Breakdown of Televizorul este închis, dar putem asculta muzicianul la telefon.
a fi
to be
la
on
telefonul
the phone
dar
but
a putea
to be able to
închis
closed
a asculta
to listen
televizorul
the television
muzicianul
the musician
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Questions & Answers about Televizorul este închis, dar putem asculta muzicianul la telefon.
Why is televizorul used instead of just televizor or un televizor?
Romanian expresses the definite article by attaching it to the noun. televizorul means “the TV.” If you said televizor by itself, it would be indefinite (“a TV”). Here we want to say “the TV is off,” so we use the definite form.
Why does it use este închis to mean “is turned off”?
In Romanian, închis (literally “closed”) is used for devices to indicate they are off. Televizorul este închis = “The TV is off/turned off.” You can also say Televizorul este oprit; both are acceptable, though închis is more common for electronics.
Can we say Televizorul e închis instead of este închis?
Yes. e is the contracted (colloquial) form of este (third person singular of a fi). It’s perfectly fine in spoken and informal written Romanian: Televizorul e închis.
What’s the difference between închis and oprit for devices?
- închis literally means “closed” and is commonly used for electronics (TV, radio).
- oprit means “stopped” or “shut off” and can apply to machines or actions (engine, lights), but it’s also acceptable for electronics.
Why do we use putem asculta instead of simply ascultăm?
putem asculta = “we can listen.” The verb a putea (to be able) + infinitive expresses ability or permission. ascultăm without putem would be “we are listening.” The sentence emphasizes that although the TV is off, we can (still) listen to the musician on the phone.
How does the construction putem + infinitive work in Romanian?
Conjugate a putea (to be able) and follow it with an infinitive verb:
• eu pot merge
• tu poți vorbi
• noi putem asculta
This parallels English “can” + verb.
Why is muzicianul used here? Could we drop the article?
muzicianul means “the musician.” We’re referring to a specific musician. Dropping the article (muzician) would be ungrammatical if you intend “the musician.” To speak generally, you’d use the plural muzicieni (“musicians”).
What does la telefon mean? Why use la?
la telefon literally “at/to the phone” functions like English “on the phone.” It describes the medium being used. In Romanian you say a vorbi la telefon or a asculta la telefon.
Could we say pe telefon or prin telefon instead?
• prin telefon (“through the phone”) is also correct and common: putem asculta muzicianul prin telefon.
• pe telefon is not standard. Stick with la telefon or prin telefon.
Is the comma before dar necessary?
Yes. In Romanian, when dar (but) links two independent clauses, a comma is required:
Televizorul este închis, dar putem asculta muzicianul la telefon.