Unde este mărul?

Where is the apple?

Breakdown of Unde este mărul?

• a fi: to be
• unde: where
• mărul: the apple

Questions & Answers about Unde este mărul?

Why does Romanian attach the article to the noun in mărul instead of using a separate word as in English?

In Romanian the definite article is a suffix (enclitic). For masculine singular nouns ending in a consonant the ending is -ul. So măr + -ul = mărul.

How would I say where an apple is using an indefinite article?

Use the indefinite article un before the noun without any suffix:
Unde este un măr?

What does este mean and why might I hear just e?

este is the third person singular present of a fi (to be). In informal speech este often contracts to e, so you will hear Unde e mărul?. In writing and formal contexts use este.

Can I say Unde-i mărul??

Yes. In colloquial Romanian -i replaces este, so Unde-i mărul? is a common spoken form.

How do I pronounce Unde este mărul??

Approximate phonetic transcription: /ˈunde ˈeste məˈrul/.

• ă is a schwa, like the ‘a’ in about.
• The n before d merges into a single [nd] sound.