Understanding Word Order in Romanian Sentences for English Speakers

Introduction to Romanian Word Order

Romanian word order is generally flexible but follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern similar to English. However, due to Romanian's rich inflectional system, word order can be varied to emphasize different parts of the sentence or to convey nuances.

Basic Sentence Structure in Romanian

The most common sentence structure in Romanian is Subject + Verb + Object. For example, Maria citește o carte means "Maria reads a book." Here, Maria is the subject, citește is the verb, and o carte is the object.

Example of Basic SVO Order

Maria (subject) citește (verb) o carte (object).
Translation: Maria reads a book.

Variations in Word Order for Emphasis

Romanian allows for variations in word order to emphasize different parts of the sentence. For example, placing the object before the verb can highlight the object.

Object-Verb-Subject (OVS) Example

O carte citește Maria.
This structure emphasizes o carte (a book), implying that it is specifically a book that Maria reads.

Questions and Word Order

In Romanian questions, the word order can change. Often, the verb comes before the subject, especially in yes/no questions.

Yes/No Question Example

Citește Maria o carte?
Translation: Does Maria read a book?

Question Word + Verb + Subject Example

Ce citește Maria?
Translation: What does Maria read?

Negation and Word Order

When negating a sentence, the word nu is placed before the verb, but the overall word order remains the same.

Negation Example

Maria nu citește o carte.
Translation: Maria does not read a book.

Using Adjectives and Adverbs in Romanian Sentences

Adjectives usually follow the noun they describe, and adverbs typically follow the verb or the adjective they modify.

Adjective Placement Example

Maria are o carte interesantă.
Translation: Maria has an interesting book.

Adverb Placement Example

Maria citește repede.
Translation: Maria reads quickly.

Summary of Romanian Word Order Rules

• Basic word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).
• Word order can be changed for emphasis due to inflection.
• In questions, the verb often precedes the subject.
• Negation uses nu before the verb without changing word order.
• Adjectives usually follow nouns; adverbs follow verbs or adjectives.