Learn Hardcore Romanian: De ce copiii mănâncă doar fructe?

de ce is the standard Romanian phrase for why. You use it to ask about the reason or cause of something. Unlike pentru ce (“for what”), which asks about purpose or intention, de ce asks for an explanation of a fact or action.

Why is copiii spelled with double i at the end?

Romanian marks the definite article on plural nouns by adding -i (for masculine/feminine nouns ending in a vowel). The indefinite plural of copil (“child”) is copii (“children”), and adding the plural definite article gives copiii (“the children”).

Why is there no article before fructe?

Here fructe is an indefinite plural noun referring to fruits in general. In Romanian, when you speak about a category or unspecified items in the plural, you normally omit the article. If you wanted to say “some fruits,” you could use niște fructe. If you wanted “the fruits,” you’d say fructele.

Why is doar placed before fructe, and what does it modify?

doar means only. It always goes immediately before the word or phrase it limits. Since it comes before fructe, the sentence means “eat only fruits.” If you wrote Doar copiii mănâncă fructe, doar would modify copiii, meaning “only the children eat fruits.”

Why is the verb mănâncă used here?

mănâncă is the third-person plural present-tense form of a mânca (“to eat”). Romanian verbs agree with their subjects in person and number. Because copiii is third-person plural, you use mănâncă.

Can the word order be changed to De ce mănâncă copiii doar fructe?

Yes. Romanian allows both subject–verb (SVO) and verb–subject (VSO) orders in questions. De ce mănâncă copiii doar fructe? is perfectly correct. Placing the verb first can sound slightly more formal or put extra emphasis on the action.

What difference does it make if I say fructele instead of fructe?

Using fructele (the definite plural) specifies particular fruits: “De ce copiii mănâncă doar fructele?” means “Why do the children eat only those fruits?” Without the article, fructe remains general: “Why do the children eat only fruits (in general)?”

Can I use numai instead of doar?

Yes. numai is a synonym of doar and works the same way:
De ce copiii mănâncă numai fructe?
The meaning stays “only.”

Why can’t I use pentru ce to ask “why”?

pentru ce literally means “for what (purpose).” It’s used when you ask about a goal, especially before an infinitive (e.g., Pentru ce să învăț? – “What should I study for?”). To ask “why” something happens, you must use de ce.

How could I answer De ce copiii mănâncă doar fructe? in Romanian?

You can start your answer with Pentru că (“because”). For example:

Pentru că le plac fructele. – “Because they like fruits.”
Pentru că sunt sănătoase. – “Because they are healthy.”
Pentru că nu le plac legumele. – “Because they don’t like vegetables.”