Questions & Answers about Paharul este plin de apă.
What does paharul mean, and why is the definite article attached at the end?
paharul means the glass. In Romanian, masculine (and neuter) nouns form the definite article by attaching -ul (or -le in some cases) to the noun:
pahar (glass) → pahar + ul → paharul (the glass).
How do I pronounce the letter ă in paharul and apă?
The letter ă represents the schwa sound, similar to the ‘a’ in English sofa.
- paharul is pronounced /pəˈharul/ (puh-ha-rul)
- apă is pronounced /ˈapə/ (ah-puh)
Why is there no article before apă?
Here apă is used as a mass (uncountable) noun in an indefinite sense (water in general). After the preposition de (of), you don’t add a definite or indefinite article. If you wanted the water, you’d say apa (without de):
• Paharul este plin cu apa – “The glass is full of the water” (less common)
What is the role of de in plin de apă, and can I use cu instead?