Pompa de aer este lângă acvariu.

to be

Breakdown of Pompa de aer este lângă acvariu.

• lângă: next to
• acvariul: the aquarium
• pompa de aer: the air pump

Questions & Answers about Pompa de aer este lângă acvariu.

Why is pompa used instead of a separate word for the?

In Romanian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

So:

• pompă = pump
• pompa = the pump

This is very common in Romanian. With many feminine nouns ending in -ă, the definite singular form changes that ending to -a:

• o pompă = a pump
• pompa = the pump

So Pompa de aer starts with the air pump, not just air pump.

What does de aer mean here, and why is de used?

De aer literally means of air, but in natural English we translate pompa de aer as air pump.

Romanian often uses this pattern:

• noun + de + noun

where English often uses a compound noun instead.

Examples:

• pompă de aer = air pump
• pompă de apă = water pump
• sticlă de vin = bottle of wine

Also, aer stays in its basic form here. Romanian does not need an article in this kind of expression.

Why is the verb este included? Can Romanian leave out is?