Understanding Adjective Agreement in Romanian
In Romanian, adjectives are special words that describe or give more information about nouns. Just like how we dress up dolls to match the occasion, adjectives need to match the nouns they describe. This is called adjective agreement.
What Does Adjective Agreement Mean?
Adjective agreement means that the adjective must change its form to match the noun in gender, number, and sometimes case. Romanian nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, and they can be singular or plural.
Important Points
- Gender: Adjectives change depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter.
- Number: Adjectives change if the noun is singular or plural.
- Case: Sometimes adjectives change depending on the noun's role in the sentence.
How Do Adjectives Change?
Adjectives have different endings to match the gender and number of the noun. Let's see how they change.
Important Points
- Masculine Singular: Usually, adjectives end in '-u' or '-e'.
- Masculine Plural: Adjectives often end in '-i'.
- Feminine Singular: Adjectives usually end in '-ă' or '-e'.
- Feminine Plural: Adjectives often end in '-e'.
- Neuter Singular: Adjectives often end like masculine singular.
- Neuter Plural: Adjectives often end like feminine plural.
Examples
- băiat frumos (handsome boy) - Masculine Singular
- băieți frumoși (handsome boys) - Masculine Plural
- fată frumoasă (beautiful girl) - Feminine Singular
- fete frumoase (beautiful girls) - Feminine Plural
Special Cases and Exceptions
Sometimes, adjectives have irregular forms or don't follow the usual rules. It's important to learn these exceptions as you practice.
Examples
- un mare oraș (a big city) - Neuter Singular
- două mari orașe (two big cities) - Neuter Plural
Remember, practice makes perfect! As you read and speak more Romanian, you'll get better at making adjectives match the nouns they describe.