Muzica este bună.

The music is good.

Breakdown of Muzica este bună.

• a fi: to be
• bun: good
• muzica: the music

Questions & Answers about Muzica este bună.

Why does the noun “muzica” end in -a?

In Romanian the definite article is attached to the end of the noun. The base form is muzică (music), and adding -a makes it muzica, meaning “the music.” Feminine singular nouns form the definite by adding -a.

What is the gender and number of “muzica”?

“Muzica” is feminine singular. In its indefinite form it’s muzică (feminine sg.), and in the definite it becomes muzica.

How does the adjective “bună” agree with “muzica”?

Romanian adjectives must match the noun’s gender and number. Since “muzica” is feminine singular, the adjective is bună (fem. sg. of bun). If it were masculine singular you’d use bun, and feminine plural would be bune.

Why is “bună” used instead of “bine”?

“bună” is an adjective describing the noun muzica. “bine” is an adverb that modifies verbs.
• Adjective: Muzica este bună.
• Adverb: Muzica sună bine. (“The music sounds good.”)

Can I drop “este” and say “Muzica e bună”?

Yes. e is the colloquial, contracted form of este (3rd person singular of a fi “to be”). So both are correct:
• Muzica este bună. (formal)
• Muzica e bună. (casual)
Very informal speech may use Muzica-i bună, where -i is an even shorter clitic.

How do I form a question from this sentence?

You can invert word order or simply raise your intonation:
• Este muzica bună?
• Muzica este bună?
Both mean “Is the music good?”

Can I invert to “Bună este muzica”?

You can, but it sounds poetic or marked for emphasis. The normal order is Subject–Verb–Predicate: Muzica este bună.

How is “Muzica este bună” pronounced?

Phonetically:
mu-ˈzi-tsa | ˈes-te | ˈbu-nə
• u as in “put”
• zi = [zi]
• final ă = [ə], a neutral “uh” sound

What would the plural form be?

Indefinite plural of muzică is muzici, definite plural is muzicile.
The sentence becomes:
“Muzicile sunt bune.” (“The pieces of music are good.”)
• sunt = they are (3rd person plural of a fi)
• bune = feminine plural of bun

How do Romanian articles compare to English?

• English uses preposed articles: a book / the book.
• Romanian has a preposed indefinite article (un băiat, o carte) but a postposed definite article: băiatul, cartea.
In our example, muzică (music) + -a → muzica (the music).