over, above; across
Used for physical position or movement from one side to the other.
peste masă
over the table
a trece peste drum
to cross the street
a sări peste gard
to jump over the fence
#192 · Preposition · ADP
In Romanian, peste means “over, above; across”. It’s the #192 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Preposition and adverb with several common uses: location above/across, movement over/across, and approximation of quantity or time. In everyday Romanian it is very frequent and usually depends on the verb or noun it follows.
neutralUsed for physical position or movement from one side to the other.
over the table
to cross the street
to jump over the fence
Often marks motion or reaching the other side of something, including figurative uses.
to look over one's shoulder
to get past obstacles
to go over the hill
Very common with numbers and periods of time.
more than 100 people
in two weeks
overnight
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
Usually followed by a noun phrase, numeral, or pronoun: peste + NP.
It links the phrase after it to the verb or adjective and often expresses place, movement, or amount.
peste masă
over the table
With time expressions, it commonly means 'in' when referring to the future.
In this use, peste introduces the length of time before something happens.
peste trei zile
in three days
With numbers and measurements, it means 'more than' or 'over'.
This is a very common quantitative use in news, everyday speech, and formal writing.
peste 1 milion de oameni
more than 1 million people
vs. deasupra
deasupra is more explicitly 'above/on top of'; peste is broader and can also mean 'across', 'through', or 'more than'.
Lampa e deasupra mesei. / Cartea e peste caiet.
The lamp is above the table. / The book is on top of the notebook.
vs. mai mult de
mai mult de is a clearer quantitative phrase; peste is shorter and very common, especially in spoken and written Romanian.
peste 20 de minute / mai mult de 20 de minute
over 20 minutes / more than 20 minutes
vs. după
după means 'after'; peste can mean 'in' for future time, especially with a duration.
după cinci minute / peste cinci minute
after five minutes / in five minutes
Am pus cartea peste caiet.
I put the book on top of the notebook.
peste - Physical position: one thing is on top of another.
Am trecut peste pod.
I crossed the bridge.
peste - Movement from one side to the other.
Ne vedem peste o oră.
We'll meet in an hour.
peste - Approximate time in the future.
E peste șaizeci de lei.
It is over sixty lei.
peste - Quantity above a limit or threshold.