Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Romanian attaches articles to the end of nouns like a suffix, rather than placing them before the noun.
- Indefinite articles (a/an) go before: 'un băiat' (a boy).
- Definite articles (the) are suffixes: 'băiatul' (the boy).
- Articles must agree in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number.
Meanings
Articles define whether a noun is specific (the) or general (a/an). In Romanian, definite articles are attached to the end of the word.
Definite Suffix
Used to specify a particular object or person.
“Cartea este pe masă.”
“Băiatul citește.”
Definite Article Suffixes (Singular)
| Gender | Noun Ending | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Consonant | -ul | om -> omul |
| Feminine | -ă | -a | casă -> casa |
| Feminine | -e | -a | carte -> cartea |
| Neuter | Consonant | -ul | scaun -> scaunul |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Un/O + Noun | Un băiat |
| Definite | Noun + Suffix | Băiatul |
| Plural Definite | Noun + Suffix | Băieții |
| Negation | Nu + Verb | Nu este băiatul |
| Question | Verb + Noun? | Este băiatul? |
| Possessive | Noun + Suffix + Lui | Casa lui |
フォーマル度スペクトル
Cartea se află pe masă. (Daily life)
Cartea este pe masă. (Daily life)
Cartea-i pe masă. (Daily life)
Cartea-i pe masă, frate. (Daily life)
Article Logic
Masculine
- Om Man
Feminine
- Casă House
Examples by Level
Pisica doarme.
The cat is sleeping.
Băiatul citește.
The boy is reading.
Fata mănâncă.
The girl is eating.
Câinele latră.
The dog is barking.
Mașina este roșie.
The car is red.
Cafeaua este fierbinte.
The coffee is hot.
Cartea este interesantă.
The book is interesting.
Bărbatul lucrează.
The man is working.
Casa prietenului meu este mare.
My friend's house is big.
Am văzut filmul ieri.
I saw the movie yesterday.
Profesoara explică lecția.
The teacher explains the lesson.
Ușa este deschisă.
The door is open.
Decizia luată de director a fost corectă.
The decision taken by the director was correct.
Problema a fost rezolvată rapid.
The problem was solved quickly.
Rezultatele examenului sunt bune.
The exam results are good.
Aceasta este mașina vecinului.
This is the neighbor's car.
Contextul social influențează comportamentul.
The social context influences the behavior.
Esența problemei rezidă în comunicare.
The essence of the problem lies in communication.
Argumentul autorului este convingător.
The author's argument is convincing.
Structura limbii este fascinantă.
The language structure is fascinating.
Evoluția sistemului gramatical reflectă istoria.
The evolution of the grammatical system reflects history.
Dinamica grupului a fost analizată.
The group's dynamics were analyzed.
Interpretarea textului necesită atenție.
The interpretation of the text requires attention.
Complexitatea fenomenului este remarcabilă.
The complexity of the phenomenon is remarkable.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up 'un' (a) and '-ul' (the).
よくある間違い
the pisică
pisica
casaul
casa
băiatului
băiatul
omul mare
omul cel mare
Sentence Patterns
___ este ___.
Real World Usage
Pizza, vă rog.
Learn the gender
Smart Tips
Check the gender.
発音
Suffix stress
The stress usually remains on the root of the word, not the suffix.
Declarative
Pisica doarme. ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the article as a backpack; you wear it on your back (the end of the word).
Visual Association
Imagine a cat (pisică) walking with a little 'a' flag attached to its tail.
Rhyme
At the end of the word, the article stays, to show the noun in many ways.
Story
Ion the boy (băiatul) walked into the house (casa). He saw the cat (pisica) sitting on the chair (scaunul). Everything he touched gained a suffix.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Label 5 items in your room with sticky notes using the definite article.
文化メモ
The article system is a point of pride as it makes Romanian unique among Romance languages.
Derived from Latin demonstratives like 'ille'.
Conversation Starters
Unde este cheia?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Pisic___ doarme.
Score: /1
練習問題
1 exercisesPisic___ doarme.
Score: /1
よくある質問 (1)
It's a historical evolution from Latin demonstratives.
In Other Languages
el/la + noun
Position of the article.
le/la + noun
Position.
der/die/das + noun
Position.
Particle usage
Article system vs particle system.
al- + noun
Prefix vs suffix.
None
Lack of articles.