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Cerul este frumos azi.

Cerul este frumos azi.
The sky is beautiful today.
FromLesson 8inHardcore Romanian

Breakdown of Cerul este frumos azi.

a fi
to be
azi
today
frumos
beautiful
cerul
the sky

Questions & Answers about Cerul este frumos azi.

What is Cerul?
Cerul is the definite form of cer (sky). The suffix -ul is the masculine singular definite article, so Cerul literally means the sky.
Why is the article attached to the noun instead of standing alone?

Romanian uses enclitic definite articles for most nouns.

  • Masculine singular: -ul (cer → cerul)
  • Feminine singular: -a (floare → floarea)
    The article attaches to the end rather than appearing as a separate word.
What is este?
Este is the third-person singular present tense of a fi (to be). In English it corresponds to is.
Can este be shortened?

Yes. In everyday speech and informal writing you often hear or see e instead of este:
Cerul e frumos azi.

What role does frumos play here?
Frumos is an adjective meaning beautiful. In this sentence it describes the subject Cerul, so it’s a predicative adjective.
Why is the adjective frumos not frumoasă?

Adjectives in Romanian agree with the noun’s gender and number.

  • Cer is masculine singular → adjective takes masculine singular form frumos.
  • Frumoasă would be feminine singular (e.g. floare frumoasă).
Why is the adjective placed after the noun?
After the copula este, predicative adjectives normally follow the noun. Romanian word order is flexible, but the pattern Subject + Copula + Adjective is very common.
What does azi mean, and can I use astăzi instead?

Azi means today. Astăzi is a slightly more formal or literary variant, but both are correct:

  • Cerul este frumos azi.
  • Cerul este frumos astăzi.
Can I move azi to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Placing the time adverb first adds emphasis on today:
Azi cerul este frumos.
You can also say: Cerul azi este frumos, though it’s less common.

How do you pronounce Cerul este frumos azi?

In IPA you can render it as:
[ˈt͡ʃe.rul ˈes.te fruˈmos aˈzi]
Stress falls on the first syllable of cerul (ˈt͡ʃe-) and on the second syllable of azi (-ˈzi).

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