜːrs/ Медицинска сестра
Pharmacist /ˈfɑːrməsɪst/ Фармацевт
Pilot /ˈpaɪlət/ Пилот
Police officer /pəˈliːs ɔfɪsər/ Полицай
Programmer /ˈprəʊɡræmər/ Програмист
Secretary /ˈsekrətri/ Секретар
Soldier /ˈsəʊldʒər/ Войник
Teacher /ˈtiːtʃər/ Учител
Veterinarian /ˌvetərɪˈneəriən/ Ветеринар
Waiter /ˈweɪtər/ Сервитьор
Workplaces
Airport /ˈeəpɔːt/ Летище
Bank /bæŋk/ Банка
Building site /ˈbɪldɪŋ saɪt/ Строителна площадка
Clinic /ˈklɪnɪk/ Клиника
Court /kɔːrt/ Съд
Factory /ˈfæktri/ Фабрика
Farm /fɑːm/ Ферма
Fire station /ˈfaɪər steɪʃn/ Пожарна
Hospital /ˈhɒspɪtl/ Болница
Hotel /həʊˈtel/ Хотел
Library /ˈlaɪbrəri/ Библиотека
Office /ˈɒfɪs/ Офис
Pharmacy /ˈfɑːrməsi/ Аптека
Police station /pəˈliːs steɪʃn/ Полицейски участък
Restaurant /ˈrestrɒnt/ Ресторант
School /skuːl/ Училище
Studio /ˈstjuːdiəʊ/ Студио
Supermarket /ˈsuːpəmɑːkɪt/ Супермаркет
Work Actions
Build /bɪld/ Строя
Design /dɪˈzaɪn/ Проектирам
Fix /fɪks/ Поправям
Help /help/ Помагам
Manage /ˈmænɪdʒ/ Управлявам
Operate /ˈɒpəreɪt/ Работя с машина / оперирам
Report /rɪˈpɔːrt/ Докладвам / пиша репортаж
Sell /sel/ Продавам
Serve /sɜːv/ Сервирам
Teach /tiːtʃ/ Преподавам
Treat /triːt/ Лекувам
Write /raɪt/ Пиша
Directions
Go straight /strɛɪt/ Върви направо
Turn left /tɜːrn left/ Завий наляво
Turn right /tɜːrn raɪt/ Завий надясно
Go past /pɑːst/ Мини покрай
Next to /ˈnekst tu/ До / редом
Between /bɪˈtwiːn/ Между
Opposite /ˈɒpəzɪt/ Срещу
Behind /bɪˈhaɪnd/ Зад
In front of /ɪn frʎnt əv/ Пред
At the corner /ˈkɔːrnər/ На ъгъла
Across from /əˈkrɒs frəm/ Отвъд / отсреща
Grammar: Jobs & Directions
🆕 Topic 1: A vs AN with Jobs
Use A or AN before a job: "I am a teacher." | "She is an engineer."
The rule is simple: it depends on the sound of the next word — not the letter!
The rule is simple: it depends on the sound of the next word — not the letter!
A
Before a consonant sound
- a teacher
- a doctor
- a manager
- a pilot
- a nurse
- a waiter
AN
Before a vowel sound (a,e,i,o,u)
- an engineer
- an architect
- an accountant
- an actor
- an office
- an artist
⚠️ Tricky cases — always follow the sound, not the letter:
• "a university" — starts with U but sounds like "you" (consonant Y sound) → use A
• "an hour" — starts with H but the H is silent, so it sounds like "our" (vowel sound) → use AN
• "a university" — starts with U but sounds like "you" (consonant Y sound) → use A
• "an hour" — starts with H but the H is silent, so it sounds like "our" (vowel sound) → use AN
🆕 Topic 2: Prepositions — IN, AT, ON
These three prepositions tell us where something is. They are often confusing because Bulgarian uses just “в” or “на” for all of them.
IN
Enclosed spaces, cities, countries
- in an office
- in a hospital
- in Sofia
- in a factory
- in a room
ON
Surfaces, floors, roads, farms
- on a farm
- on the 3rd floor
- on 5th Street
- on a building site
- on the desk
AT
Specific points, events, institutions
- at home
- at work
- at school
- at the airport
- at the corner
💡 Bulgarian tip: В офиса = in the office | На фермата = on the farm | В училище = at school (we say "at" for institutions we go to regularly).
