The Romanian definite article: how to say “the”

Romanian usually expresses the by attaching an ending to the noun: o casă (a house) becomes casa (the house). The definite article is therefore normally an enclitic, a form attached at the end, rather than a separate word before the noun.

How do you attach the definite article?

First identify the noun's gender and number, then start with its ordinary singular or plural form and attach the ending used by that pattern.

1. Check the noun's gender and number. The Romanian noun gender pattern is especially important for neuter nouns, which behave like masculine nouns in the singular and feminine nouns in the plural.
2. Form the ordinary singular or plural first. For example, the plural of copil is copii; the definite plural is made from that plural form.
3. Attach the definite ending with no space: băiatul, casa, băieții, and scaunele are each one written word.

These are the main beginner patterns, not a universal ending that can be pasted onto every noun. Learn a new count noun with its singular article and plural, then add the definite article to the form you have actually learned.

When do you use the definite form?

Use the definite form when the person or thing is identified, unique in the situation, or already made specific by the conversation.

• Use it when a noun has just been introduced and is mentioned again: Am cumpărat o carte. Cartea este interesantă. (I bought a book. The book is interesting.)
• Use it for something treated as unique or known in the situation: Soarele răsare. (The sun rises.)
• Use it with a following possessive or ordinary adjective: cartea mea (my book), casa mare (the big house). The noun normally carries the article in these phrases.

What happens in common noun phrases?

In a noun phrase, the first element of the definite group carries the article. That is usually the noun, but a preposed adjective can carry it instead.

Which spelling details should you watch for?

The article can create a familiar cluster of letters, especially when the plural already ends in -i. Keep the spelling of the complete definite form rather than counting only the sound.

A small beginner exception is useful to memorize: tată can have the standalone definite form tata (the father), but before an attribute it uses tatăl, as in tatăl meu (my father). Individual noun forms still take priority over a guess from the final letter.

When can Romanian leave the noun without this article?

Do not translate every English the with an attached Romanian ending. Some common constructions use a bare noun, while a numeral or modifier may change the choice.

• After an ordinary numeral, use the basic plural: Am două cărți. (I have two books.), not două cărțile. For a definite group, use cele două cărți (the two books).
• Some common prepositional phrases use a bare noun: Cartea este pe masă. (The book is on the table.) A modifier can make the noun definite: Cartea este pe masa mare. (The book is on the big table.)
• A profession or status after a fi can be bare: Sunt student. (I am a student.) With a descriptive modifier, the indefinite article is common: Sunt un student bun. (I am a good student.) See Romanian indefinite articles for un, o, and niște.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not put a separate word meaning the before an ordinary noun: write casa, not the casa. The ending is attached to the noun.
• Do not attach the article before forming the plural. Start with băieți and make băieții; start with cărți and make cărțile.
• Do not add a definite ending after a simple numeral: write două scaune, not două scaunele. Use cele două scaune when you mean the two specific chairs.
• Do not remove the Romanian diacritics from forms such as cărțile, băieții, and scaunele.