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Questions & Answers about Oaspetele este la ușă acum.
What does the -le at the end of oaspetele indicate?
The -le is the enclitic definite article for masculine singular nouns in Romanian. It turns oaspete (guest) into oaspetele, meaning the guest in English.
Why doesn’t ușă have an article (why not ușa)?
When you use the preposition la (“at”), you cannot add the enclitic definite article to the noun. So la ușă literally means at door, which we translate as at the door. Adding -a to make ușa would be like saying at the-the door.
What role does la play in la ușă?
la is a preposition meaning at (or to). Here it marks location: la ușă = at the door.
Can I say Oaspetele e la ușă acum instead of este?
Yes. In everyday speech, este is often contracted to e. Both Oaspetele este la ușă acum and Oaspetele e la ușă acum are correct.
Can I place acum somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes. The most neutral spot is at the end, but you can also start with Acum for emphasis:
- Oaspetele este la ușă acum.
- Acum oaspetele este la ușă.
Both are grammatically correct; the difference is in what you emphasize.
How would I say “A guest is at the door now” (indefinite)?
Use the indefinite article un before oaspete:
Un oaspete este la ușă acum.
How do I turn this into a yes/no question?
Two common ways:
1) Invert subject and verb:
Este oaspetele la ușă acum?
2) Keep the order and use rising intonation:
Oaspetele este la ușă acum?
How do I pronounce the ș in ușă?
The letter ș is pronounced like “sh” in English shoe. So ușă sounds like oo-shə.
How do I pronounce the ă in ușă?
The ă is a schwa sound, like the a in the second syllable of English sofa. Thus ușă = oo-shə.
Where is the stress in oaspetele?
Stress falls on the penultimate syllable: oas-PE-te-le.