“A book” and “the book”
Romanian puts a before the noun, but usually attaches the to the end. See that contrast first; the patterns will make more sense afterward.
Introducing it
o carte
a book
You know which one
cartea
the book
The one idea
“The” moves to the end
English uses a separate word before the noun. Romanian changes the noun itself. This attached ending is called the definite article.
See it in use
First introduce it. Then point back to it.
- 1
New
Am o carte.
I have a book.
Known
Cartea este nouă.
The book is new.
- 2
New
Văd un câine.
I see a dog.
Known
Câinele doarme.
The dog is sleeping.
- 3
New
Caut un hotel.
I am looking for a hotel.
Known
Hotelul este aproape.
The hotel is nearby.
Core patterns
Learn nouns with their article forms
You do not need every ending today. Use these three nouns as anchors. In the plural, niște works roughly like “some.”
Feminine
Many feminine nouns use -a in the definite singular.
A / one
o carte
The one
cartea
Some
niște cărți
The ones
cărțile
Masculine
Many masculine nouns use -ul in the definite singular.
A / one
un băiat
The one
băiatul
Some
niște băieți
The ones
băieții
Neuter
Neuter nouns act masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural.
A / one
un hotel
The one
hotelul
Some
niște hoteluri
The ones
hotelurile
Common pitfalls
Avoid these three shortcuts
the carte
Use: cartea
Romanian does not put a separate word for “the” before the noun.
o cartea
Use: o carte / cartea
Choose either the indefinite form or the definite form, not both.
memorize one ending for every noun
Use: learn the noun with its forms
The ending and sometimes the noun stem change with gender and number.
Your turn
Which one means “the book”?
Choose one answer. You will get feedback immediately.
Look for the article attached to the noun.