🆕 Topic 3: Present Simple — Talking About Jobs
We use the Present Simple to describe what someone does for work — their regular habits and routines.
| Subject | Verb form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | work / teach / fix | I work in a hospital. |
| You | work / teach / fix | You teach children. |
| He / She / It | works / teaches | She works at the airport. He teaches maths. |
| We / They | work / teach / fix | They design buildings. |
✓ Positive
- He works in a bank.
- She teaches English.
- They fix cars.
✗ Negative
- He doesn't work here.
- She doesn't teach maths.
- I don't fix cars.
? Question
- Does he work here?
- What do you do?
- Where does she work?
🆕 Topic 4: There is / There are
Use There is for one thing (singular). Use There are for more than one (plural). This is how we say something exists somewhere.
| Positive | Negative | Question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | There is a bank. | There isn't a bank. | Is there a bank? |
| Plural | There are two offices. | There aren't any offices. | Are there any offices? |
⚠️ Note: "There is" → скъсено: There's a hospital nearby. | В български: Има болница / Има ли болница?
🆕 Topic 5: Giving Directions — Imperatives
When giving directions we use the imperative — the base form of the verb, with no subject. It is not rude in English, it is normal and polite.
Movement Verbs
| Phrase | Bulgarian |
|---|---|
| Go straight | Върви направо |
| Turn left | Завий наляво |
| Turn right | Завий надясно |
| Go past the bank | Мини покрай банката |
| Take the first left | Завий на първата вляво |
Position Words
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Next to | До / редом с |
| Between | Между |
| Opposite | Срещу |
| Behind | Зад |
| In front of | Пред |
| At the corner | На ъгъла |
| Across from | Отвъд / отсреща |
💡 Compass: North (N) — South (S) — East (E) — West (W)
Combined: North-East (NE) South-West (SW) etc.
"The airport is north of the city." / "Go east on this road."
Combined: North-East (NE) South-West (SW) etc.
"The airport is north of the city." / "Go east on this road."
Pronunciation Patterns
Click the speaker on any word to hear it. Focus on the highlighted sound.
/ʃən/
–TION & –SION endings
The letters –tion are always pronounced /ʃən/ — like “shun”. The letter T becomes SH. The ending –sion is either /ʃən/ or /ʒən/ (zh sound).
station/ˈsteɪʃən/Станция🔊
profession/prəˈfeʃən/Професия🔊
direction/dɪˈrekʃən/Посока🔊
position/pəˈzɪʃən/Позиция🔊
question/ˈkwestʃən/Въпрос🔊
decision/dɪˈsɪʒən/Решение🔊
nation/ˈneɪʃən/Нация🔊
action/ˈækʃən/Действие🔊
/iː/
EA and EE — the long /iː/ sound
Both EA and EE usually make the long sound /iː/ — like “ee” in “see”. This is longer than the Bulgarian “и” — hold it slightly longer.
teacher/ˈtiːtʃər/Учител🔊
treat/triːt/Лекувам🔊
read/riːd/Чета🔊
engineer/ˌendʒɪˈnɪər/Инженер🔊
street/striːt/Улица🔊
meet/miːt/Срещам🔊
team/tiːm/Екип🔊
speed/spiːd/Скорост🔊
⚠️ Exceptions (EA = /e/):
bread/bred/Хляб🔊
head/hed/Глава🔊
dead/ded/Мъртъв🔊
ready/ˈredi/Готов🔊
🔇
Silent Letters — Letters you do NOT say
English has many letters that are written but not spoken. This is very different from Bulgarian where almost all letters are pronounced.
Silent W
work/wɜːrk/⚠ W here IS spoken!🔊
Silent K
Silent H
vehicle/ˈviəkl/Превозно средство🔊
Silent B
thumb/θʎm/Палец🔊
climb/klaɪm/Катеря се🔊
/ər/
The -ER ending — almost all professions!
Nearly all English job names end in -er, -or, or -ist. The -er / -or ending is pronounced /ər/ — like a relaxed “ur”. It is a very common sound in English — called the schwa + r.
teacher-/ər/🔊
doctor-/ər/🔊
manager-/ər/🔊
driver-/ər/🔊
farmer-/ər/🔊
waiter-/ər/🔊
engineer-/ɪər/🔊
programmer-/ər/🔊
The New Guy
Three scenes: Tom arrives at his new office, gets a tour from Jake, then meets the boss for his first day.
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Exercises (15 Sets)
Complete all tasks. Correct answers turn green.