Arguments

Agent, Theme given, counter-Theme, Partner · Bulgarian cloth · working claim, revisable

Agent · subject of разменям, обменям, сменям, заменям · a full noun has no case ending · the definite article is the article

Theme given · direct object · товара · ром · сливи · долари · валута · свинята · пердета · ги is the accusative clitic of that object

counter-Theme received · за + noun phrase, or срещу + noun phrase · РБЕ’s header of разменям names срещу, за, and obsolete на · the one-volume government names за какво/за кого and does not name срещу

Partner · с + noun phrase · с Делията · с когото · с него · the same с introduces the new item on сменям and on transitive заменям

разменям си · РБЕ labels it взаим. · the thing stays the object · подаръци · пръстените · квартирите · телефоните · possessive си on местата си is a different clitic, on the noun

No case ending on a noun · marking is the preposition (за, с, срещу) or a clitic (си, се, ги, ти) · Ще ти ги разменя has dative ти and accusative ги

Where the Bulgarian frame diverges from the English gloss exchange X for Y with Z. Cambridge, on the lines the German page cites, prints exchange something for something and exchange sth with sb as separate patterns. English for is the thing received. English with is the partner. Bulgarian nouns do not inflect for case, so X, Y, and Z are not accusative, instrumental, or dative endings. X is the direct object: товара, сливи, долари, свинята. Y, the thing received, is за or срещу. Z, the partner, is с when the noun is the person one exchanges with. That с is also the new item. Russian обменять marks Y with на plus accusative and, on the reciprocal, puts the Theme in the bare instrumental. Polish wymienić marks Y with на plus accusative and the partner with z plus instrumental. Bulgarian has no instrumental to put the Theme in. The reciprocal is the clitic си, and the object stays.

срещу is printed as a counter-Theme. РБЕ’s sense 1 of разменям says the second noun usually takes срещу, за, or obsolete на. The filled срещу lines are the skins and the vodka: товара на корабите си срещу кожи, ром срещу водка. обменям fills парче плат срещу хранителни продукти. The noun размяна fills стока срещу стока and размяна на осъдените срещу осъден терорист. The one-volume government of разменям is Какво/кого, за какво/за кого, and the examples are сливи за смет and кон за камила. That article does not print срещу. The preposition article, in Речник на съвременния български книжовен език, sense 6, glosses срещу as в замяна на. The lines under that sense are payment and compensation: срещу парично възнаграждение, срещу малка такса, срещу храна. They are not a разменям clause.

с is the partner, and с is the new item. On разменям, a person after с is the partner: Размени с Делията някоя и друга дума, с когото беше разменил толкова писма. On обменям, да обмени с него няколко думи and с кого да обменя are that partner, and сол с ценните стоки is the other goods. On сменям, the printed с is the new item or the thing received: one-volume Сменям мебелите с нови, РСБКЕ смених номера на колата с фалшив номер and да смениш свинята с овца. No person-partner stands after с in those сменям examples. On transitive заменям, РБЕ’s header names с and за together. Заменям ги за жито and заменям за апартамент use за. пердета с щори, годеник с дебелия Беслеменов, and дворно място с една нива use с for the other item. The mutual line се заменяме с Иванов uses с for the partner.

Places · who wears which marking

The subject is the person who gives a thing and takes another, when the clause has that subject. The thing given is the direct object. A full noun in that place has no case ending. за and срещу are the thing received, where a line prints them. с of a person is the partner on разменям and on обменям. с of a thing is the new item on сменям and on заменям, and the other goods on one обменям line. си on разменям си is the reciprocal clitic. се is the passive label, the intransitive swap of duties, or the mutual of заменям се.

за and срещу · the thing received

✓ разменяли товара на корабите си срещу кожи. РБЕ · разменям 1 · срещу

✓ разменяме ром срещу водка. РБЕ · срещу

✓ ще го размени за мъжко. РБЕ · за · го the accusative clitic

✓ Разменям сливи за смет. · Разменям кон за камила. one-volume · за какво/за кого · the examples are things

✓ парче плат срещу хранителни продукти. РБЕ · обменям 1 · срещу

they exchanged the cargo for skins · we exchange rum for vodka · he will exchange it for a male calf · exchange plums for rubbish · exchange a horse for a camel · a piece of cloth for food

с the partner · and разменям си

✓ Размени с Делията някоя и друга дума. РБЕ · с the person · the words are the object

✓ с когото беше разменил толкова писма. РБЕ · с the correspondent

✓ да обмени с него няколко думи. РБЕ · обменям · с него

✓ другите си разменяха подаръци. · да си размените пръстените. · Разменихме си телефоните. РБЕ · разменям си · взаим. · the thing is the object

