as / like (comparison of equality)
Compares two things that are alike. For "more … than" Romanian switches to mai … decât, not ca.
alb ca zăpada
white as snow
Vorbește ca un profesor.
He speaks like a teacher.
#26 · Adverb
ca
In Romanian, ca means “as / like (comparison of equality)”. It’s the #26 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
The 26th most frequent Romanian word, and one of only two things it ever does: it compares (alb ca zăpada — "white as snow") or it states a role (lucrez ca profesor — "I work as a teacher"). It also opens the purpose clause ca să — "in order to". Written without a diacritic it is easy to confuse with că "that"; they are different words with different jobs.
neutralas (in the capacity of)
States a role or function. The noun after it stays bare — no article: ca profesor, not *ca un profesor.
Lucrez ca inginer.
I work as an engineer.
Ca prieten, îți spun adevărul.
As a friend, I'm telling you the truth.
in order to (ca să + subjunctive)
Purpose. Use ca să rather than bare să when the purpose clause has its own, different subject.
Am venit ca să te ajut.
I came in order to help you.
ca să nu uit
so that I don't forget
about / roughly (before a quantity)
Colloquial approximation, often as ca la.
ca la zece oameni
about ten people
ca de obicei
as usual
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
ca100%
Patterns
Invariable, and it sits directly in front of whatever it compares or names. Before a vowel it often elides in speech and writing: ca și el is common, and ca și is also used to avoid an awkward clash — though careful writers keep plain ca where nothing clashes.
adjective + ca + noun
The standard comparison of equality.
E dulce ca mierea.
It is sweet as honey.
la fel de … ca
The explicit "as … as" frame, when you want to stress that two things are equal.
E la fel de bun ca celălalt.
It is just as good as the other one.
ca să + subjunctive
Purpose clause. With the same subject, bare să is enough: Am venit să te ajut.
Închide ușa ca să nu fie frig.
Close the door so it isn't cold.
ca și cum + verb
Unreal comparison — "as if".
Se poartă ca și cum nu știe nimic.
He acts as if he knows nothing.
Examples
E frumos ca în povești.
It's beautiful, like in a fairy tale.
ca - Plain comparison of equality — ca links two things said to be alike.
El e mai înalt decât mine.
He is taller than me.
decât (not ca) - The trap in reverse: an inequality takes mai … decât. Using ca here is the most common mistake with this word.
Lucrez ca traducător de doi ani.
I've been working as a translator for two years.
ca - Role sense — the profession follows ca with no article.
Vorbesc rar ca să înțelegi.
I'm speaking slowly so that you understand.
ca să - Purpose with a different subject (I speak / you understand), so the full ca să is used, followed by the subjunctive.
Spune că vine mâine.
He says that he's coming tomorrow.
că (contrast) - Here the word is că with a diacritic — the conjunction "that" after a reporting verb. Different word, different job.
ca and că are two separate words that a keyboard without diacritics flattens into one. ca = "as / like" (comparison or role, plus ca să "in order to"); că = "that", the conjunction after verbs like a spune, a crede, a ști. Test: if English would say "that", it is că; if English would say "as" or "like", it is ca.
In expressions
Common phrases built around ca — worth learning as whole units.
ca să— so that, in order to
lit. “as that”