#101 · Pronoun · PRON
In Romanian, cineva means “someone, somebody”. It’s the #101 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Indefinite pronoun meaning "someone" or "somebody". It refers to an unspecified person and is common in everyday Romanian.
neutralUsed when the person is unknown or unspecified; often equivalent to English "someone".
Someone is ringing at the door.
I saw someone in the yard.
Someone left their phone here.
In questions and negative contexts it can correspond to English "anyone" or "anybody", depending on the sentence.
Did you see anyone?
I don't think anybody said that.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
| base form | cineva | Indefinite pronoun, usually for people only |
|---|---|---|
| accusative with preposition | pe cineva | Used for direct object referring to a person |
| genitive/dative form | cuiva | Oblique form meaning "of/to someone" |
vs. nimeni
cineva is affirmative/indefinite: "someone"; nimeni is negative: "no one".
Cineva a venit.
Someone came.
vs. oricine
cineva refers to an unspecified but particular person; oricine means "anyone / whoever" in a more general sense.
Cineva te caută.
Someone is looking for you.
Cineva a lăsat cheia pe masă.
Someone left the key on the table.
cineva - An unspecified person.
Ai vorbit cu cineva despre asta?
Did you talk to anyone about that?
cineva - Question context.
Nu cred că m-a auzit cineva.
I don't think anyone heard me.
cineva - Negative context.