Ne descurcăm cu această problemă.

We cope with this problem.

Breakdown of Ne descurcăm cu această problemă.

• cu: with
• problema: the problem
• această: this
• a se descurca: to manage; cope

Questions & Answers about Ne descurcăm cu această problemă.

What does ne mean in this sentence?

Ne is the unstressed reflexive/object form for us / ourselves.

In Ne descurcăm, it goes with the verb a se descurca, which is very often used reflexively. So the idea is not just we manage, but more literally we manage ourselves / we cope.

For a se descurca, the reflexive pronoun changes by person:

• mă descurc = I manage
• te descurci = you manage
• se descurcă = he/she manages
• ne descurcăm = we manage
• vă descurcați = you all / you polite manage
• se descurcă = they manage

Is a se descurca always reflexive?

Very often, yes, especially in the common meaning to manage, to cope, to get by, to handle things.

So:

• Mă descurc. = I can manage.
• Ne descurcăm. = We can manage / We’re coping.

Romanian uses the reflexive form here where English usually does not.

There are also non-reflexive uses of a descurca, but for a learner, the important everyday pattern is the reflexive one: a se descurca.

Why is the verb descurcăm and what person is it?