than (in comparisons)
After mai plus an adjective or adverb. The stressed pronoun follows: decât mine.
mai mare decât mine
bigger than me
mai bine decât ieri
better than yesterday
#147 · Adverb
decât
In Romanian, decât means “than (in comparisons)”. It’s the #147 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Decât is "than" in a comparison — mai bun decât, "better than". But it has a second job that no English word shares: paired with nu it means "only". Nu am decât zece lei says "I only have ten lei", built as "I do not have other than ten lei". That construction is the reason this word is worth real attention.
neutralonly (with nu)
nu … decât is the restrictive frame. The nu is obligatory and is not a negation of the sentence.
Nu am decât un leu.
I only have one leu.
Nu vreau decât să dorm.
I only want to sleep.
other than / except
The same frame read literally — nothing besides this.
Nu e nimeni decât el.
There is nobody except him.
rather than
Comparing two courses of action: mai bine … decât.
Mai bine tac decât să mint.
I'd rather stay quiet than lie.
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.
decât100%
Patterns
Invariable. In the comparison sense it follows mai plus an adjective or adverb, and takes stressed pronouns. In the restrictive sense it sits after the verb and needs nu in front of that verb. It never agrees and never takes a preposition of its own.
mai + adjective + decât
The standard comparison.
mai ieftin decât acolo
cheaper than there
nu + verb + decât
The restrictive "only". The nu is required.
Nu costă decât cinci lei.
It only costs five lei.
decât + stressed pronoun
mine, tine, el, noi, voi, ei — never the clitics.
Muncește mai mult decât noi.
He works more than us.
mai bine … decât să …
Rather than, comparing two actions.
Mai bine aștept decât să plec.
I'd rather wait than leave.
Examples
E mai înalt decât mine.
He's taller than me.
decât - The comparison frame mai … decât, with the stressed pronoun mine. Never the clitic mă.
Nu am decât zece lei.
I only have ten lei.
decât - The restrictive frame. The nu does not make the sentence negative — together with decât it means "only".
Nu vreau decât să te ajut.
I only want to help you.
decât - The same frame in front of a verb, which then takes să.
Mai bine mai târziu decât niciodată.
Better late than never.
decât - A proverb built on the comparison sense. niciodată needs no nu here because there is no verb to negate.
Costă mai puțin decât credeam.
It costs less than I thought.
decât - Comparing with a whole clause rather than a noun. The imperfect credeam reports what I used to think.
Nu … decât means "only", not "not … than". Nu am decât o întrebare is "I only have one question" — a friendly thing to say. Reading the nu as a real negation reverses the sentence, which is the single commonest misreading of this word.