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Questions & Answers about Acest tren este rapid.
What is the function of the word acest in the sentence?
Acest is a demonstrative adjective meaning this. It modifies tren (train) and agrees with it in gender (masculine) and number (singular).
Why is the adjective rapid placed after the noun instead of before it?
In Romanian, attributive adjectives most often follow the noun they describe. Some adjectives can precede for stylistic or emphatic reasons, but the unmarked order is noun → adjective, hence tren rapid.
Why isn’t there an article like un (a) or the in the sentence?
Because the demonstrative adjective acest already fulfills the role of specifying which train we’re talking about. You do not combine a separate article (un, unul, the) with acest.
Why does rapid not change its ending here?
Masculine singular adjectives in Romanian often end in a consonant (or the vowel -u/-e) and remain unchanged. If the noun were feminine singular, the form would be rapidă, and masculine plural would be rapizi.
Could we contract este to e, as in casual speech?
Yes. Informally, the 3rd-person singular of a fi (to be) is frequently shortened, so you can say Acest tren e rapid without changing the meaning.
How would you say “This train is faster than that one”?
Use mai before the adjective and decât after it: Acest tren este mai rapid decât celălalt.
Is there a difference between Acest tren este rapid and Trenul acesta este rapid?
Both sentences mean “this train is fast.” The second form, Trenul acesta, puts a tiny bit more emphasis on trenul (the train) and can sound slightly more emphatic or formal, but they are interchangeable in everyday use.