Breakdown of Ușa este închisă, dar geamul este deschis.
a fi
to be
dar
but
ușa
the door
închis
closed
geamul
the window
deschis
open
Questions & Answers about Ușa este închisă, dar geamul este deschis.
Why does închisă end with -ă while deschis ends with -s?
Because Romanian adjectives agree in gender and number with their nouns. Ușa is feminine singular, so its adjective form is închisă (feminine singular ending -ă). Geamul is masculine singular, so it takes the masculine form deschis (no vowel ending beyond the consonant).
Why do we write ușa and geamul with -a and -ul at the end of the noun?
Romanian uses enclitic definite articles: you attach them to the noun.
• ușă (door) + -a = ușa (the door)
• geam (windowpane) + -ul = geamul (the windowpane)
Is Ușa este închisă a passive-voice construction like “the door is being closed”?
No. Here este functions as the copula “to be,” linking the subject to a state adjective. It simply describes the current state: “the door is closed,” not an ongoing action.
Can I say Ușa e închisă, dar geamul e deschis instead of using este?
Yes. In everyday speech and informal writing, este is often contracted to e:
Ușa e închisă, dar geamul e deschis.
How do I pronounce the letters ă, ș, and î in ușa este închisă?
• ă = schwa [ə], like the “a” in English sofa
• ș = [ʃ], like “sh” in shoe
• î = [ɨ], a close central vowel (no exact English equivalent; somewhat like the “i” in roses but more central)
Why is închisă spelled with î at the beginning instead of â?
Orthographic rules dictate that î appears at the start or end of words, while â is used only in the interior. Both letters represent the same sound, so închisă uses î because it begins the word.
Why do we use geam here instead of fereastră?
Geam refers specifically to the glass pane or opening; fereastră denotes the entire window unit (frame plus glass). You choose based on what you mean.
Is the comma before dar necessary in Ușa este închisă, dar geamul este deschis?
Yes. In Romanian you typically place a comma before dar when it introduces a contrasting clause.
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