A1 Pronouns 5 min read 쉬움

Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal)

Romanian personal pronouns are identity markers used for clarity and emphasis, though verbs usually handle the work alone.
학습 완료로 표시
연습하기

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Personal pronouns replace nouns to identify who is performing an action; remember that Romanian often drops them because the verb ending shows the person.

  • Use 'Eu' for 'I' and 'Tu' for 'you' (singular, informal). Example: 'Eu mănânc' (I eat).
  • Use 'El/Ea' for 'he/she'. Example: 'El citește' (He reads).
  • Use 'Noi/Voi/Ei/Ele' for plural forms. Example: 'Noi vorbim' (We speak).
Subject (optional) + Verb (conjugated) = Complete Sentence

Overview

Welcome to the world of Romanian personal pronouns! Think of these as the VIPs of sentences. They replace names so you don't sound like a broken record.
Instead of saying
Maria is tall. Maria likes pizza,
you say
Maria is tall. She likes pizza.
In Romanian, these words are your foundation.
They help you identify who is doing what. But here is a secret: Romanians are a bit lazy with them. You will often see them vanish from sentences entirely.
This is because the verb does the heavy lifting for you. We call this a pro-drop language. It sounds fancy, but it just means the pronoun is optional.
Let's dive into how you can master these little powerhouses.

How This Grammar Works

In Romanian, personal pronouns change based on who you are talking about. You have singular forms for one person and plural for many. There is also a special layer of politeness.
Romanians take respect very seriously. You wouldn't talk to a judge like you talk to your cat. Because of this, we have formal and informal versions of you. For now, we are looking at the Nominative case.
This is the simplest form where the pronoun is the subject. It is the person performing the action. Think of the pronoun as the driver of the sentence car.
Sometimes the driver is visible, and sometimes they are behind tinted windows. Either way, the car (the verb) tells you exactly who is driving. It is a very efficient system once you get used to it.

Formation Pattern

1
Creating sentences with personal pronouns follows a simple logical path. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2
Identify the speaker first. If it is just you, use Eu (I).
3
Look at who you are talking to. Use Tu (You) for friends or family.
4
Identify the subject you are discussing. Use El (He) or Ea (She).
5
Check for groups. Use Noi (We), Voi (You all), or Ei/Ele (They).
6
Determine the level of respect. Use Dumneavoastră for formal you situations.
7
Pair the pronoun with the correct verb ending. The verb must match the person.

When To Use It

You should use personal pronouns when you want to be very clear. If you are starting a new conversation, use them to set the scene. They are also great for emphasis.
Imagine you are arguing about who ate the last slice of pizza. You would point and say Tu ai mâncat! (YOU ate it!). It adds drama and clarity.
Use them in job interviews to sound professional and deliberate. Use them when ordering food if the waiter is confused. Eu doresc o cafea (I want a coffee) sounds very firm.
They are also helpful when comparing two people.
He likes tea, but she likes coffee
needs pronouns to work. In these cases, the pronoun acts like a spotlight on the person.

When Not To Use It

Most of the time, you can just leave the pronoun at home. This is the most natural way to speak Romanian. If you say Eu sunt student (I am a student), it sounds a bit repetitive.
Natives just say Sunt student. The verb sunt already tells everyone you are talking about yourself. If you use Eu in every sentence, you might sound like a robot.
Or worse, you might sound a bit self-centered! Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If the verb is clear, the light is green to skip the pronoun.
Only use it if there is a risk of confusion. In a casual chat with friends, keep it simple and drop the pronoun. Your sentences will flow much better and sound more authentic.

Common Mistakes

One big mistake is using Tu for everyone you meet. If you call a policeman Tu, you might get a very stern look. Always use Dumneavoastră for strangers or elders. It is like a safety net for politeness. Another common slip-up is the gender of they. Learners often use Ei for everything. Remember, Ei is for men or mixed groups. If you are talking about a group of only women, you must use Ele. It is a small detail that makes a big difference. Also, don't worry about capitalizing eu like we do with I in English. In Romanian, eu stays lowercase unless it starts a sentence. Yes, even native speakers forget these gender rules sometimes when they speak fast!

