Indiciul este sub masă.

to be

Breakdown of Indiciul este sub masă.

• masa: the table
• sub: under
• indiciul: the clue

Questions & Answers about Indiciul este sub masă.

Why is it indiciul and not indiciu?

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• indiciu = clue
• indiciul = the clue

So -l / -ul here is the attached definite article. With nouns ending in -u, you often see the definite form written with -ul.

A useful extra point: indiciu is a neuter noun. In the singular, Romanian neuter nouns behave like masculine nouns, which is why this ending looks like a masculine-type definite form.

If I wanted to say a clue instead of the clue, what would I use?

You would say un indiciu.

• un indiciu = a clue
• indiciul = the clue

Because indiciu is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns behave like masculine nouns in the singular, the indefinite article is un, not o.

Why is este used here? Can I say e instead?