✓ Играчите размениха местата си. РБЕ · possessive си on the noun · not the reciprocal verb

he exchanged a few words with Deliyata · the man with whom he had exchanged so many letters · exchange a few words with him · they exchanged gifts · exchange rings · we exchanged phone numbers · the players changed their places

обменям · currency · разменям of money and coins

✓ да обмениш валута. · Обмених долари за левове. РБЕ · обменям 1 · object the currency · за the money received

✓ Обменям левове за марки. one-volume · обменям

✓ Ще ти ги разменя за едно голямо жълтиче. РБЕ · разменям 2 · ти dative clitic · ги accusative clitic · за the coin

✓ Разменете, моля. РБЕ · change the coin · no за, no срещу

✓ Разменям пари. one-volume · large notes for small, or one currency for another

change currency · I exchanged dollars for leva · exchange leva for marks · I will change them for you for one large gold coin · change this, please · change money

сменям · заменям · с the new item, за the thing received

✓ Сменям мебелите с нови. one-volume · с the new furniture

✓ смених номера на колата с фалшив номер. РСБКЕ · сменям 3 · с the new number

✓ да смениш свинята с овца. РСБКЕ · сменям 4 · glossed разменям · с the sheep

✓ Заменям ги за жито. · заменям за апартамент. РБЕ · заменям 2 · header с and за · these lines are за

✓ Заменям пердета с щори. · моя годеник с дебелия Беслеменов. · дворно място с една нива. one-volume · РБЕ · с the other item

✓ се заменяме с Иванов. РБЕ · заменям се · с the partner

replace the furniture with new furniture · he changed the car’s number for a false number · exchange the pig for a sheep · exchange them for wheat · exchange for an apartment · replace curtains with blinds · I would not exchange my fiancé for Beslemenov · he had exchanged the yard for a field · we relieve each other, with Ivanov

Places of Bulgarian exchange verbs: marking, status, and the English marking
PlaceIntroduced by (working)Bulgarian markingStatus in the sourcesEnglish
Agentsubjectno case ending on a full nounморяците · играчите · the subject of Обмених · Разменихмеsubject of exchange
Theme giventhe thing givendirect object · accusative clitic го / ги · no case ending on the nounтовара · ром · сливи · долари · валута · свинята · пердета · номераobject of exchange
counter-Themethe thing receivedза or срещу · obsolete на on one разменям lineРБЕ header срещу, за, на · срещу кожи · срещу водка · за мъжко · за смет · за левове · за жито · на оръжиеfor + the received thing
срещуcounter-Theme, where РБЕ fills itсрещу + noun phraseprinted on разменям, обменям, and the noun размяна · absent from the one-volume government · the preposition’s sense 6 is payment, a different clausefor the received thing · not English against of the preposition’s other senses
Partnerthe other personс + noun phrase · no case endingс Делията · с когото · с него · с кого · с Иванов on заменям сеwith + person
с the new itemreplacement, or the thing receivedс on сменям and transitive заменям · also сол с ценните стокис нови · с фалшив номер · с овца · с щори · с една нива · с Беслеменов the person taken insteadfor the replacement · the same Bulgarian preposition as the partner
сиreciprocal, or possessiveclitic си · not a case endingси разменяха подаръци · Разменихме си телефоните · си размениха ролите · possessive местата си · впечатленията сиno reflexive on exchange gifts · their on their places
сеpassive, duty-swap, or mutualclitic сесе разменят passive · размени се с горския · се заменяме с Иванов · Денят се сменя с нощpassive are exchanged · with on the duty-swap
Dative cliticthe person the change is forти · not a case ending on a noun · not сЩе ти ги разменя за едно голямо жълтиче · a full noun in the ти place is unprinted on this lineno for you in the English exchange gloss
Noun размянаthe nounна of the theme · срещу of the other thing · Паричната размянаразмяна на марки · стока срещу стока · Паричната размяна · coins and жълтици are the verb’s sense 2, not this noun’s examplesexchange of · goods for goods

Marking map. Read a direct object of разменям or обменям as the thing given. Read за and срещу as the thing received. Read obsolete на оръжие as that same place, the one line РБЕ marks остар. Read с of Делията, когото, него, and Иванов as the partner. Read с of нови, фалшив номер, овца, щори, and нива as the new item. Read си before or after разменям as the reciprocal, and си on местата си as possessive. Read ги and го as the object, and ти as a dative clitic. A noun does not show which of those jobs it has. The preposition or the clitic does.

