Learn Hardcore Romanian: Este rece azi, așa că bem apă caldă. - It is cold today, so we drink warm water.

Este is the full, formal present‐tense form of the verb a fi (“to be”). E is its colloquial contraction, common in speech and informal writing. Both mean “it is,” but este is preferred in more formal contexts.

What does azi mean, and can I use astăzi instead?

Azi and astăzi both mean today. Azi is shorter and more frequent in everyday conversation. Astăzi is slightly more formal or emphatic and often appears in written texts. You can use them interchangeably.

What is the role of așa că in this sentence?

Așa că is a coordinating conjunction meaning so or therefore. It links the reason (it’s cold today) with the result (we drink warm water). You could also say deci (“so”) but așa că is very common in spoken Romanian.

Why is there a comma before așa că?

In Romanian, when you join two independent clauses with conjunctions like așa că, you normally place a comma before the conjunction. It marks the shift from cause to effect.

Why do we say bem apă caldă? Who is drinking?

Bem is the first person plural of a bea (“to drink”), meaning we drink or we are drinking. Using we is common in Romanian to talk about actions you do together or habits. If you wanted to say I drink, you’d use bem → (eu) beau apă caldă.

Why is it apă caldă and not caldă apă?

Romanian adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. So apă (noun) comes first and caldă (adjective) follows. Placing the adjective before the noun is possible for poetic emphasis, but normal word order is noun → adjective.

Why does caldă end with -ă?

Apă is a feminine noun. Adjectives in Romanian must agree in gender and number with the noun. The feminine singular ending for this adjective is -ă, hence caldă.

How do I pronounce rece, așa că, apă caldă?

– rece: [ˈre.tʃe] (“REH-cheh”)
– așa că: [ˈa.ʃə kə] (“AH-shuh kuh”)
– apă caldă: [ˈa.pə ˈkal.də] (“AH-puh KAL-duh”)