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Questions & Answers about Piciorul meu este cald.
Why is the definite article attached to picior instead of being a separate word like in English?
In Romanian, the definite article for singular masculine nouns is a suffix. So picior (foot) becomes piciorul (the foot) by adding -ul. English places “the” before the noun, but Romanian tacks it onto the end.
Why does meu (my) come after piciorul rather than before it?
Possessive adjectives in Romanian normally follow the noun. So “foot my is warm” literally: piciorul meu este cald. Placing meu after piciorul is standard word order for possession.
Could I say “Piciorul meu e cald” instead of “este”?
Yes. In speech and informal writing, the verb este (is) is often contracted to e. So Piciorul meu e cald is perfectly fine and more colloquial.
How do I know that cald is the correct form of the adjective?
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun. Picior is masculine singular, so you use the masculine singular form cald. For a feminine noun you’d use caldă, and for plurals calzi (masc.) or calde (fem.).
Can I omit the possessive meu if it’s clear whose foot it is?
Generally no. Romanian usually requires the possessive adjective to clarify ownership. If context makes it 100% clear, people might be understood without it, but grammatically you’d keep meu.
Is there an alternate, more idiomatic way to say “my foot is warm”?
Yes. You can use the impersonal construction “Îmi este cald la picior” (literally “To me it is warm at the foot”). In everyday speech, you’ll also hear “Mi-e cald la picior” (contracted form).
Why doesn’t the adjective cald have a definite article or change form because it follows a definite noun?
In Romanian, adjectives don’t take their own definite article. They agree only by gender and number. The noun carries the article (e.g., piciorul), and the adjective simply matches it.
If I wanted to talk about both feet, how would I change the sentence?
You’d use the plural form: Piciorul → picioarele (the feet) and cald → calde (feminine plural? No – “picior” is masculine, plural takes -i: calzi). But irregularities: “picior” is inanimate, strong plural is picioare (fem. form). So “the feet” = picioarele mele and “warm” = calde. Full sentence: Picioarele mele sunt calde.