Learn Hardcore Romanian: Pădurea acoperită de zăpadă arată ca un munte alb. - The forest covered in snow looks like a white mountain.

Acoperită is the feminine singular past participle of the verb a acoperi (“to cover”), used here as an adjective. It ends in -ă to agree in gender (feminine) and number (singular) with its noun pădurea, which is also feminine singular.

Why is de used before zăpadă in acoperită de zăpadă?

When a past participle functions like a passive adjective, de introduces the agent or instrument (“by” or “with”). Here de zăpadă indicates that the forest is covered by (or with) snow.

Why doesn’t zăpadă have an article here?

Zăpadă is an uncountable (mass) noun, so it normally appears without an article when referring to snow in general—just like “snow” in English. Adding an article would make it specific (the snow), but the sentence speaks about snow in general.

Why is arată used here instead of este?

Arată comes from a arăta (“to show” or “to appear”) and means “looks” or “appears.” It emphasizes how the forest visually seems at that moment. By contrast, este simply states “is” without focusing on appearance.

What does arată translate to in English? Is it the same as “show”?

In this context, arată means “looks” or “appears.” Although a arăta can also mean “to show” (transitive), here it’s used intransitively to describe the forest’s visual appearance.

Why is ca used for “like” in arată ca un munte alb, and can we use ca și?

Romanian uses ca for similes, equivalent to “like.” You could use ca și for emphasis or a more literary tone, but in everyday speech ca is sufficient and more natural.

Why is alb masculine in munte alb, but pădurea is feminine?

Adjectives in Romanian agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Munte is a masculine noun, so its adjective is alb (masculine singular). Pădurea is feminine, so acoperită (the participle-adjective) takes the feminine singular ending -ă.

Why does the phrase acoperită de zăpadă come after pădurea instead of before it?

In Romanian, longer adjective phrases or participle phrases typically follow the noun they describe. Placing acoperită de zăpadă after pădurea follows the normal word order and keeps the meaning clear.

Can we use împodobită cu zăpadă instead of acoperită de zăpadă, and is there a difference?

Yes. Împodobită cu zăpadă (literally “decorated with snow”) is grammatically correct but carries a poetic or decorative nuance, as if the snow decorates the forest. Acoperită de zăpadă is more neutral, simply stating that the forest is covered by snow.

What’s the difference between arată and pare in this context?

Both verbs can express how something seems, but with a nuance: arată emphasizes visual appearance (“it looks like”), while pare (from a părea) conveys a more general impression, not limited to sight. You could say Pădurea pare un munte alb, but arată paints a stronger visual picture.