Vecinul meu locuiește la etajul doi.

My neighbor lives on the second floor.

Breakdown of Vecinul meu locuiește la etajul doi.

• la: on
• meu: my
• doi: two
• vecinul: the neighbor
• a locui: to live
• etajul: the floor

Questions & Answers about Vecinul meu locuiește la etajul doi.

Why is it vecinul and not just vecin?

Romanian often attaches the definite article to the end of the noun, not as a separate word like the in English.

• vecin = neighbor (indefinite, a neighbor)
• vecinul = the neighbor (definite, the specific one)

So vecinul meu literally means the neighbor of mine / my neighbor.

Why does meu come after the noun (vecinul meu) instead of before it, like my neighbor in English?

In Romanian, possessive adjectives usually follow the noun they modify:

• fratele meu = my brother
• cartea ta = your book
• vecinul meu = my neighbor

So the normal pattern is noun + possessive (not possessive + noun, as in English).

Why is it meu and not mea?

Meu agrees in gender and number with the noun vecinul.

• vecinul is masculine singular → meu (masculine singular)
• If the noun were feminine singular, you’d use mea:
  • vecina mea = my (female) neighbor

Other examples:

• fratele meu (my brother) – masculine → meu
• sora mea (my sister) – feminine → mea

Could I also say meu vecin, like in English “my neighbor”?

Normally, no. The natural, standard order is vecinul meu.

You can place the possessive before the noun in certain emphatic or poetic structures with a form like al meu:

• vecinul meu = my neighbor (neutral)
• al meu vecin = my neighbor (very emphatic, stylized, uncommon in everyday speech)

For everyday Romanian, stick to vecinul meu.

What exactly is locuiește grammatically?

Locuiește is:

• the 3rd person singular (he/she)
• present tense
• of the verb a locui (to live, to reside)

Conjugation (present tense):

• eu locuiesc – I live
• tu locuiești – you live (sg.)
• el/ea locuiește – he/she lives
• noi locuim – we live
• voi locuiți – you live (pl.)
• ei/ele locuiesc – they live

So Vecinul meu locuiește… = My neighbor lives…

What’s the difference between locuiește and other ways of saying “live”, like trăiește or stă?

Romanian has several verbs that can translate as to live:

• a locui → to live/reside (at an address, in a place)

  • locuiește la etajul doi = he/she lives (resides) on the second floor

• a trăi → to live (to be alive; to experience life)

  • El trăiește încă. = He is still alive.
  • Trăiește în România. can also mean lives (as in resides) in Romania, but it’s more general.

• a sta (colloquial) → to stay / to live

  • El stă la etajul doi. = He lives on the second floor (everyday, informal speech)

In a neutral, careful sentence about residence at an address, a locui is the most precise choice.

Why do we use la before etajul doi? Why not something like pe (on) or în (in)?

For floors of a building, Romanian uses la:

• la etajul doi = on the second floor
• la parter = on the ground floor
• la etajul trei = on the third floor

La is very flexible; here it’s somewhat like English at / on combined.
Using pe or în with etajul for this meaning would sound unnatural. So the set expression is la + etajul + number.

What does etajul mean compared to etaj?

As with vecin / vecinul, the -ul at the end is the definite article:

• etaj = floor, story (indefinite)
• etajul = the floor (definite)

So:

• etajul doi = the second floor
• un etaj = a floor
• pe etaj is unusual; you typically say la etajul doi.

Why is the number doi used here and not două?

Romanian has gendered forms of the number 2:

• doi – used with masculine (and neuter in the singular/plural pattern) nouns
• două – used with feminine nouns

Etajul is masculine → doi.
Examples:

• doi băieți = two boys (masc.)
• două fete = two girls (fem.)
• etajul doi = the second floor (masc.)

Does etajul doi correspond to the American “second floor” or “third floor”?

In Romanian:

• parter = ground floor
• etajul unu (or etajul întâi) = first floor above ground
• etajul doi = second floor above ground

So in many European systems:

• ground floor → parter
• 1st floor above ground → etajul unu / întâi
• 2nd floor above ground → etajul doi

If you’re thinking in American terms:

• parter ≈ 1st floor (US)
• etajul întâi ≈ 2nd floor (US)
• etajul doi ≈ 3rd floor (US)

Can I also say la etajul al doilea instead of la etajul doi?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

• etajul doi – uses a cardinal number (literally “the floor two”); this is very common and perfectly natural in everyday speech.
• etajul al doilea – uses an ordinal number (“the second floor” in strictly grammatical terms); sounds a bit more formal or explicit, often in more careful or official language.

Both are correct; etajul doi is more frequent in casual conversation.

How do you pronounce locuiește and the special letters, like ș?

Pronunciation (approximate, with English hints):

• lo – like lo in lotion
• cu – like coo in cool (but shorter)
• ie – a glide, roughly ye in yes
• ște – ș is like sh in ship; te like te in ten

So roughly: lo‑koo‑YEH‑shteh

Special letter:

• ș = sh (as in shop)

How would the sentence change if I talk about my neighbors (plural) instead of my neighbor (singular)?

You need to make both the noun and the verb plural, and adjust the possessive:

• Singular: Vecinul meu locuiește la etajul doi.

  • my neighbor lives…

• Plural: Vecinii mei locuiesc la etajul doi.

  • vecinii = the neighbors (plural definite of vecin)
  • mei = my (masculine plural)
  • locuiesc = they live

So: Vecinii mei locuiesc la etajul doi. = My neighbors live on the second floor.