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Learn Hardcore Romanian: Contul de serviciu este nou. - The work account is new.

Hardcore Romanian
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/Contul de serviciu este nou.

Contul de serviciu este nou.

Contul de serviciu este nou.

The work account is new.

Breakdown of Contul de serviciu este nou.

contul de serviciu

the work account

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Questions & Answers about Contul de serviciu este nou.

Why is contul written as one word, and what does -ul mean?

In Romanian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun, not written as a separate word like English the.

So:

cont = account
contul = the account

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

Compare:

un cont = an account
contul = the account

So Contul de serviciu means the service/work account.

What does de serviciu mean here?

de serviciu is a prepositional phrase meaning something like:

for work
work-related
service
sometimes official/work account, depending on context

Literally:

de = of / for
serviciu = service / work / job / duty, depending on context

In this sentence, de serviciu describes what kind of account it is. English often uses a noun before another noun, as in work account or service account, but Romanian commonly uses de + noun for this idea.

So:

cont de serviciu = work account / service account
contul de serviciu = the work account / the service account

Why doesn’t serviciu have an article too?

Because in this structure, de serviciu functions like a descriptive phrase after the main noun.

The main noun is:

contul = the account

Then de serviciu tells us what kind of account it is.

Romanian normally does not add a definite article to the second noun in this kind of pattern:

cont de serviciu = service account
not usually cont de serviciul

So only the main noun gets the article here.

Why is este used? Can Romanian leave out is like some other languages?

Here este is the verb to be in the 3rd person singular:

este = is

Romanian normally keeps the verb to be in sentences like this:

Contul de serviciu este nou. = The service account is new.

You generally cannot omit it in standard Romanian.

In everyday speech, people often use the shorter form:

e instead of este

So these both work:

Contul de serviciu este nou.
Contul de serviciu e nou.

The second sounds a bit more conversational.

Why is it nou and not nouă?

Because nou has to agree with the noun it describes.

cont is a masculine noun (more exactly, Romanian calls it masculine; as an inanimate noun it also behaves like neuter in some contexts, but in the singular here it takes masculine forms). So the adjective is:

nou = masculine singular

Compare:

cont nou = new account
carte nouă = new book (feminine singular)
conturi noi = new accounts (plural)

So in Contul de serviciu este nou, the adjective matches contul, which is singular and masculine in form.

Why isn’t it noul?

Because nou is a predicate adjective here, not an adjective placed directly before or after the noun inside the noun phrase.

In this sentence:

Contul de serviciu = the subject
este nou = the predicate, meaning is new

After este, adjectives usually appear in their normal form, without a definite article:

Contul este nou. = The account is new.

You would use noul when the adjective is part of a definite noun phrase, such as:

noul cont = the new account

So:

contul este nou = the account is new
noul cont = the new account

Is the word order normal in this sentence?

Yes. This is the standard, neutral Romanian word order:

Contul de serviciu — subject
este — verb
nou — adjective/complement

So it follows the basic pattern:

Subject + verb + complement

Romanian word order is somewhat flexible, but this version is the most natural and straightforward.

A different order is possible for emphasis, but it would sound marked rather than neutral.

Could I also say Contul de serviciu e nou?

Yes. That is completely natural in everyday Romanian.

este = more full/formal/neutral
e = shorter and more conversational

Both mean exactly the same thing:

Contul de serviciu este nou.
Contul de serviciu e nou.

How is Contul de serviciu este nou pronounced?

A simple approximate pronunciation for an English speaker is:

KON-tool deh ser-VEE-chew ES-teh noh-oo

A few notes:

contul: the o is a clear short o, and ul is pronounced, not silent.
serviciu: the ending -ciu sounds roughly like chew.
este: pronounced ES-te.
nou: sounds like noh-oo, with a glide; not exactly like English no.

If you want a more IPA-like guide:

Contul de serviciu este nou ≈ /ˈkontul de serˈvit͡ʃju ˈeste now/

What is the basic dictionary form of the words in this sentence?

The dictionary forms are:

cont = account
serviciu = service / job / work / duty
a fi = to be
nou = new

The sentence uses these forms:

contul = cont
- definite article
este = 3rd person singular of a fi
nou = adjective agreeing with contul

Does serviciu always mean service?

No. serviciu is a flexible word, and its meaning depends on context. It can mean:

service
job
work
duty
office/service function

That is why de serviciu can have slightly different translations depending on the situation.

For example, in one context:

telefon de serviciu = work phone

In another:

mașină de serviciu = company car / work car

And here:

cont de serviciu = work account / service account

So you should think of de serviciu as a common Romanian way to say used for work or associated with work/service.

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