Contrast With Similar Patterns

English is very strict about pronouns. You can never say Am happy in English; you must say I am happy. Romanian is much more like Spanish or Italian in this regard. In English, the pronoun is the king.
In Romanian, the verb is the king. Think of English as a bicycle that needs both wheels (pronoun and verb). Romanian is more like a unicycle that can balance on just the verb wheel.
Compared to French, Romanian is much more flexible. French always needs that Je or Tu. Romanian lets you breathe and skip the extra words.
It makes the language feel punchy and fast-paced. Just remember that while you can drop them, you still need to know them!

Quick FAQ

Q

Is Eu always needed?

No, the verb usually shows who is speaking.

Q

What is the formal you?

Use Dumneavoastră for anyone you don't know well.

Q

How do I say it?

Use El for masculine objects and Ea for feminine ones.

Q

Can I use Voi for one person?

No, Voi is always plural. Use Dumneavoastră for a single formal person.

Personal Pronouns Overview

Person Singular Plural
1st
Eu (I)
Noi (We)
2nd
Tu (You)
Voi (You)
3rd (M)
El (He)
Ei (They)
3rd (F)
Ea (She)
Ele (They)

Meanings

Personal pronouns are words used to replace nouns representing people or things, serving as the subject of a sentence.

1

Subject Pronouns

Pronouns acting as the doer of the action.

“Eu scriu.”

“Tu cânți.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal)
Person Romanian (Singular) Romanian (Plural) English Translation
1st Person
Eu
Noi
I / We
2nd Person (Informal)
Tu
Voi
You / You all
2nd Person (Formal)
Dumneavoastră
Dumneavoastră
You (Formal)
3rd Person (Masculine)
El
Ei
He / They (m)
3rd Person (Feminine)
Ea
Ele
She / They (f)

격식 수준 스펙트럼

격식체
Eu mă deplasez către magazin.

Eu mă deplasez către magazin. (Daily life)

중립
Eu merg la magazin.

Eu merg la magazin. (Daily life)

비격식체
Merg la magazin.

Merg la magazin. (Daily life)

속어
Mă duc la shop.

Mă duc la shop. (Daily life)

Mapping Romanian Pronouns

Pronumele Personal

Singular

  • Eu I
  • Tu You (inf)
  • El/Ea He/She

Plural

  • Noi We
  • Voi You all
  • Ei/Ele They

The Two Faces of 'You'

Informal (Tu)
Friends Prieteni
Family Familie
Children Copii
Formal (Dumneavoastră)
Boss Șef
Strangers Străini
Teachers Profesori

To Use or Not To Use?

1

Is the person already known from the verb?

YES ↓
NO
Use the pronoun for clarity.
2

Do you want to emphasize the person?

YES ↓
NO
Drop the pronoun (Natural style).
3

Is it a formal situation?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'Eu', 'Tu', etc. for punchiness.

Gender in the Third Person

👨‍👩‍👦

Masculine / Mixed

  • • El (He)
  • • Ei (They - men)
  • • Ei (They - mixed)
👩‍👧‍👧

Feminine Only

  • • Ea (She)
  • • Ele (They - women)
무료 가입하고 전체 설명 읽기

수준별 예문

1

Eu sunt român.

I am Romanian.

2

Tu ești student.

You are a student.

3

El mănâncă.

He is eating.

4

Ea citește.

She is reading.

1

Noi mergem acasă.

We are going home.

2

Voi sunteți prieteni.

You are friends.

3

Ei lucrează mult.

They work a lot.

4

Ele învață limba.

They are learning the language.

1

Eu, personal, cred că e bine.

I, personally, think it's good.

2

Tu nu ai venit ieri.

You didn't come yesterday.

3

Ei au plecat deja.

They have already left.

4

Ele au terminat proiectul.

They finished the project.

1

Dacă el vine, eu plec.

If he comes, I leave.

2

Ei sunt cei care au decis.

They are the ones who decided.

3

Ele au fost acolo.

They were there.

4

Noi am fi vrut să venim.

We would have liked to come.

1

El însuși a recunoscut greșeala.

