Ana cere doar apă.

Ana asks for only water.

Breakdown of Ana cere doar apă.

• Ana: Ana
• apa: the water
• doar: only
• a cere: to ask

Questions & Answers about Ana cere doar apă.

Why isn’t there a preposition before apă?

In English you say “ask for water,” but in Romanian the verb a cere is direct-transitive. It takes a direct object without any preposition: • Subject (Ana) + verb (cere) + direct object (apă)
No pe, pentru or other preposition is needed.

Why is there no article before apă?

Because apă here is an uncountable, indefinite mass noun meaning “some water.” In Romanian: • Indefinite form (no article) = apă (“some water”)
• Definite form = apa (“the water”), used only when referring to specific water.

What does doar mean in this sentence, and can I use numai instead?

doar means “only” or “just,” limiting the request to water alone. You can replace it with the synonym numai: • Ana cere doar apă.
• Ana cere numai apă.
Both are correct; doar is slightly more common in spoken Romanian.

Can the position of doar change in the sentence?

Yes, but the emphasis shifts: • Ana cere doar apă. (Focus on what she asks for: only water, not other drinks.)
• Ana doar cere apă. (Focus on the action: she is merely asking for water, not doing something else.)
Putting doar after apă (e.g. Ana cere apă doar) is unusual and may sound awkward.

Why is the verb cere, and how is a cere conjugated in the present tense?

cere is the 3rd person singular present of a cere (“to ask for”). Present-tense conjugation: • eu cer
• tu ceri
• el/ea cere
• noi cerem
• voi cereți
• ei/ele cer

What’s the difference between a cere and a întreba, since both can translate as “to ask”?

• a cere = “to ask for something” (a request)
Example: Ea cere apă. (“She asks for water.”)
• a întreba = “to ask a question”
Example: Ea îl întreabă pe profesor. (“She asks the teacher [a question].”)

Could I use vrea instead of cere to say “Ana wants only water”?

Yes, but vrea (3rd person singular of a vrea) means “wants,” not “asks for.”
• Ana vrea doar apă. = “Ana only wants water.”
• Ana cere doar apă. = “Ana is asking just for water.”

What gender is apă, and what’s its plural form if I needed it?

apă is a feminine noun.
• Singular: apă
• Plural: ape
In practice, water is often treated as a mass noun, so you rarely use the plural except in specific contexts (e.g. ape minerale for “mineral waters”).