Stingătorul este sub scaun.

to be

Breakdown of Stingătorul este sub scaun.

• scaunul: the chair
• sub: under
• stingătorul: the fire extinguisher

Questions & Answers about Stingătorul este sub scaun.

Why does stingătorul end in -ul?

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

• stingător = extinguisher
• stingătorul = the extinguisher

So -ul here is the masculine/neuter singular definite article.

What does este mean here?

Este means is. It is the 3rd person singular present form of a fi = to be.

So the sentence structure is:

• Stingătorul = the extinguisher
• este = is
• sub scaun = under the chair / under a chair, depending on context

Can I say e instead of este?

Yes. In everyday Romanian, e is a very common short form of este.

So both are correct:

• Stingătorul este sub scaun.
• Stingătorul e sub scaun.

Este sounds a little fuller or more careful; e is more conversational.

Why is it and not ?