He himself admitted the mistake.

2

Ei, deși obosiți, au continuat.

They, although tired, continued.

3

Ele, spre deosebire de ceilalți, au reușit.

They, unlike the others, succeeded.

4

Eu nu aș fi făcut asta.

I would not have done that.

1

Dânsul a menționat că va veni.

He (formal) mentioned he will come.

2

Ei, acești oameni curajoși, au luptat.

They, these brave people, fought.

3

Ele, în marea lor înțelepciune, au tăcut.

They, in their great wisdom, remained silent.

4

Eu, cel de atunci, nu mai sunt acum.

I, the one from then, am no longer here.

혼동하기 쉬운

Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal) 대 Subject vs Object Pronouns

Learners mix 'Eu' (I) with 'mă' (me).

Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal) 대 Ei vs Ele

Learners use them interchangeably.

Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal) 대 Pronoun Omission

Learners think they must use pronouns.

자주 하는 실수

✗

Eu mănânc, tu mănânc.

✓

Eu mănânc, tu mănânci.

Verb must agree with the pronoun.
✗

Ei mănâncă (for women).

✓

Ele mănâncă.

Use Ele for feminine plural.
✗

Sunt eu obosit.

✓

Eu sunt obosit.

Standard word order is SVO.
✗

Mănânc eu.

✓

Eu mănânc.

Pronoun usually comes first.
✗

Voi mergeți.

✓

Noi mergem.

Check the person.
✗

El și Ea merge.

✓

Ei merg.

Mixed group is masculine plural.
✗

Eu nu mănânc nu.

✓

Eu nu mănânc.

Only one 'nu' is needed.
✗

Eu îl văd pe el.

✓

Îl văd.

Redundant pronoun usage.
✗

Ei sunt studenți, ele sunt studente.

✓

Ei sunt studenți, ele sunt studente.

This is actually correct, but learners often mix the adjectives.
✗

Eu, el, și ea mergem.

✓

Noi mergem.

Use the collective pronoun.
✗

Dânsul a zis că el vine.

✓

Dânsul a zis că vine.

Avoid redundant subjects in subordinate clauses.
✗

Eu însumi am făcut-o.

✓

Eu însumi am făcut-o.

Grammatically correct, but check agreement.
✗

Ele, care au venit, sunt aici.

✓

Ele, care au venit, sunt aici.

Correct, but ensure the relative clause is clear.

문장 패턴

___ sunt student.

___ nu vorbesc română.

___ este prietenul meu.

___, care sunt aici, învață.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Vin diseară.

Job Interview very common

Eu am experiență în...

Ordering Food common

Eu vreau o pizza.

Social Media common

Ei sunt cei mai buni!

Travel occasional

Noi suntem turiști.

Classroom very common

Tu ai temele?

무료 가입하고 모든 예문 보기
🎯

The 'Pro-Drop' Secret

Think of Romanian verbs like a GPS. They already know the destination (the person). You only need the pronoun if you're taking a detour for emphasis!
⚠️

The Politeness Trap

When in doubt, use 'Dumneavoastră'. It is much better to be too polite than to accidentally offend someone's grandmother.
💬

Capitalization Rules

Unlike English 'I', the Romanian 'eu' is not capitalized. We are humble people! Only capitalize it at the start of a sentence.
💡

Mixed Groups Rule

If you have 99 women and 1 man in a room, the group becomes 'Ei'. Yes, the grammar is traditionally masculine-leaning for mixed groups.

Smart Tips

Drop the pronoun.

Eu merg la magazin. → Merg la magazin.

Use the pronoun.

Vreau cafea. → Eu vreau cafea, tu vrei ceai.

Check for men.

Ele (mixed) vin. → Ei vin.

Use the pronoun.

Sunt interesat de job. → Eu sunt interesat de acest post.

발음

/eu/

Vowel sounds

Romanian vowels are crisp. 'Eu' is pronounced 'eh-oo'.

Question

Tu vii? ↑

Rising intonation at the end.

암기하기

기억법

Remember 'Eu' sounds like 'You' but means 'I'. Think: 'I am the center of the universe, so I say Eu!'

