How to Use Relative Pronouns in Romanian for English Speakers

Understanding Relative Pronouns in Romanian

Relative pronouns in Romanian are words that introduce relative clauses, which provide more information about a noun mentioned earlier in the sentence. They connect the main clause with the relative clause, similar to English words like "who," "which," and "that."

Common Romanian Relative Pronouns

The most frequently used relative pronouns in Romanian are care, ce, and cui. Each serves a specific function depending on the context and the noun they refer to.

• care – used for people and things, equivalent to "who," "which," or "that" in English.
• ce – used mainly for things, often meaning "what" or "which."
• cui – the dative form of "care," meaning "to whom" or "for whom."

Using "care" as a Relative Pronoun

"Care" is the most versatile relative pronoun in Romanian. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to and changes form according to the case it takes in the relative clause.

• Masculine singular: care
• Feminine singular: care
• Masculine plural: care
• Feminine plural: care

Note that "care" does not change form for gender or number in the nominative and accusative cases, but the article and verb in the relative clause will reflect the gender and number.

Examples of "care" in Sentences

Here are some examples to illustrate how "care" is used:

• Cartea care este pe masă este a mea. (The book that is on the table is mine.)
• Fata care vorbește este profesoara mea. (The girl who is speaking is my teacher.)
• Băieții care joacă fotbal sunt prietenii mei. (The boys who are playing football are my friends.)

Using "ce" as a Relative Pronoun

"Ce" is used mainly to refer to things and often translates as "what" or "which." It is commonly used in relative clauses when the antecedent is indefinite or when the clause is more general.

Example:

• Tot ce faci este important. (Everything that you do is important.)
• Nu înțeleg ce spui. (I don't understand what you are saying.)

Using "cui" as a Relative Pronoun

"Cui" is the dative form of "care" and is used to mean "to whom" or "for whom." It is used when the relative clause requires the dative case.

Example:

• Persoana cui i-am dat cartea este absentă. (The person to whom I gave the book is absent.)

Differences Between Romanian and English Relative Pronouns

While English relative pronouns change depending on their function (who, whom, which, that), Romanian uses mainly "care" with case and number agreement. Also, Romanian often omits the relative pronoun in informal speech, which is less common in English.

Tips for English Speakers Learning Romanian Relative Pronouns

• Focus on learning the forms and uses of "care" as it is the most common relative pronoun.
• Practice identifying the case required in the relative clause to choose the correct form.
• Remember that "ce" is used for general or indefinite antecedents.
• Listen to native speakers to get used to when relative pronouns are omitted in speech.