English packs the existence of something into a fixed formula: there is a shop here, there are many problems. That little there is a placeholder that means nothing locational at all — it's a grammatical decoy. Romanian doesn't use one. To say something exists, you just put a fi ("to be") first and let it agree with what exists: Este un magazin aici (There's a shop here). This page covers existential a fi, the verbs a exista and a se afla, and how to keep them apart from plain locative a fi.
"There is / there are" = inverted a fi
The standard way to express existence is the verb a fi placed before the thing that exists, with no equivalent of English there:
- singular → Este / E (there is)
- plural → Sunt (there are)
Este un magazin chiar după colț.
There's a shop right around the corner.
Sunt multe probleme cu proiectul ăsta.
There are many problems with this project.
E cineva la ușă.
There's someone at the door.
The verb agrees in number with the existing entity: one shop → este/e, many problems → sunt. There is no dummy word at all. Este un magazin literally reads "is a shop," and that is the complete, idiomatic sentence.
Word order: verb first
Existential sentences are verb-initial. This is also how you form existential questions — keep a fi at the front:
Este cineva acasă?
Is anyone home? / Is there anyone home?
Sunt bilete la concertul de sâmbătă?
Are there tickets for Saturday's concert?
Nu este nicio problemă, te ajut cu plăcere.
There's no problem at all, I'll gladly help.
In the negative, a fi combines with the negative determiner niciun / nicio, which is itself singular: Nu este niciun motiv ("There's no reason"), Nu este nicio problemă ("There's no problem at all"). For a plain plural "there aren't any…" you drop the determiner and let sunt agree with a bare plural noun: Nu sunt bilete ("There aren't any tickets").
Agreement: Sunt trei cărți
Because a fi agrees with the existing noun, plurals trigger sunt, including with numbers:
Sunt trei cărți pe birou.
There are three books on the desk.
Erau prea mulți oameni la metrou azi-dimineață.
There were too many people on the subway this morning.
Vor fi schimbări mari anul viitor.
There will be big changes next year.
The tense follows the meaning: erau (there were), vor fi (there will be). The pattern stays verb-first across all tenses.
Existential a fi vs. locative a fi
This is the distinction to keep clear. The same verb a fi can be existential ("there is X") or locative ("X is located somewhere"). The difference is word order and what's already known:
- Existential: introduces something new; verb comes first. Este o pisică în grădină — "There's a cat in the garden."
- Locative: says where a known thing is; the subject comes first. Pisica este în grădină — "The cat is in the garden."
| Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Existential (verb first) | Este o pisică în grădină. | There's a cat in the garden. |
| Locative (subject first) | Pisica este în grădină. | The cat is in the garden. |
| Existential (verb first) | Sunt scaune libere? | Are there any free seats? |
| Locative (subject first) | Scaunele sunt libere. | The chairs are free. |
Cartea este pe masă, unde ai lăsat-o.
The book is on the table, where you left it.
Pe masă este o carte pe care n-o cunosc.
On the table there's a book I don't recognize.
The indefinite article (o carte, un magazin) is a strong signal of the existential reading; a definite noun (cartea, pisica) tends toward the locative one.
a exista — to exist (formal)
A exista is the more formal, explicit verb "to exist." It is common in writing, argumentation, and careful speech, often where English would still say "there is/are." It conjugates fully and agrees with its subject.
Există soluții, trebuie doar să le căutăm.
There are solutions; we just have to look for them. (formal)
Nu există dovezi care să-i susțină teoria.
There is no evidence to support his theory. (formal/academic)
Au existat dintotdeauna astfel de dispute.
Such disputes have always existed.
In everyday speech Este/Sunt is more frequent; există lends a tone of statement-of-fact and is the default in academic and journalistic register.
a se afla — to be located / to be found (formal)
A se afla (reflexive) means "to be situated / to be found / to be located." It is a formal, slightly elevated alternative to locative a fi, common in guidebooks, official descriptions, and news.
Muzeul se află în centrul vechi al orașului.
The museum is located in the old town center. (formal)
Documentele se aflau în sertarul de jos.
The documents were in the bottom drawer.
În prezent, președintele se află într-o vizită oficială.
The president is currently on an official visit. (formal/news)
In casual conversation you would simply say Muzeul e în centru; se află signals a more formal register.
Common Mistakes
❌ Acolo este un magazin după colț.
Incorrect for existential meaning — 'acolo' means literal 'over there', not 'there is'.
✅ Este un magazin după colț.
There's a shop around the corner.
❌ Este multe probleme cu proiectul.
Incorrect — the verb must agree with the plural noun.
✅ Sunt multe probleme cu proiectul.
There are many problems with the project.
❌ It este cineva la ușă.
Incorrect — no English-style dummy subject before existential 'a fi'.
✅ Este cineva la ușă.
There's someone at the door.
❌ Acolo sunt trei cărți pe birou.
Misleading — 'acolo' adds a literal 'over there'; for plain 'there are' drop it.
✅ Sunt trei cărți pe birou.
There are three books on the desk.
❌ Pisica este o în grădină.
Incorrect word order — for 'the cat is in the garden' the subject comes first with no article on it.
✅ Pisica este în grădină.
The cat is in the garden.
Key Takeaways
- Existential "there is/are" is just inverted a fi: Este… (singular) / Sunt… (plural), verb first, with no word for "there."
- Acolo means literal, physical "(over) there" — never use it to render existential English there.
- A fi agrees with the existing noun: Sunt trei cărți, Erau mulți oameni.
- Verb-first = existential ("there's a cat"); subject-first = locative ("the cat is…").
- A exista (formal "to exist") and a se afla (formal "to be located") are register-marked alternatives; everyday speech leans on plain Este/Sunt.
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