A1 Idiom Neutral

A sta la coadă

To stand in line

Significado

Waiting for one's turn.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Standing in line is often seen as a test of patience. It is common for people to complain loudly about the speed of service while waiting together. The 'coadă' was a defining feature of life. People would bring small folding chairs and books to wait for hours for basic necessities. In big cities like Bucharest, 'cozi' at trendy coffee shops or food festivals are seen as a sign of quality and status. Despite digitalization, many Romanians still prefer to 'stau la coadă' at physical counters to ensure their paperwork is handled correctly.

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Ask the right question

If you aren't sure where the line ends, ask 'Cine este ultimul?' (Who is the last one?).

⚠️

Don't cut in!

Cutting in line ('băgatul în față') is highly offensive in Romania and will lead to verbal confrontation.

Significado

Waiting for one's turn.

💡

Ask the right question

If you aren't sure where the line ends, ask 'Cine este ultimul?' (Who is the last one?).

⚠️

Don't cut in!

Cutting in line ('băgatul în față') is highly offensive in Romania and will lead to verbal confrontation.

💬

The 'Rând' alternative

If you want to sound more educated or polite, use 'a sta la rând'.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the correct form of the verb 'a sta'.

Noi ______ la coadă de o oră.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: stăm

The subject is 'Noi' (we), so the correct conjugation is 'stăm'.

Which sentence is correct?

Choose the natural way to say you are waiting in line.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Stau la coadă.

The preposition 'la' is the standard idiomatic choice.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Sunteți la rând? B: Nu, eu nu ______ la coadă.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: stau

The speaker 'B' is talking about themselves (I), so 'stau' is correct.

Match the phrase to the situation.

Where would you most likely hear 'E o coadă imensă!'?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: At a rock concert entrance

Large crowds at events create 'cozi imense'.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Ayudas visuales

Queue Etiquette

Do

  • Ask 'Cine e ultimul?'
  • Wait your turn
  • Be patient

Don't

  • Cut in line
  • Push
  • Leave without asking

Banco de ejercicios

4 ejercicios
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'a sta'. Fill Blank A1

Noi ______ la coadă de o oră.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: stăm

The subject is 'Noi' (we), so the correct conjugation is 'stăm'.

Which sentence is correct? Choose A1

Choose the natural way to say you are waiting in line.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Stau la coadă.

The preposition 'la' is the standard idiomatic choice.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion A2

A: Sunteți la rând? B: Nu, eu nu ______ la coadă.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: stau

The speaker 'B' is talking about themselves (I), so 'stau' is correct.

Match the phrase to the situation. situation_matching A2

Where would you most likely hear 'E o coadă imensă!'?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: At a rock concert entrance

Large crowds at events create 'cozi imense'.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Preguntas frecuentes

8 preguntas

No, it's a standard neutral phrase. However, 'a sta la rând' is slightly more formal.

Yes, but it's often used ironically or metaphorically in that context.

The plural is 'cozi'. You can say 'Sunt cozi mari peste tot' (There are big lines everywhere).

It's an idiomatic prepositional choice. Think of it as 'at the tail' rather than 'in the tail'.

In the phrase 'a sta la coadă', the article is omitted unless you are describing a specific, unique line.

Not a direct slang word for the phrase, but 'a se așeza la coadă' is a common alternative.

You can say 'Coada merge repede'.

Say 'Vă rog, îmi țineți rândul?' to the person behind you.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

A sta la rând

synonym

To wait in a row/turn

🔗

A face coadă

similar

To form a line

🔗

A se băga în față

contrast

To cut in line

🔗

Coadă de topor

specialized form

A traitor/tool

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