Autobuzul este mai ieftin decât metroul.

to be

Breakdown of Autobuzul este mai ieftin decât metroul.

• metroul: the subway
• mai: more
• decât: than

Questions & Answers about Autobuzul este mai ieftin decât metroul.

What is the function of mai in mai ieftin?

Mai is the marker for the comparative degree in Romanian. When you put mai before an adjective, you’re saying “more + adjective” or “–er” in English. So mai ieftin literally means “more cheap,” i.e. “cheaper.”

Why do we use decât here instead of ca?

In standard Romanian, decât is the conjunction used after a comparative (mai … decât) to introduce the second element. Colloquially you might hear ca (“mai bun ca mine”), but the prescriptive, grammatically correct form is decât for inequalities.

What is the “-ul” ending on autobuzul and metroul?

Romanian marks the definite article as a suffix on the noun. For masculine singular nouns ending in a consonant or “-u,” you add -ul. Thus autobuz (a bus) becomes autobuzul (the bus), and metrou (a subway/train) becomes metroul (the subway).

Why is the adjective in the masculine form (ieftin) and not ieftină or another form?