thing / matter
Abstract things: facts, ideas, points in an argument. For physical objects, obiect or the plural lucruri is more usual.
Un lucru e sigur.
One thing is certain.
E alt lucru.
That's another matter.
#79 · Noun
lucru
In Romanian, lucru means “thing / matter”. It’s the #79 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Lucru is "thing" — the all-purpose noun for anything you do not want to name. Rank 79, neuter, so its plural takes the feminine ending: un lucru, două lucruri. It also means "work", which is why a lucra means "to work"; and the phrase Un lucru e sigur, "one thing is certain", is one of the commonest ways a Romanian sentence begins.
neutralthings / stuff / belongings (plural)
The plural lucruri is what you pack, move and lose — it covers English "things" and "stuff".
Îmi iau lucrurile.
I'm taking my things.
multe lucruri
many things
work / labour
Older and more formal in this sense; everyday Romanian says muncă or serviciu for a job.
lucru bine făcut
a job well done
the thing is… (lucrul e că)
A discourse opener, exactly like English "the thing is".
Lucrul e că nu am timp.
The thing is, I don't have time.
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 3 forms cover about 96% of everyday use — learn these first.
lucru46%
lucruri27%
lucrurile23%
Show 2 more forms
lucrul3%
lucrurilor1%
Noun Forms
- Gender
- neuter
- Countability
- countable
| singular indefinite | lucru | |
|---|---|---|
| singular definite | lucrul | |
| plural indefinite | lucruri | |
| plural definite | lucrurile | |
| genitive dative singular | lucrului | |
| genitive dative plural | lucrurilor |
Neuter, so it counts as un lucru but două lucruri. The definite article attaches at the end: lucrul in the singular, lucrurile in the plural. Note how lopsided the real use is — the plural forms together outnumber the singular definite lucrul many times over, because people talk about "things" far more than about "the thing".
Examples
Un lucru e sigur.
One thing is certain.
lucru - The bare singular with un. sigur stays in the masculine because neuter nouns behave as masculine in the singular.
Am multe lucruri de făcut.
I have a lot of things to do.
lucruri - The neuter plural takes -uri. de plus the participle făcut gives the English "to do".
Pune lucrurile la loc.
Put the things back.
lucrurile - The definite plural, for belongings already known. la loc is a fixed phrase for "back in place".
Lucrurile s-au schimbat.
Things have changed.
lucrurile - As the subject of a general statement Romanian needs the definite form, where English uses a bare "things".
E cel mai important lucru.
It's the most important thing.
lucru - When an adjective goes in front, the superlative cel mai carries the article and the noun stays bare.
The plural is lucruri, with -uri, because lucru is neuter. Neuter nouns look masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural, so *lucrii and *lucre are both wrong. The same pattern governs timp/timpuri and loc/locuri.