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Questions & Answers about Eu sunt aici.
Do I have to say eu in Romanian, or can I drop it?
In Romanian, the verb ending already shows the subject, so you can often omit eu unless you want to emphasize or clarify who is doing the action.
- Eu sunt aici and Sunt aici both mean "I am here."
- Use eu when you really want to stress "I" (not someone else).
What is the verb sunt, and where does it come from?
Sunt is the first-person singular present tense of the irregular verb a fi ("to be"). It corresponds to English "I am."
The main present-tense forms are:
- eu sunt (I am)
- tu ești (you are)
- el/ea este (he/she is)
…and so on.
How do I pronounce sunt correctly?
Pronounce sunt as [sunt]:
- s like in "snake"
- u like the "oo" in "put" (short)
- n and t as in English
Keep it fairly short and crisp.
What does aici mean, and is there an opposite?
Aici means "here," indicating a location near the speaker. The opposite is acolo, meaning "there" (further away). You can use them with este or other verbs to point places:
- Aici este casa = "Here is the house"
- Casa este acolo = "The house is there"
Can I change the word order for emphasis, for example say Aici sunt eu?
Yes. Romanian word order is quite flexible.
- Eu sunt aici = neutral statement ("I am here")
- Aici sunt eu = emphasizes "here" ("It is here that I am!")
- Sunt eu aici? (with rising intonation) = conveys surprise or a question ("Am I here?!")
How do I form the negative of this sentence?
Place nu before the verb:
- Eu nu sunt aici = "I am not here."
You can still omit the pronoun: Nu sunt aici.