Breakdown of Biletul de metrou este ieftin.
a fi
to be
metroul
the subway
de
of
ieftin
cheap
biletul
the ticket
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Questions & Answers about Biletul de metrou este ieftin.
What does biletul mean?
It means the ticket. It’s derived from bilet plus the definite-article suffix -ul, marking masculine singular.
How is the definite article formed in Romanian?
In Romanian, the definite article is a suffix attached to the noun. For masculine singular nouns it’s -ul or -l (bilet → biletul), for feminine singular -a, and for plurals -ii or -le, depending on gender.
What is the function of de in biletul de metrou?
It links two nouns to show type or purpose. Biletul de metrou literally means ticket of metro, which translates as metro ticket.
Why isn't metrou using a definite article (i.e. metroul) after de?
After prepositions like de, nouns remain in their base (indefinite) form, so you say de metrou, not de metroul.
Could you use la instead of de (“biletul la metrou”)?
No. Biletul de metrou is the standard expression for subway ticket. La would imply location (ticket at the metro station), not the ticket’s type.
What does este mean here?
Este is the third-person singular present form of a fi (to be), so it means is.
Why does the adjective ieftin come after the noun?
Descriptive adjectives in Romanian typically follow the noun they modify. So biletul ieftin means the cheap ticket.
How does ieftin agree with biletul?
It matches in gender (masculine) and number (singular). Romanian adjectives agree with the nouns they describe.
How would you make this sentence plural?
You change the nouns, verb, and adjective accordingly:
Biletele de metrou sunt ieftine.
(Definite plural: biletele for the tickets, sunt for are, ieftine for cheap.)
How do you say “a subway ticket is cheap” (indefinite)?
Use the indefinite article un:
Un bilet de metrou este ieftin.
What gender is metrou, and how do you form its plural?
Metrou is neuter (behaves like masculine in singular, feminine in plural). Its plural is metouri.