Signification
To speak aloud without an audience.
Contexte culturel
In big cities like Bucharest, 'a vorbi singur' is often associated with the stress of modern life. People use it to excuse their distraction. In villages, talking to yourself was traditionally seen as a sign of 'urât' (bad luck) or mental illness, but this is fading. Playwrights like I.L. Caragiale used this to show characters' greed or secret plans through 'asides'. With the ubiquity of Bluetooth headsets, the phrase is now often followed by a check to see if the person is actually on a call.
Gender Agreement
Always check the subject. If you are a woman, it's 'singură'. This is the #1 mistake for learners.
Context Matters
Don't say this to a stranger who is muttering; they might find it offensive. Use it for yourself or friends.
Signification
To speak aloud without an audience.
Gender Agreement
Always check the subject. If you are a woman, it's 'singură'. This is the #1 mistake for learners.
Context Matters
Don't say this to a stranger who is muttering; they might find it offensive. Use it for yourself or friends.
Use for Practice
Tell your teacher 'Vorbesc singur ca să învăț româna'. They will love it!
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of 'singur' (singur, singură, singuri, singure).
Maria este în bucătărie și vorbește ______.
Maria is feminine singular, so 'singură' is required.
Choose the most natural sentence.
What do you say when you catch yourself muttering?
'Vorbesc singur' is the standard idiom for talking to yourself.
Complete the dialogue.
Andrei: 'Ai spus ceva?' | Ioana: 'Nu, doar ______.'
Ioana is talking about herself (1st person) and she is female.
Match the situation to the phrase.
You see an old man muttering grumpily on a bench.
Muttering to oneself is 'a vorbi singur'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
When do people 'vorbesc singuri'?
Situations
- • In traffic
- • Studying
- • Cooking
- • Searching for keys
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesMaria este în bucătărie și vorbește ______.
Maria is feminine singular, so 'singură' is required.
What do you say when you catch yourself muttering?
'Vorbesc singur' is the standard idiom for talking to yourself.
Andrei: 'Ai spus ceva?' | Ioana: 'Nu, doar ______.'
Ioana is talking about herself (1st person) and she is female.
You see an old man muttering grumpily on a bench.
Muttering to oneself is 'a vorbi singur'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
5 questionsNo, it's a neutral description of an action, but calling someone else 'un om care vorbește singur' can imply they are eccentric.
Yes, it's the most common way to say it, though 'a gândi cu voce tare' is more precise.
Yes, it is an adjective that must agree with the subject in gender and number.
The second one is more emphatic, like saying 'I'm talking all by myself'.
Rarely. In formal contexts, you'd use 'monolog' or 'discurs solitar'.
Expressions liées
a gândi cu voce tare
similarto think out loud
a vorbi la pereți
contrastto talk to the walls
a mormăi în barbă
specialized formto mutter in one's beard
a vorbi în dodii
similarto talk nonsense
