Eu păstrez mâncarea în frigider.

I keep the food in the fridge.

Breakdown of Eu păstrez mâncarea în frigider.

• eu: I
• mâncarea: the food
• în: in
• frigiderul: the fridge
• a păstra: to keep

Questions & Answers about Eu păstrez mâncarea în frigider.

Why is the subject pronoun eu used here? Is it necessary?

In Romanian the verb ending -ez in păstrez already marks first-person singular (I), so the pronoun eu is optional. You include eu for emphasis or clarity, but you can also say simply:
Păstrez mâncarea în frigider.

What is the infinitive of păstrez and what does it mean?

The infinitive is a păstra, which means to keep, to preserve or to store. In this sentence it conveys storing food.

How is a păstra conjugated in the present tense?

Present-tense conjugation of a păstra:
• (eu) păstrez
• (tu) păstrezi
• (el/ea) păstrează
• (noi) păstrăm
• (voi) păstrați
• (ei/ele) păstrează

What’s the difference between a păstra and a ține?

Although both can translate as “to keep,”:

• a păstra focuses on preserving or storing something (e.g. păstrez mâncarea).
• a ține means to hold, to keep in one’s hand, or to maintain (e.g. țin o carte în mână).

Why does mâncare become mâncarea? How does the article work?

Romanian attaches the definite article as a suffix. For a feminine noun like mâncare, the suffix is -a.
• mâncare = “food” (indefinite)
• mâncarea = “the food” (definite)

Why is there no article on frigider? In English we say “the fridge,” but here we have în frigider.

When indicating location with în, Romanian normally omits the article suffix on a common noun.
• în frigider = “in the fridge”
You would only add the suffix if you need to specify exactly which fridge, e.g. în frigiderul de la etaj.

Can I say la frigider instead of în frigider?

Use la to mean “at” or “by,” and în to mean “inside.”
• la frigider = “at/by the fridge”
• în frigider = “inside the fridge”

How do you pronounce the Romanian letter ă in păstrez, and where is the stress in frigider?

• ă is the mid-central vowel [ə], like the ‘a’ in English sofa.
• păstrez = [pəˈstrez], stress on the second syllable.
• frigider = [friˈgidər], stress on the penultimate syllable.

How would you make the sentence negative (“I don’t keep the food in the fridge”)?

Place nu before the verb:
Eu nu păstrez mâncarea în frigider.