Common Romanian Prepositional Phrases for English Speakers

Understanding Romanian Prepositions

Prepositions in Romanian are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They often indicate relationships of time, place, direction, cause, manner, and possession. Mastering prepositional phrases is essential for effective communication in Romanian.

Why Prepositional Phrases Matter

Prepositional phrases add detail and context to sentences. For English speakers learning Romanian, recognizing these phrases helps in understanding sentence structure and meaning, as Romanian prepositions can differ in usage from English.

Common Romanian Prepositional Phrases

Below are some frequently used Romanian prepositional phrases along with their English translations and usage examples.

• în fața – in front of
  Example: Stau în fața casei. (I am standing in front of the house.)
• în spatele – behind
  Example: Mașina este în spatele blocului. (The car is behind the building.)
• pe lângă – next to / beside
  Example: Locuiesc pe lângă școală. (I live next to the school.)
• în timpul – during
  Example: Am învățat în timpul verii. (I studied during the summer.)
• după – after / behind
  Example: Ne vedem după masă. (We will meet after lunch.)
• înainte de – before
  Example: Am ajuns înainte de concert. (I arrived before the concert.)
• deasupra – above / over
  Example: Ceasul este deasupra ușii. (The clock is above the door.)
• sub – under / below
  Example: Carte este sub masă. (The book is under the table.)

Tips for Learning Romanian Prepositional Phrases

Here are some helpful tips to effectively learn and use Romanian prepositional phrases:

1. Practice with real-life examples and sentences.
2. Listen to native speakers to understand natural usage.
3. Use flashcards to memorize common phrases.
4. Pay attention to preposition + case combinations (accusative, dative).
5. Try to use new phrases in your own sentences regularly.

Examples of Prepositional Phrases in Context

Let's look at some sentences that use Romanian prepositional phrases to see how they function in everyday language.

1. Merg la magazin după pâine. (I am going to the store for bread.)
2. Stăm în fața teatrului. (We are standing in front of the theater.)
3. Am vorbit despre planuri în timpul întâlnirii. (We talked about plans during the meeting.)
4. Pisica doarme sub pat. (The cat sleeps under the bed.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers often make mistakes with Romanian prepositions because they do not always translate directly. For example, the English preposition "on" can translate to "pe" or "în" depending on context. Always learn phrases in context to avoid confusion.