EN ⇄ BG valency strip

Each row lines up one English slot with a Bulgarian slot. The alignment type says what happens to the slot: = (same object status), or shift (English for against Bulgarian за or срещу; English with of a partner against a с that also marks the new item). Printed lines come first. Every other sentence is constructed, modelled on a printed line. They show the working alignment. They are not frequency, and not a bilingual corpus.

English–Bulgarian valency alignment for exchange, one row per argument
SlotEN formBG formAlignEN exampleBG example
Agentsubjectsubject= · a full noun has no case endingI exchanged those trousers Cambridge, as the German page cites itморяците разменяли · Обмених РБЕ
Themeobject of exchangedirect object, or the clitic го / ги= of the object · the noun does not spell accusative · the clitic doesthose trousers Cambridgeсливи · го · ги one-volume · РБЕ
counter-Themefor + NPза or срещу · obsolete наshift · English one preposition · Bulgarian за and срещу, both printed in РБЕfor a larger size Cambridgeза смет · срещу водка one-volume · РБЕ
Partnerwith + personс + NPshift · no case on the person · the same с marks the new itemexchange sth with sb Cambridge business, as the German page cites itс Делията · с него РБЕ
с the new itemfor the replacementс + NP on сменям and заменямshift · English for · Bulgarian the partner’s prepositionexchange the pig for a sheep the English gloss of the РСБКЕ lineсвинята с овца · мебелите с нови РСБКЕ · one-volume
Reciprocalplural subject, no reflexive requiredси · object staysshift · си is a clitic · Polish and Russian drop the Theme to the instrumentalexchange gifts the English glossси разменяха подаръци РБЕ
Currencyinto / for + NPobject the money given · за the money received · обменям валута can lack заshift · English into on the Cambridge currency line · Bulgarian заdollars into local currency Cambridge, as the German page cites itдолари за левове · левове за марки РБЕ · one-volume
Full stackexchange X for Y with Zobject + за or срещу + с a personunprinted · the pieces are separate linesexchange the plums for rubbish with him constructed · not a Cambridge clauseПат разменя сливите за смет с Крис constructed

The strip below is a set of small multiples. Each card holds one frame, with English on top and Bulgarian under it. The subject chip is the party the clause actually makes the subject.

EN · BG · за / срещу and for

за смет · срещу водка

exchange something for something

сливи за смет. кон за камила. ром срещу водка. товара срещу кожи.

one-volume · РБЕ · EN · Cambridge for, as the German page cites it · RU · на + accusative · PL · na + accusative

RolesHide roles AgentThemecounter-Theme
Agent the subject of разменям · моряците Theme сливи · кон · ром · товара counter-Theme за смет · за камила · срещу водка · срещу кожи

Move English for marks the thing received. Bulgarian marks that thing with за or with срещу. РБЕ names both, and obsolete на. The one-volume names за. Russian and Polish mark the same place with на / na plus accusative. Bulgarian has no accusative ending to add to водка or смет.

BG · partner · с

с Делията · с него

exchange sth with sb

Размени с Делията някоя и друга дума. да обмени с него няколко думи.

РБЕ · the person has no case ending · the words are the object · no за in these clauses

RolesHide roles AgentThemePartner
Agent the subject of размени · of обмени Theme дума · писма Partner с Делията · с него

Move English with marks the partner. Bulgarian marks the partner with с. Polish marks that person with z plus instrumental. Russian prints с plus instrumental on the reciprocal, and the Theme there is instrumental. Bulgarian с него has no instrumental ending, and the words stay the object.

BG · с the new item

с нови · с овца · с щори

replace X with Y · exchange X for Y

мебелите с нови. номера с фалшив номер. свинята с овца. пердета с щори. ги за жито.

one-volume · РСБКЕ · РБЕ · с and за are both printed on заменям · a person-partner after с is unprinted on these сменям lines

RolesHide roles ThemeY
Theme мебелите · номера · свинята · пердета · ги Y с нови · с овца · с щори · за жито

Move с on сменям marks the new furniture, the false number, and the sheep. с on transitive заменям marks the blinds, the other fiancé, and the field. за on заменям marks the wheat and the apartment. The sheep is not a partner. The partner с is the other card.

BG · разменям си

си разменяха подаръци

exchange gifts · exchange rings

си разменяха подаръци. да си размените пръстените. да си разменят квартирите. Разменихме си телефоните. си размениха ролите.

РБЕ · взаим. · the object stays · PL · wymienić się puts the Theme in the instrumental · RU · обменяться does the same

RolesHide roles AgentThemeси
Agent другите · the subject of Разменихме Theme подаръци · пръстените · квартирите · телефоните си reciprocal clitic · not a second noun

Move The reciprocal is си. The gifts, the rings, the flats, and the phone numbers stay objects. There is no instrumental ending for them to take. Possessive местата си is си on the noun, under a different sense.