시각적 연상

Imagine a mirror. When you look at it, you say 'Eu'. When you point at a friend, you say 'Tu'.

Rhyme

Eu, Tu, El, Ea, Noi, Voi, Ei, Ele, Learning these is easy, you'll see!

Story

Eu (I) went to the store. Tu (You) were there too. El (He) and Ea (She) were waiting for Noi (We) and Voi (You all). Finally, Ei (They) and Ele (They) arrived to join the party.

Word Web

EuTuElEaNoiVoiEiEle

챌린지

Write 5 sentences about your day using a different pronoun for each one.

문화 노트

Using 'Tu' is for friends/family. Use 'Dumneavoastră' for strangers.

Romanian pronouns derive directly from Latin (Ego, Tu, Ille, Illa).

대화 시작하기

“

Ce faci?

“

Unde mergi?

“

Ce mănâncă ei?

“

Cine vine la petrecere?

일기 주제

Scrie despre ziua ta.
Descrie-ți prietenii.
Ce planuri aveți pentru weekend?
Cum te simți azi?

자주 하는 실수

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Choose the correct pronoun for a group of women.

___ sunt la bibliotecă acum.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ele
Since the context implies a group of women, 'Ele' is the specific feminine plural pronoun.
Select the appropriate formal pronoun for a job interview.

___ ce părere aveți despre acest proiect?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dumneavoastră
In a professional setting like an interview, 'Dumneavoastră' is mandatory for politeness.
Which pronoun refers to 'we'?

___ mergem la cinema diseară.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Noi
'Noi' is the first-person plural pronoun, equivalent to 'we' in English.

Score: /3

연습 문제

8 exercises
Fill in the correct pronoun.

___ sunt fericit.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu
1st person singular.
Select the correct plural pronoun. 객관식

___ (group of women) sunt aici.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ele
Feminine plural.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Tu mănâncă.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tu mănânci
Conjugation error.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

mănânc / eu / pizza

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu mănânc pizza
SVO order.
Translate to Romanian. 번역

They (masculine) are here.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ei sunt aici
Masculine plural.
Match pronoun to English. Match Pairs

Noi

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: We
Noi = We.
Conjugate 'a fi' (to be) for 'Tu'. Conjugation Drill

Tu ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ești
2nd person singular.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Cine vine? B: ___ vin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ei
Plural verb 'vin'.

Score: /8

자주 묻는 질문 (8)

Yes, usually. The verb ending is sufficient.

Grammar rule: masculine takes precedence.

Only at the start of a sentence.

Use 'Dumneavoastră'.

Use 'Ei' as the default.

No, those are different.

Yes, but they are still optional.

Yes, 'Dumneavoastră' works for both.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

무료 가입하고 연습하기

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Yo, Tú, Él, Ella...

Romanian has a distinct 'Ele' for feminine plural.

French moderate

Je, Tu, Il, Elle...

French requires pronouns; Romanian makes them optional.

German moderate

Ich, Du, Er, Sie...

German verb endings are less distinct than Romanian.

Japanese low

Watashi, Anata...

Japanese pronouns are context-dependent and honorific-based.

Arabic partial

Ana, Anta...

Arabic has a dual form for pronouns.

Chinese none

Wo, Ni, Ta...

Chinese pronouns are mandatory as there is no conjugation.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
Verb 'a fi' (to be)

Related Grammar Rules

A2

Direct Object Pronouns

Overview Ever feel like you’re repeating yourself? Imagine saying: "I see the dog. I like the dog. I feed the dog." It...
A1

Reflexive Pronouns

Overview Imagine looking into a mirror. When you look in, you see yourself. Romanian reflexive pronouns work exactly lik...
A2

Indirect Object Pronouns

Overview Imagine you are at a busy café in Bucharest. You want to ask the waiter for the bill. You do not just say "giv...
A2

Clitic Doubling

Overview Romanian has a quirky habit. It likes to say things twice. Imagine you are at a party. You don't just see your...
Was this helpful?

댓글 (0)

로그인하여 댓글 달기
아직 댓글이 없습니다. 첫 번째로 생각을 공유하세요!