A1 · Beginner Chapter 9

Numbers and Time

4 Total Rules
34 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the rhythm of the Romanian day by counting numbers and tracking time with confidence.

  • Count objects and prices from 1 to 100.
  • Ask and state the time in various daily situations.
  • Name days, months, and seasons to plan your schedule.
Time is precious, learn to count it in Romanian.

What You'll Learn

Counting from 1 to 100 and telling time. Using time expressions to organize your day.

  • Cardinal Numbers
    Master 1-10 and the 'de' rule for 20+ to navigate prices, ages, and time in Romanian.
  • Telling Time
    Use 'și' to add minutes and 'fără' to subtract them, always remembering the feminine form for the number two.
  • Days of the Week
    Romanian days are feminine, lowercase, and don't need 'on'—just drop the day name directly into your sentence.
  • Months and Seasons
    Use în for lowercase months and the definite article form for seasons to express when things happen.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: count items and tell the time accurately.

Key Examples (8)

1

Am un frate.

I have one brother.

Cardinal Numbers
2

Două cafele, vă rog.

Two coffees, please.

Cardinal Numbers
3

Este ora trei fix.

It is three o'clock sharp.

Telling Time
4

E ora două și un sfert.

It is two and a quarter.

Telling Time
5

Ne vedem luni la cafea.

We see each other Monday for coffee.

Days of the Week
6

Vinerea mănânc pizza.

On Fridays, I eat pizza.

Days of the Week
7

Ziua mea este în octombrie.

My birthday is in October.

Months and Seasons
8

Vara este foarte cald în România.

In the summer it is very hot in Romania.

Months and Seasons

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The 'Un' Shortcut

Never say 'unu' before a noun. It sounds like saying 'I have one a book'. Use 'un' for masculine and 'o' for feminine nouns.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cardinal Numbers
🎯

The 'Două' Rule

If you remember nothing else, remember 'ora două'. Saying 'ora doi' is the most common beginner mistake and locals will always correct you!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Telling Time
💡

The Lowercase Rule

Always keep days lowercase. Think of them like the words 'apple' or 'car'—they aren't special enough for capitals in Romanian!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Days of the Week
⚠️

The Capitalization Trap

Your English-speaking brain will scream at you to capitalize 'Ianuarie'. Ignore it! In Romanian, months are lowercase.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Months and Seasons

Key Vocabulary (6)

unu one oră hour luni Monday ianuarie January vară summer cât how much

Real-World Preview

coffee

Meeting a friend

Review Summary

  • unu, doi, trei...
  • Este ora [număr]
  • luni, marți, miercuri...
  • ianuarie, februarie...

Common Mistakes

For the hour one, we use the feminine form 'una' instead of 'unu'.

Wrong: Este ora unu.
Correct: Este ora una.

Ensure you use the correct verb for movement when planning your day.

Wrong: Luni sunt la magazin.
Correct: Luni merg la magazin.

Actually, this is correct; ensure you don't add extra articles like 'În iarna'.

Wrong: În ianuarie este iarnă.
Correct: În ianuarie este iarnă.

Next Steps

You have done a fantastic job! Keep practicing these numbers and you will be fluent in no time.

Practice telling the time on an analog clock.

Continue to: My Family and Possessions

Quick Practice (10)

How do you say 4:45?

Este cinci ___ un sfert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fără
For 45 minutes, we say it is the next hour (5) 'without' a quarter.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Telling Time

Choose the correct form for a one-time event happening this week.

Vreau să merg la restaurant ___ seară.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: luni
For a specific event this week, use the simple form 'luni' without a preposition.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Days of the Week

Identify the correct capitalization.

Suntem în luna ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: martie
Months are never capitalized in Romanian unless they start the sentence.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Months and Seasons

Which day comes after 'marți'?

Luni, marți, ___...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: miercuri
The order is Monday (luni), Tuesday (marți), Wednesday (miercuri).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Days of the Week

Choose the correct form for 'in the winter'.

___ ninge mult la munte.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Iarna
To say 'in the winter', Romanian uses the definite form 'iarna'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Months and Seasons

Choose the correct form of 'two' for feminine nouns.

Vreau ___ portocale, vă rog.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: două
Portocale (oranges) is feminine plural, so we use 'două'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cardinal Numbers

Fill in the missing connector for the number 22.

Am douăzeci ___ doi de ani.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: și
We use 'și' to connect tens and units in Romanian.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cardinal Numbers

How do you say you go to the gym every Wednesday?

___ merg la sala de sport.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Miercurea
The form 'miercurea' indicates a recurring action (every Wednesday).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Days of the Week

Choose the correct form for 2:30.

Este ora ___ și jumătate.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: două
Since 'ora' is feminine, we must use the feminine form 'două' for the number 2.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Telling Time

Which word is used to say 'at' a certain time?

Ne întâlnim ___ ora șase.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la
'La' is the preposition used to indicate the time when an event happens.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Telling Time

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

It is exactly like English: zero. You use it for phone numbers and temperatures.
Yes, it does. Use un for masculine nouns like un câine and o for feminine nouns like o pisică.
You can say Mă scuzați, cât e ceasul?. It is polite and direct for a street interaction.
Oră refers to the time of day or a 60-minute duration. Ceas refers to the physical clock or watch object.
The week starts on luni (Monday). This is standard for calendars and work schedules in Romania.
No, they are never capitalized unless they are the very first word in a sentence. For example: Luni este greu vs Mergem luni.
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