BG · currency · обменям валута

долари за левове · жълтиче

exchange dollars for leva · change a coin

да обмениш валута. долари за левове. левове за марки. ти ги разменя за едно голямо жълтиче. Разменям пари.

РБЕ · one-volume · за the money received · валута alone has no за · the coin line has ти and ги · NO · veksle … i

RolesHide roles ThemeReceivedти
Theme валута · долари · левове · ги · пари Received за левове · за марки · за жълтиче · absent on обмениш валута ти dative clitic on the coin line · not с

Move обменям takes the currency as the object and the money received as за. разменям пари is the one-volume’s change of notes or of currency. The large gold coin is за, and ти is a dative clitic. срещу is not the preposition of these money lines.

BG · за + с · constructed

за смет с Крис

exchange X for Y with Z

Пат разменя сливите за смет с Крис.

constructed · за смет is the one-volume counter-Theme · с a person is РБЕ’s partner · no article cited here stacks them · Пат and Крис are not dictionary names

RolesHide roles Themecounter-ThemePartner
Theme сливите counter-Theme за смет Partner с Крис

Move The English gloss stacks for and with. The Bulgarian pieces are separate lines. This card stacks за and с. It is built from two printed uses. It is not a dictionary line. A bare partner, with no с, is unprinted.

Examples

Argument difference. English exchange X for Y with Z marks the thing received with for and the partner with with. Bulgarian разменям marks the thing received with за or срещу, and the partner with с. срещу is printed in РБЕ. The one-volume government prints за. On сменям and on transitive заменям, с marks the new item. заменям also prints за. разменям си keeps the thing as the object. A noun has no case ending.

Printed dictionary lines come first. A constructed line reuses a printed preposition. It is labelled constructed.

Real · за, срещу, с, си

✓ Разменям сливи за смет. one-volume · за

✓ разменяме ром срещу водка. РБЕ · срещу

✓ Размени с Делията някоя и друга дума. РБЕ · partner с

✓ Обмених долари за левове. РБЕ · currency за

✓ да смениш свинята с овца. РСБКЕ · с the sheep

✓ Заменям ги за жито. РБЕ · за on заменям

✓ Разменихме си телефоните. РБЕ · си

Constructed · the working frames

✓ Пат разменя сливите за смет с Крис. constructed · за is the printed counter-Theme · с a person is the printed partner · the stack is not a citation · Пат and Крис are not dictionary names

* Пат разменя Крис сливите. constructed · a bare partner, with no с · unprinted · the printed partner is с

Derivations · working sketches, revisable

Each sketch is a working drawing, not a locked analysis. The drawing gives the thing given to the object, the thing received to за or срещу, and the partner to с. On сменям and on transitive заменям, с is drawn as the new item. On разменям си the clitic is drawn beside the object, which stays the object. Open one sketch at a time. Which theta role is the object is the revisable note Causative templates and argument selection. This page does not edit that note.

counter-Theme · за and срещу

Object given · preposition received · working, revisable

[ —
  [ √разменям
     [Theme сливи ]
     [за- смет ]]]                 ← one-volume

[ —
  [ √разменям
     [Theme ром ]
     [срещу- водка ]]]             ← РБЕ 1

[ —
  [ √обменям
     [Theme долари ]
     [за- левове ]]]               ← РБЕ

The thing given and the thing received are different phrases. On these lines the thing received is за or срещу. English for is the gloss of that phrase. The Bulgarian preposition stays the one the line prints. срещу is a counter-Theme in РБЕ. It is absent from the one-volume government.

✓ сливи за смет. one-volume

✓ ром срещу водка. РБЕ

Partner с · new item с

с a person · с the new thing · working, revisable

[ —
  [ √разменям
     [Theme дума ]
     [с- Делията ]]]               ← РБЕ · partner

[ —
  [ √сменям
     [Theme свинята ]
     [с- овца ]]]                  ← РСБКЕ · the sheep

[ —
  [ √заменям
     [Theme пердета ]
     [с- щори ]]]                  ← one-volume

[ —
  [ √заменям
     [Theme ги ]
     [за- жито ]]]                 ← РБЕ · за, not с

The partner is с. The new item on сменям and on заменям is the same preposition. заменям also prints за for the thing received. A stack of за and a person-с in one clause is the constructed line.

