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Questions & Answers about El este profesor la școală.
Why is there no article before profesor?
In Romanian, when you state someone's profession after a fi (to be), you typically omit the article. So El este profesor simply means “He is a teacher.” You would only add un if you follow it with an adjective (e.g., El este un profesor bun).
What does este mean and can we use e instead?
Este is the 3rd-person singular present form of a fi (“to be”). In everyday speech, it’s common to contract it to e, giving El e profesor la școală. Both versions are correct; e is just more informal.
Why do we say la școală instead of în școală?
The preposition la + location is used for general places or institutions where one works or studies: la școală, la facultate, la serviciu. You’d use în (in) if you want to emphasize being physically inside the building: El stă în școală (“He is inside the school”).
Can we drop the pronoun El?
Yes. Romanian verb endings usually indicate the subject, so Este profesor la școală is perfectly correct. You include El only to emphasize or clarify who you mean.
How do I pronounce ș in școală?
The letter ș is pronounced like the English “sh” in show. Thus, școală sounds roughly like “SHCOH-luh.”
Why isn’t școală marked with the definite article here?
Here la școală is a fixed expression meaning “at school” in general. If you wanted “at the school,” you would say la școala (e.g., La școala din sat – “At the village school”). But for the general concept of being “at school,” you use la școală without the article.