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Questions & Answers about Mâncarea este bună.
What part of speech is este and what does it do in this sentence?
Este is the third-person singular present form of the verb a fi (to be). In this sentence it acts as a linking verb (copula), connecting the subject mâncarea (the food) to the adjective bună (good).
Why is the adjective bună and not bun?
In Romanian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Mâncarea is feminine singular, so the adjective must also be feminine singular. The masculine form is bun, the feminine adds -ă to become bună.
What is the structure of mâncarea and why is it not just mâncare?
Mâncarea = mâncare (food) + the enclitic definite article -a, because in Romanian definite articles attach to the end of the noun.
- mâncare = food (indefinite)
- mâncarea = the food (definite)
How would you say “food is good” without the definite article?
You would say Mâncare bună or more naturally O mâncare bună, where o is the feminine singular indefinite article.
- Mâncare bună (Good food – generic statement)
- O mâncare bună (A good food / A good meal)
Why can’t you use bine instead of bună here?
Bine is an adverb meaning “well.” It modifies verbs, not nouns. To describe a noun (food) you need an adjective, which here is bună (“good”).
How do you turn this into a yes/no question in Romanian?
Two common ways:
- Swap verb and subject: Este mâncarea bună?
- Keep order and use rising intonation: Mâncarea este bună?
Both are understood, but the first is stylistically more standard for direct questions.
What’s with the letters â and ă in mâncarea? How do you pronounce them?
- â (or î) represents the close central unrounded vowel /ɨ/, pronounced somewhere between the English i in roses and u in burn. In mâncare, the â is in the first syllable: M-î-n-.
- ă is the mid-central vowel /ə/, like the a in English about, and appears in the last syllable of mâncare only when the suffix -a (the definite article) attaches, making mâncăr-e-a with a reduced vowel on the final ă.
How would you negate the sentence Mâncarea este bună?
Insert nu before the verb: Mâncarea nu este bună.
Colloquially you might also hear Mâncarea nu-i bună, where i is the clitic form of este.
Can you contract nu este in formal Romanian?
No. Formal writing and speech keep nu este separate. Contraction to nu-i is considered colloquial and is used in informal conversation.