Breakdown of Zăpada scârțâie sub picioare când mergem pe trotuar cu umbrela.
a merge
to go
cu
with
când
when
pe
on
zăpada
the snow
trotuarul
the sidewalk
sub
under
umbrela
the umbrella
a scârțâi
to crunch
piciorul
the foot
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Questions & Answers about Zăpada scârțâie sub picioare când mergem pe trotuar cu umbrela.
Why does zăpadă become zăpada here?
Romanian marks the definite article by attaching it to the end of the noun. Feminine nouns ending in -ă add -a: zăpadă ("snow") → zăpada ("the snow").
What is the infinitive of scârțâie, and what does it mean?
The infinitive is a scârțâi, meaning "to squeak" or "to crunch." Here scârțâie is the 3rd person singular present indicative: "it squeaks/crunches."
How do you pronounce scârțâie?
Pronounce scârțâie as [skɨrˈt͡sɨ.je]. Breakdown:
- â and ă sound like [ɨ],
- ț is [t͡s],
- stress falls on țâ,
- the final ie is [je].
In rough English: skɨr-TSɨ-ye, with emphasis on TSɨ.
Why is there no article before picioare in sub picioare?
Most Romanian prepositions (including sub) are followed directly by the noun without a separate article. Plural nominative and accusative forms coincide (here picioare). If you wanted to specify “under our feet,” you’d say sub picioarele noastre.
Why do we use pe trotuar instead of în trotuar?
Romanian uses pe for “on” when talking about surfaces or open spaces (tables, streets, sidewalks). În trotuar would imply “inside” the sidewalk, which isn’t idiomatic.
What is the role of cu umbrela, and why is umbrela definite?
Cu marks an instrument or accompaniment: “with the umbrella.” The enclitic -a on umbrela makes it definite (“the umbrella”), implying a specific umbrella (probably the one you’re holding). If you mean any umbrella, say cu o umbrelă.
Why is the verb mergem in the present tense here? Could it be past?
The present tense expresses habitual or general facts (“whenever we walk…”). Using a past tense (am mers) would refer to a single, completed walk in the past. Both are grammatically correct but convey different situations.
Why is there no subject pronoun like “noi” for mergem?
Romanian verb endings indicate person and number, so subject pronouns are usually omitted when context makes the subject clear.
Can I begin the sentence with Când mergem pe trotuar cu umbrela instead? Does that change the meaning?
Yes. Romanian allows fronting the time clause:
“Când mergem pe trotuar cu umbrela, zăpada scârțâie sub picioare.”
The meaning stays the same; only the emphasis shifts slightly to the time clause.