Romanian has five noun cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, and vocative. A case shows what a noun is doing in a sentence. For example, Băiatul citește cartea. (The boy is reading the book.) Here băiatul is the nominative subject and cartea is the accusative direct object.
What does each Romanian case do?
The nominative marks the subject, while the accusative marks a direct object or a complement after many prepositions. The genitive marks possession. The dative marks an indirect object, and the vocative marks direct address.
| Case | Main job | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | subject | cine? ce? (who? what?) | Băiatul citește. (The boy is reading.) |
| Accusative | direct object or complement after many prepositions | pe cine? ce? (whom? what?) | Citesc cartea. (I am reading the book.) |
| Genitive | possession or belonging | al cui? (whose?) | Cartea băiatului este nouă. (The boy’s book is new.) |
| Dative | indirect object, often a recipient | cui? (to whom?) | Îi dau băiatului cartea. (I give the boy the book.) |
| Vocative | direct address | no sentence question | Băiete, vino! (Boy, come!) |
How do the forms show case?
For most Romanian nouns, case depends on the noun’s role rather than on a unique ending. Nominative and accusative usually share one form, while genitive and dative usually share another. The definite article and indefinite article often make the two sets of forms visibly different. The first form in each pair is indefinite and the second is definite.
| Noun pattern | Nominative–accusative | Genitive–dative | What to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | un băiat / băiatul | unui băiat / băiatului | The noun stays băiat; the article changes. |
| Feminine singular | o casă / casa | unei case / casei | The noun form changes from casă to case; the article also changes. |
| Plural, masculine model | niște băieți / băieții | unor băieți / băieților | The noun stays băieți; the plural article changes. |
In the genitive–dative, use unui for masculine and neuter singular. Use unei for feminine singular and unor for the plural. The definite article is attached to the noun: compare băiatul with băiatului, and băieții with băieților.
A noun's visible form does not always identify its case. Băiatului is genitive in cartea băiatului but dative in Îi dau băiatului cartea. Vocative forms depend on the noun. Băiete is the standard neutral vocative of băiat. Another noun may use a different ending or the same visible form as the nominative–accusative. See the Romanian vocative for the detailed patterns.
How do you identify a case in a sentence?
First find the noun’s relationship to the verb or to another noun; then check its article and form.
- Find the subject. It is usually nominative: Băiatul citește. (The boy is reading.)
- Find the direct object. It is accusative: Citesc cartea. (I am reading the book.)
- Find the recipient. It is dative: Îi dau băiatului cartea. (I give the boy the book.)
- Find the possessor. It is genitive: cartea băiatului (the boy’s book).
- Find direct address. A noun used to call someone is vocative: Băiete, vino! (Boy, come!)
What role do prepositions and pe play?
Many ordinary prepositions introduce an accusative-shaped noun phrase: cu prietenul (with the friend) and la școală (at school). Romanian can mark a direct object with pe in contexts such as Îl văd pe băiat. (I see the boy.) The word pe is a marker, not an additional noun case. The exact choice of pe depends on factors such as definiteness and whether the object is a person, so see the direct-object marker pe for that separate decision.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not assume that băiatului always means “to the boy” or always means “the boy’s.” Its role is dative after dau but genitive after cartea.
- Do not search for a different noun ending for every case. Romanian commonly groups nominative with accusative and genitive with dative.
- Do not use a genitive or dative form when calling to someone: direct address needs the vocative, as in Băiete, vino!, normally set off by a comma.
Which case marks direct address in Băiete, vino!?
- Nominative
- Accusative
- Genitive
- Vocative
The vocative marks direct address. Băiete is the vocative form here, not the subject of the command.
Complete the sentence: Îi dau ___ cartea. (I give the boy the book.)
- băiatul
- băiatului
- băiete
- băieți
Băiatului names the recipient and answers cui? (to whom?), so it is dative.
Which sentence uses băiatul as the nominative subject?
- Băiatul citește cartea. (The boy is reading the book.)
- Cartea băiatului este nouă. (The boy’s book is new.)
- Îi dau băiatului cartea. (I give the boy the book.)
- Băiete, citește cartea! (Boy, read the book!)
In Băiatul citește cartea., băiatul is the subject, so it is nominative. The other sentences use a possessor, a recipient, or direct address.
Which sentence uses băiatului for possession, not for a recipient?
- Cartea băiatului este nouă. (The boy’s book is new.)
- Îi dau băiatului cartea. (I give the boy the book.)
- Băiatul citește cartea. (The boy is reading the book.)
- Băiete, vino! (Boy, come!)
In cartea băiatului, băiatului answers al cui? (whose?), so it is genitive. The same visible form is dative in Îi dau băiatului cartea.
Which statement about Romanian noun cases is correct?
- Nominative and accusative always have different noun endings.
- Genitive and dative always have different noun endings.
- The same form băiatului can be genitive or dative; the sentence role identifies it.
- The vocative always marks the subject.
Romanian commonly has the same form for genitive and dative. The construction determines the function: possession gives genitive, while a recipient gives dative.