to (destination)
Movement towards a place, a person, or an event.
Merg la muncă.
I'm going to work.
la doctor
to the doctor
#12 · Preposition
la
In Romanian, la means “to (destination)”. It’s the #12 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 Romanian "at / to" — the twelfth most common word, and the preposition for destinations, locations and clock times alike. One useful rule shortcuts a lot of grammar: after la, a noun normally stays indefinite (la școală, not *la școala).
neutralat / in (location)
Being somewhere, especially an institution or someone's place.
Sunt la birou.
I'm at the office.
la mine
at my place
at (clock time)
The standard way to give a time.
la ora șapte
at seven o'clock
La ce oră?
At what time?
to (indirect object with a name or full noun)
Where a clitic is not used, la marks the recipient: Am dat cartea la Maria (colloquial for Mariei).
Spune la toată lumea.
Tell everyone.
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.
la100%
Grammar Behavior
la + indefinite noun
The default: institution or general place, article dropped.
Copiii sunt la școală.
The children are at school.
la + person
"at someone's place".
Am dormit la bunici.
I slept at my grandparents'.
la + time
Clock times and points in a schedule.
Plecăm la prânz.
We're leaving at noon.
de la … până la …
The standard "from … to …" frame for both place and time.
de la unu până la trei
from one to three
vs. în
în means physically inside; la points at a place as a destination or institution.
Sunt în școală. / Sunt la școală.
I'm inside the school building. / I'm at school.
vs. pe
pe is "on / onto" a surface, la is "at / to" a point.
pe masă / la masă
on the table / at the table (eating)
Examples
Mă duc la magazin.
I'm going to the shop.
la - Destination. Note magazin stays indefinite after la — that is the normal pattern.
Ne vedem la ora cinci.
We'll meet at five.
la - Clock times always take la, never în.
Stau la Ana în seara asta.
I'm staying at Ana's tonight.
la - la + a person = at their place, exactly like French chez.
Uită-te la mine.
Look at me.
la - a se uita la always takes la, and the pronoun after it is the stressed mine.
After la the noun normally drops its definite article: la școală, la birou, la piață. Adding it (la școala) makes the phrase point at one specific school and usually needs a following modifier.