alone / on one’s own
The plain adjective, agreeing with the person. Usually after the noun or the verb.
Stau singur.
I live alone.
E singură acasă.
She's home alone.
#92 · Adjective
singur
In Romanian, singur means “alone / on one’s own”. It’s the #92 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Singur means "alone" — and, with the definite article, "the only one". Rank 92, and the article is what switches the meaning: o femeie singură is "a woman on her own", singura femeie is "the only woman". Same word, two jobs, and the measured data shows both in heavy use. It also means "by myself" without help: Am făcut-o singur.
neutralthe only (singurul, singura)
With the definite article and in front of the noun. This is a different meaning, not a different register.
singurul motiv
the only reason
singura problemă
the only problem
by oneself / unaided
Modifying the action rather than describing the person: "I did it myself".
Am făcut-o singur.
I did it myself.
Se descurcă singură.
She manages on her own.
lonely
The emotional sense. Context separates it from the neutral "alone"; for the feeling itself Romanian has singurătate.
Mă simt singur.
I feel lonely.
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 4 forms cover about 91% of everyday use — learn these first.
singur34%
singură22%
singura19%
singurul16%
Show 5 more forms
singuri6%
singure1%
singurii1%
singurele<1%
singurei<1%
Adjective Forms
| masculine singular | singur | |
|---|---|---|
| feminine singular | singură | |
| masculine plural | singuri | |
| feminine plural | singure | |
| neuter singular | singur | |
| neuter plural | singure |
- Irregular Note
- Not gradable in normal use — you are alone or you are not, so mai singur and cel mai singur are not said. The definite forms singurul, singura, singurii and singurele are not degrees either; they switch the meaning to "the only one".
- Placement
- After the noun or the verb it means "alone": un om singur, Stau singur. In front of the noun, carrying the definite article, it means "the only": singurul om. That position is where singurul, singura, singurii and singurele in the measured data come from, and it is the difference a reader hears first.
Examples
Locuiesc singur.
I live alone.
singur - The adjective agrees with the speaker, so a woman says Locuiesc singură. English "alone" never changes; Romanian always does.
E singurul care știe.
He's the only one who knows.
singurul - The definite form gives "the only one". care is the relative pronoun, used for people and things alike.
Singura problemă e prețul.
The only problem is the price.
singura - In front of the noun with the article attached to the adjective, so the noun stays bare: singura problemă, never *singura problema.
Am rezolvat-o singură.
I solved it myself. (woman speaking)
singură - The "unaided" sense. The -o is the object clitic, attached to the participle with a hyphen.
Au rămas singuri.
They were left alone.
singuri - The masculine plural, which is also the default for a mixed group.
The article changes the meaning, not just the definiteness. o singură dată means "only once"; o dată singură is not how anyone says it. And singura femeie ("the only woman") is a different statement from femeia singură ("the woman who is on her own") — the position decides which one you said.