✓ с Делията. РБЕ

✓ с овца. РСБКЕ

разменям си · clitics · no case

Reciprocal си · object stays · working, revisable

[ другите
  [ си
    [ √разменям
       [Theme подаръци ]]]]        ← РБЕ · взаим.
                                      ← object stays
                                      ← no case ending

[ —
  [ √разменям
     [ти ]
     [ги ]
     [за- жълтиче ]]]              ← РБЕ 2
                                      ← ти dative clitic
                                      ← ги accusative clitic

The reciprocal clitic does not move the gifts into another case. There is no nominal case for them to move into. ти and ги on the coin line are clitics. The gold coin is за. The headers print несв. and св. Those labels name the aspect pair. They are not a telicity claim.

✓ си разменяха подаръци. РБЕ

✓ ти ги разменя за едно голямо жълтиче. РБЕ

Notes

Working paper · October 2026 · Bulgarian micro-entry · Index 2 разменям / обменям, давам

разменям takes за or срещу for the thing received. The partner is с. On сменям and on transitive заменям, с is the new item, and заменям also prints за. разменям си is the reciprocal clitic. A noun has no case ending. срещу is printed as a counter-Theme in РБЕ.

BG micro-entry live Index 2 разменям / обменям, давам за / срещу / с RU обменять live PL wymienić live

Sense × language: exchange · Bulgarian (разменям, обменям, сменям, заменям). The thing received is за or срещу. The partner is с. The same с is the new item. Geometry neighbor: exchange · обменять, for на plus accusative and an instrumental Theme on the reciprocal, and exchange · wymienić, for na plus accusative and z plus instrumental. No English micro-entry. The stub is exchange.html.

Open items

  • за and срещу are both printed, and they are not one slot in a single header of both dictionaries. РБЕ names срещу, за, and obsolete на for the second noun of разменям. The one-volume names за какво/за кого and fills за. срещу is a counter-Theme where РБЕ fills it. The preposition article’s sense 6, в замяна на, is payment and compensation.
  • с has more than one job. Partner: с Делията, с него, с Иванов on се заменяме. Other goods: сол с ценните стоки. Other item in a places swap: със снимката. New item: с нови, с фалшив номер, с щори, с една нива. Thing received in the colloquial exchange sense of сменям: с овца. A person-partner after с on active сменям is unprinted.
  • A stack of за or срещу and с of a person is constructed. Пат разменя сливите за смет с Крис is not a citation. A bare partner, Пат разменя Крис сливите, is unprinted.
  • си and се are clitics. Reciprocal разменям си keeps the object. Possessive си sits on местата си and on впечатленията си. се is the passive, the duty-swap размени се с горския, and the mutual се заменяме с Иванов. Денят се сменя с нощ has с of the night.
  • No nominal case. сливи, водка, Делията, овца, and нива do not inflect for case. го and ги are accusative clitics. ти in Ще ти ги разменя is a dative clitic. A full noun in that dative place is unprinted on the line. The one-volume question words Какво/кого and за какво/за кого are the government. They are not endings on the noun. The filled за кого slot is a thing in the examples.
  • Money and coins. обменям валута and долари за левове are currency. Разменям пари is the one-volume’s change of large notes for small, or of one currency for another. РБЕ’s coin line is за едно голямо жълтиче, and Разменете, моля has no preposition. The noun prints Паричната размяна and стока срещу стока. The жълтици are the verb.
  • Obsolete на, and the noun’s на. съдове на оръжие is the counter-Theme РБЕ marks остар. размяна на марки is на of the theme. The two phrases stay apart.
  • The aspect labels are the headers. РБЕ prints несв. and св. in one article for each pair: разменям / разменя, обменям / обменя, сменям / сменя, заменям / заменя. The one-volume perfective is a cross-reference to the imperfective. The labels are not a telicity claim. The one-volume sense 2 of разменям, Размених телефоните им, is the mistake reading. It has no за and no с.

Corpus filenames and sources checked

Dictionary frames: Речник на българския език, Institute for Bulgarian Language, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as served at ibl.bas.bg/rbe, for разменям, обменям, заменям, and the noun размяна. The сменям article and the preposition срещу, as served at the same host, are headed Речник на съвременния български книжовен език. The one-volume articles of разменям, обменям, сменям, заменям, and размяна, as served at rechnik.chitanka.info. Literary lines are quoted only as those entries print them. English for, with, and into are the Cambridge patterns already cited on the German page. Constructed clauses reuse a printed preposition. Пат, Крис, and the bare partner are not citations.

Records разменям with за or срещу on the thing received, and с on the partner. Records срещу as a printed counter-Theme in РБЕ, and as absent from the one-volume government. Records с on сменям and on transitive заменям as the new item, and за on заменям as the thing received. Records разменям си with the object kept. Records обменям валута and the coin line. Records no case ending on the noun.