“Euro” has been named the most emblematic word in Bulgaria for 2025 in the annual language poll run by the “Kak se pishe?” (“How to spell?”) platform. In the public vote, “euro” received 42.5% of the ballots, which the organizers link to the country’s entry into the euro area and the way the currency topic permeated everyday conversations about prices, shopping, and travel.
The next places went to “bezobrazie” (Bulgarian: „безобразие”, meaning “disgrace” or “outrage”) with around 32.8%, followed by “protest” at about 25.1%. Just outside the top three was “volleyball”, narrowly behind third place.
Top 10 words and expressions (according to “Kak se pishe?”):
- euro
- bezobrazie (“disgrace/outrage”)
- protest
- volleyball
- mrshlyak (“mărshlyak” – slang, a derogatory insult)
- gen-z
- “kogato pa-” (a cut-off “when he…”, used in the context of political protests)
- “capital D / big D” (a reference to recognizable phrases from political life)
- budget
- locals
The organizers note that some entries are fragments of longer, widely recognizable phrases that circulated in public debate in 2025 and quickly made their way into everyday speech. Speaking to the media, Dorotea Nikolova emphasized that “euro” is not only about household budgets, but also carries a symbolic meaning connected to Bulgaria’s place in Europe. She also recalled that last year’s winning word was “Schengen”, suggesting that European integration continues to shape linguistic choices.
This year, the generational angle stood out as well. According to Nikolova, Generation Z was strongly represented in participation, and once again proved to be an important driver of change and civic engagement.
The “Word of the Year” initiative follows a two-stage format: first, people submit proposals (words, phrases, even interjections) via the project’s social media channels, and then the final ten are put to a public vote. As the founders stress, the outcome is determined exclusively by the public, not by an expert jury.
In parallel, a media-language study was conducted with the analytics company Sensika, reviewing nearly 9 million Bulgarian-language publications. “Bulgaria” remains the most frequently used word in the media, followed immediately by “child” — a result commentators interpret as a sign of heightened (and at the same time troubling) public sensitivity to issues affecting young people. The list of the most mentioned public figures is dominated by politicians; analysts highlighted, among other things, Donald Trump’s sharp rise. Other top names include Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Boyko Borissov, Delyan Peevski, and President Rumen Radev.
