Breakdown of Frunzele acoperă trotuarul toamna.
a acoperi
to cover
trotuarul
the sidewalk
toamna
in autumn
frunza
the leaf
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Questions & Answers about Frunzele acoperă trotuarul toamna.
Why is frunzele using the definite article when English would say Leaves cover the sidewalk in autumn without the?
In Romanian, definite articles are enclitic and attach to the noun. Unlike English, Romanian marks generic or habitual subjects with the definite article. Thus frunză (leaf) becomes frunzele (the leaves) even when you mean leaves in general.
Why does toamna appear without a preposition like în even though it means in autumn?
Romanian often expresses time adverbials by using the noun in its definite form without a preposition. So toamnă (autumn) takes the article to become toamna (“in autumn”). You can also say în toamnă, but dropping în is more concise and idiomatic for seasons.
What is the conjugation pattern of a acoperi, and why is acoperă used here?
A acoperi is a 1st-conjugation verb. In the present indicative:
• eu acopăr
• tu acoperi
• el/ea acoperă
Here, acoperă (3rd-person singular) matches frunzele (they).
Why is trotuarul in its definite form instead of simply trotuar?
Romanian marks definiteness with an enclitic article on nouns. Trotuar = sidewalk (indefinite), trotuarul = the sidewalk (definite). Because the sentence refers to a specific or understood sidewalk, the definite form is used.
Is there a difference between Frunzele acoperă trotuarul toamna and Frunzele acoperă trotuarul în toamnă?
Both mean The leaves cover the sidewalk in autumn. Omitting în is slightly more idiomatic for naming seasons, while including în is equally correct and a bit more explicit.
How is acoperă pronounced, and which syllable carries the stress?
Acoperă is pronounced [aˈkɔpe.rə], with four syllables: a-CO-pe-ră. The stress falls on the second syllable (CO).
Why is the active voice used instead of a passive construction like The sidewalk is covered by leaves?
Romanian favors active voice in everyday speech. A passive version exists—Trotuarul este acoperit de frunze toamna—but it sounds more formal or literary.
Can the word order change for emphasis, for example Toamna frunzele acoperă trotuarul?
Yes. Romanian allows flexible word order. Starting with toamna emphasizes the time, though the neutral pattern is Subject-Verb-Object-Adverbial: Frunzele acoperă trotuarul toamna.
Why not say acoperă cu frunze trotuarul (covers the sidewalk with leaves)?
Using cu frunze makes frunze an instrumental phrase (the means by which something is covered), implying an unspecified subject. Here, frunzele are themselves the subject performing the action, so they must remain as the subject, not as an instrument.