Genitive + Possessive Article (Genitiv și articolul posesiv)
To say "of" or "whose" in Romanian — the book OF the boy, a friend OF mine — you use the genitive case, and often the little possessive article al / a / ai / ale. Two things make this a classic stumbling block: the noun itself changes ending in the genitive (băiat → băiatului), and al/a/ai/ale must agree with the thing that is owned, not the owner. Get those two ideas and the rest follows.
The genitive of the noun
The possessor takes a special ending built on the definite article: masculine/neuter add -lui, feminine add -ei (with the usual spelling shifts). Proper names use lui before masculine names.
Forming the genitive ("of the …")
| Base noun | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| băiatul (the boy) | băiatului | cartea băiatului (the boy’s book) |
| omul (the man) | omului | numele omului (the man’s name) |
| fata (the girl) | fetei | casa fetei (the girl’s house) |
| Maria | Mariei | mașina Mariei (Maria’s car) |
| Ion | lui Ion | cartea lui Ion (Ion’s book) |
The possessive article al / a / ai / ale
This little word agrees with the possessed noun — its gender and number — not with the owner. Pick it from the thing being owned:
al/a/ai/ale — agrees with what is OWNED
| Owned thing | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | al | un prieten al meu (a friend of mine) |
| feminine singular | a | o carte a băiatului (a book of the boy’s) |
| masculine plural | ai | ai mei (my ones / my family) |
| feminine/neuter plural | ale | ale tale (yours) |
When you can drop the article
If the possessor comes directly after a definite noun, you do not need al/a/ai/ale: cartea băiatului (the boy’s book). You do need it when something separates them, or with a possessive pronoun after an indefinite noun:
cartea băiatului
the boy's book
directly after a definite noun — no article.
cartea nouă a băiatului
the boy's new book
an adjective intervenes — "a" appears.
un prieten al meu
a friend of mine
indefinite noun + possessive — "al" appears.
Whose? — al cui
To ask "whose?", use al/a/ai/ale + cui, agreeing with the owned thing: "A cui este cartea?" (Whose is the book? — carte is feminine → a), "Al cui este pixul?" (Whose is the pen? — pix is masculine → al).
Examples
Este cartea profesorului.
It's the teacher's book.
Numele străzii este lung.
The name of the street is long.
un coleg al meu
a colleague of mine
Mașina Mariei este nouă.
Maria's car is new.
A cui este geanta?
Whose is the bag?
geantă is feminine → a.
prietenii mei și ai tăi
my friends and yours
masc. plural → ai.
Possessive article agreement
| masc. sg. | fem. sg. | masc. pl. | fem./neut. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| al | a | ai | ale |
Common Mistakes
- Agreeing al/a/ai/ale with the owner instead of the owned thing: it is "o carte A băiatului" (carte is feminine), not "al băiatului".
- Forgetting the genitive ending on the noun: "cartea băiatului", not "cartea băiat".
- Dropping "lui" before masculine names: "cartea lui Ion", not "cartea Ion" or "Ionului".
- Adding al/a/ai/ale when the possessor sits right after a definite noun: just "cartea băiatului".
Lookup Tips
- Find the owned noun first — its gender/number picks al, a, ai, or ale.
- Masculine/neuter owners take -lui; feminine owners take -ei; masculine names take lui in front.
- If nothing separates a definite noun from its possessor, you can usually drop the possessive article.
Frequently asked questions
Does al/a/ai/ale agree with the owner or the owned thing?
With the owned thing. "o carte a băiatului" uses "a" because carte (book) is feminine, even though băiat (boy) is masculine.
When do I need al/a/ai/ale and when can I skip it?
Skip it when the possessor comes straight after a definite noun ("cartea băiatului"). Use it when a word separates them ("cartea nouă a băiatului") or after an indefinite noun ("un prieten al meu").
How do I show possession with a name?
Masculine names take "lui" before them: "cartea lui Ion". Feminine names take a genitive ending: "cartea Mariei".
How do I ask "whose?"
Use al/a/ai/ale + cui, agreeing with the owned thing: "A cui este cartea?" (feminine) or "Al cui este pixul?" (masculine).