Understanding Definite and Indefinite Articles in Romanian for English Speakers

What Are Articles in Romanian?

In Romanian, articles are words that accompany nouns to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness, similar to English. However, Romanian articles have unique features that differ from English, especially in how the definite article is attached to the noun.

Indefinite Articles in Romanian

Indefinite articles in Romanian correspond to the English "a" or "an" and are placed before the noun. They vary depending on the gender and number of the noun.

• un – masculine singular (e.g., un băiat – a boy)
• o – feminine singular (e.g., o fată – a girl)
• niște – plural for both genders (e.g., niște băieți – some boys)

Note that "niște" is used for plural nouns and can be translated as "some" in English.

Definite Articles in Romanian

Unlike English, Romanian attaches the definite article to the end of the noun as a suffix. The form of the definite article depends on the gender and number of the noun.

• -l or -le for masculine singular (e.g., băiatul – the boy)
• -a for feminine singular (e.g., fata – the girl)
• -i or -le for plural nouns (e.g., băieții – the boys, fetele – the girls)

This postfixed definite article is a distinctive feature of Romanian grammar and can be challenging for English speakers at first.

Examples of Definite and Indefinite Articles

Tips for English Speakers Learning Romanian Articles

1. Remember that the definite article is attached to the end of the noun in Romanian.
2. Pay attention to the gender of the noun to choose the correct indefinite article.
3. Use "niște" for plural indefinite nouns, which is different from English.
4. Practice with examples to get used to the postfixed definite articles.