A1 · Beginner Chapter 12

Places and Directions

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

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Navigate your surroundings with confidence and find your way through any Romanian city.

  • Identify locations using prepositions
  • Conjugate basic movement verbs
  • Explain routes to others
Master the streets and find your way!

What You'll Learn

Locative prepositions and basic movement verbs. Asking for and giving simple directions.

  • Locative Prepositions
    Place things 'în' containers, 'la' specific spots, and 'pe' surfaces without using definite articles for general locations.
  • Movement Verbs
    Movement verbs combine specific direction verbs with prepositions like la or în to map your physical journey.
  • Giving Directions
    Combine movement verbs with 'stânga', 'dreapta', or 'înainte' to give clear, effective Romanian directions.
  • Place Names
    Use la for cities and în for countries to sound like a natural Romanian speaker instantly.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: describe where objects or places are located using prepositions.

Key Examples (8)

1

Ea este în grădină.

She is in the garden.

Locative Prepositions
2

Ne vedem la cinema.

We meet at the cinema.

Locative Prepositions
3

Eu merg la școală în fiecare zi.

I go to school every day.

Movement Verbs
4

Tu vii la petrecere diseară?

Are you coming to the party tonight?

Movement Verbs
5

Mergi înainte până la colț.

Go straight until the corner.

Giving Directions
6

Mergeți la dreapta după muzeu.

Go right after the museum.

Giving Directions
7

Locuiesc la Londra.

I live in London.

Place Names
8

Ea merge în Spania.

She is going to Spain.

Place Names

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The Article Rule

After 'la', 'în', and 'pe', we usually drop the '-ul' or '-a'. It's 'la magazin', not 'la magazinul'. Easy, right?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Locative Prepositions
💡

The Walking Default

If you don't specify a vehicle, Romanians assume you are walking when you use a merge. It's the 'footpower' verb.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Movement Verbs
💡

Use your hands!

In Romania, pointing while giving directions is very common and helpful. Don't be afraid to gesture wildly.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Giving Directions
🎯

The 'a' Rule

If a country ends in 'a', it's feminine. This is true for 90% of countries in Romanian. It makes learning genders much easier!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Place Names

Key Vocabulary (7)

în in lângă next to a merge to go dreapta right stânga left gară train station școală school

Real-World Preview

train

Finding the Station

Review Summary

  • [Subject] + este + [Preposition] + [Noun]
  • Eu merg + la + [Place]
  • Mergi + [Direction]
  • Noun + [Place]

Common Mistakes

You used the first-person verb 'I go' instead of the imperative 'Go!' for directions.

Wrong: Merg la stânga.
Correct: Mergi la stânga.

Don't stack prepositions; 'în' (in) and 'lângă' (next to) don't go together.

Wrong: Gara este în lângă școală.
Correct: Gara este lângă școală.

Ensure you conjugate 'a merge' correctly for 'Eu' (I).

Wrong: Eu merge la gară.
Correct: Eu merg la gară.

Next Steps

You have navigated through the streets of Romanian grammar with grace. Keep moving forward!

Draw a map of your neighborhood and label it in Romanian.

Continue to: Food and Dining

Quick Practice (10)

Which preposition means 'across from'?

Banca este ___ de farmacie.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vis-à-vis
'Vis-à-vis' is the correct term for something being opposite or across from another place.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Giving Directions

Choose the correct preposition for the destination.

Noi mergem ___ București mâine.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la
In Romanian, you use 'la' for most cities, unlike countries which take 'în'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Movement Verbs

Identify the correct way to say 'going home'.

Vrei să mergi ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: acasă
'Acasă' is an adverb of place that doesn't require a preposition.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Movement Verbs

Complete the phrase to say 'straight ahead'.

Mergi ___ până la parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: înainte
'Înainte' is the standard Romanian term for 'straight ahead'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Giving Directions

Express origin.

Ei sunt ___ Japonia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: din
'Din' is the correct way to say 'from' a specific place.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Place Names

Choose the correct preposition for a city location.

Locuiesc ___ Iași.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: în
Cities always use the preposition 'în' in Romanian.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Locative Prepositions

Where do you put a plate at dinner?

Farfuria este ___ masă.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: pe
'Pe' is used for surfaces like tables.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Locative Prepositions

Choose the correct preposition for a country.

Vrei să mergi ___ Italia?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: în
Countries use 'în' for destination (going to a country).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Place Names

Meeting a friend at a specific location.

Ne întâlnim ___ teatru.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la
'La' is used for specific meeting points or public buildings.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Locative Prepositions

Choose the correct formal verb to give directions to a stranger.

___ la dreapta după magazin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mergeți
'Mergeți' is the polite/formal imperative form used for strangers.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Giving Directions

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

La and în are used most often. La is for specific spots, while în is for being inside something.
No, for A1 level, the noun stays in its dictionary form (Accusative). You just say la școală or în casă.
The verb a merge is your go-to. Use it for walking, driving, or general movement, like Merg la magazin.
You say Eu vin. If you are speaking to a friend, you say Tu vii.
You can say ia-o la stânga or simply la stânga. Most people just use the direction with a movement verb like mergi.
Mergi is informal (for friends), while mergeți is formal or for a group. Use mergeți with people you don't know.
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