In neutral contemporary Standard Romanian, copil means child. Its unarticulated plural is copii, and its definite plural is copiii. Compare Doi copii se joacă în parc. (Two children are playing in the park.) with Copiii se joacă în parc. (The children are playing in the park.)
What do copii and copiii mean?
Use copii for a group that is not marked as definite. Use copiii for an identified group (the children).
| Form | Number and definiteness | Typical frame | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| copil | singular, unarticulated | un copil | Un copil citește. (A child is reading.) |
| copii | plural, unarticulated | doi copii or niște copii | Niște copii cântă. (Some children are singing.) |
| copiii | plural, definite | copiii or copiii mei | Copiii mei cântă. (My children are singing.) |
Romanian can express an indefinite plural with niște copii (some children), with a numeral such as doi copii (two children), or with a bare plural in a suitable context: În curte sunt copii. (There are children in the yard.) The noun spelling in all these unarticulated phrases is copii, not copiii.
How is copiii formed?
Treat copii as the plural form to learn, then add the attached definite article -i to get copiii.
- Start with the singular noun: un copil (a child). Its standard plural is copii, not copili: the two final letters are the stem's i and the plural -i.
- Use copii after a numeral or niște: trei copii (three children), niște copii (some children).
- Add the definite article -i when the group is identified: copii + -i gives copiii, as in Copiii au ajuns. (The children have arrived.)
Copii has two final i letters, while copiii has three. The letters are not interchangeable. The third i is not an optional extra; it is the definite article. For the wider article system, see the Romanian definite article.
How do you choose the form in a sentence?
First decide whether the noun phrase is unarticulated or definite. Then check the words that determine it. Numerals and niște point to copii. A known group, a postposed possessive, or the bare definite noun points to copiii.
| Signal or context | Form | Example | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| No identified group | copii | În parc sunt copii. (There are children in the park.) | A bare plural can be unarticulated in a suitable context. |
| niște before the noun | copii | Niște copii au intrat în clasă. (Some children entered the classroom.) | Niște introduces an indefinite plural. |
| Numeral before the noun | copii | Doi copii citesc. (Two children are reading.) | A numeral is followed by the unarticulated plural; do not write doi copiii. |
| cei + numeral | copii | cei trei copii (the three children) | Cei carries the definite meaning, so the noun remains copii. |
| Known group; noun carries the article | copiii | Copiii din parc citesc. (The children in the park are reading.) | The noun itself carries the definite article. |
| Possessive after the noun | copiii | Copiii mei citesc. (My children are reading.) | The noun normally takes the definite form, as in copiii mei or copiii voștri. |
What does the spelling tell you about pronunciation?
The extra letter in copiii marks a morphological difference and affects the recommended pronunciation. In copii, the final -ii forms one syllable as a descending diphthong; in copiii, DOOM3 recommends pronouncing the ending with two syllabic i vowels. This pronunciation clue can help, but spelling and sentence meaning remain the reliable diagnostics.
Do not assume that every pair of final is has the same pronunciation. Romanian uses several i letters for different grammatical jobs, and speech may reduce contrasts in fast or casual delivery. Write the form required by the noun phrase, not the form that seems easiest to hear.
What cautions apply?
- A modifier does not automatically force the definite plural. Compare Copii dintr-o clasă vecină așteaptă autobuzul. (Children from a neighboring class are waiting for the bus.) with Copiii din clasa vecină așteaptă autobuzul. (The children from the neighboring class are waiting for the bus.) The article and the intended reference matter.
- The English word “the” is not always shown by a final -i on this noun. Cei doi copii means the two children, but cei is the definite determiner and the noun remains copii.
- The plural spelling copii can also mean copies, the plural of copie. Context and stress distinguish the two words in speech: Am imprimat două copii ale documentului. (I printed two copies of the document.)
- The genitive-dative form copiilor marks the children as recipients or possessors: Le-am dat copiilor cărți. (I gave the children books.) Copiii is the nominative-accusative definite plural, so it does not fill this role. For a fuller plural overview, see How Romanian noun plurals work.
Which phrase means “some children”?
- copilul
- niște copii
- copiii
- copiilor
Niște introduces an indefinite plural, so the noun is the unarticulated plural copii. Copiii means the children, and copiilor is a genitive-dative plural form.
Complete the sentence: ___ se joacă în curte. (The children are playing in the yard.)
- Copii
- Copil
- Copiii
- Copiilor
The English phrase the children identifies the group, so Romanian uses the definite plural copiii. The verb se joacă does not choose the spelling by itself; definiteness does.
Which sentence means “Two children are waiting”?
- Doi copii așteaptă.
- Doi copiii așteaptă.
- Doi copil așteaptă.
- Doi copiilor așteaptă.
A numeral such as doi is followed by the unarticulated plural copii. The definite article is not added after the numeral in this phrase.
Which phrase means “the two children” with cei doi?
- cei doi copiii
- cei doi copiilor
- cei doi copil
- cei doi copii
Cei already carries the definite meaning, so the noun remains copii: cei doi copii. Writing copiii would add the definite article twice.
Complete the sentence: Le-am dat ___ cărți. (I gave the children books.)
- copii
- copil
- copiilor
- copiii
The recipients are in the plural genitive-dative, copiilor. The form copiii is the definite nominative-accusative plural, while copii is the basic unarticulated plural.