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Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi.

Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi.
Grandfather is waiting for the family in the living room.
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Questions & Answers about Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi.

Why is it Bunicul and not just Bunic?

Bunic means grandfather in general, without specifying which one.

Romanian usually marks “the” by attaching a definite article to the end of the noun:

  • bunic = a / any grandfather
  • bunic
    • -ul = bunicul = the grandfather

So Bunicul așteaptă... means “The grandfather is waiting…” or “Grandpa is waiting…”, referring to a specific, known grandfather.

Why is the definite article at the end (-ul, -a) instead of a separate word like “the”?

In Romanian, the definite article is enclitic (attached to the end of the noun), not a separate word:

  • masculine singular: bunic → bunicul (the grandfather)
  • feminine singular: familie → familia (the family)
  • feminine singular: cameră → camera (the room)

So in the sentence:

  • Bunicul = the grandfather
  • familia = the family
  • camera (in în camera de zi) = the room

English uses a separate word (the); Romanian “sticks” it to the noun.

Does așteaptă mean “waits” or “is waiting”?

Romanian has one present tense that covers both English:

  • simple present: “waits”
  • present continuous: “is waiting”

So Bunicul așteaptă familia can be translated as:

  • The grandfather waits for the family.
  • The grandfather is waiting for the family.

Context tells you which English form is more natural; grammatically they’re the same in Romanian.

How do you pronounce așteaptă, and what do the special letters ă, ș, ț represent?

așteaptă is pronounced roughly: [ash-TEAP-tă]

Letters:

  • ș = sh in “shoe”
  • ț = ts in “cats”
  • ă = a short, neutral vowel, like the a in “sofa” or the e in “taken”

Syllables: a-șteap-tă
Stress falls on șteap: a-ȘTEAP-tă.

Why is it așteaptă familia and not așteaptă pe familia?

Romanian often uses pe before a definite human direct object (especially names and pronouns):

  • Aștept pe Maria. – I’m waiting for Maria.
  • Îl văd pe fratele meu. – I see my brother.

With common nouns like familia, pe is possible but usually optional. In this sentence, Așteaptă familia is the most natural form.

  • Bunicul așteaptă familia. – perfectly normal
  • Bunicul așteaptă pe familia. – can sound marked/emphatic or a bit unusual in neutral style

So here, leaving out pe is standard and idiomatic.

Why is it familia and not familie?

familie = a / any family (indefinite)
familie + -a (definite feminine singular article) → familia = the family

In the sentence, we are talking about a specific, known family, so Romanian uses the definite form:

  • Bunicul așteaptă familia.
    = The grandfather is waiting for the family (his family / their family).
Is familia grammatically singular or plural in Romanian?

familia is grammatically singular feminine, even though it refers to multiple people.

  • familia – singular
  • familii – plural

For agreement:

  • Familia este acasă. – The family is at home. (singular verb)
  • Familia mare este zgomotoasă. – The big family is noisy. (adjective mare and zgomotoasă in singular)

So treat familia like a singular noun in Romanian grammar.

What does camera de zi literally mean, and why is it used for “living room”?

Literally:

  • camera = the room
  • de = of / for
  • zi = day

So camera de zi = “the room of day / daytime”, meaning the daytime room, i.e. the room used for daily activities → living room.

It’s a common way in Romanian to form something like a compound noun:

  • sala de sport – sports hall / gym
  • apă de gură – mouthwash
  • cafea de dimineață – morning coffee

In everyday speech for living room, Romanians also use:

  • sufragerie
  • sometimes living (an English loanword, especially in casual speech)

But camera de zi is standard and clear.

Why is it în camera de zi and not în cameră de zi?

Because we mean “in the living room”, not “in a living room”.

  • cameră = a room
  • camera = the room

In the phrase camera de zi, the noun cameră takes the definite article -a → camera, because this is the standard, fixed expression for the living room:

  • în cameră = in a room
  • în camera = in the room
  • în camera de zi = in the living room
Why is the word order Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi? Can it be changed?

The given order is the neutral Subject–Verb–Object–Place:

  • Bunicul (subject)
  • așteaptă (verb)
  • familia (direct object)
  • în camera de zi (place phrase)

Romanian word order is fairly flexible for emphasis or style. All of these are possible:

  • În camera de zi, bunicul așteaptă familia.
    → Emphasis on the place.
  • Familia o așteaptă bunicul în camera de zi.
    → More complex, used for special focus; not the default beginner style.

For everyday, neutral speech, Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi. is the most straightforward and natural order.

Why is the preposition în used here and not la?

Both în and la can translate as “in / at”, but they have different typical uses:

  • în = inside / within a space

    • în cameră – in the room (inside it)
    • în casă – in the house

  • la = at / to / by (more general location or destination)

    • la școală – at school
    • la bunici – at (the) grandparents’ place

Since the grandfather is physically inside the living room, în camera de zi is the natural choice:

  • Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi. – inside the living room
  • Bunicul așteaptă familia la ușă. – at the door (not “in the door”)
Which words are the subject, the verb, the direct object, and the place in this sentence?

Sentence: Bunicul așteaptă familia în camera de zi.

  • Bunicul – subject (Who is waiting?)
  • așteaptă – verb (action: is waiting)
  • familia – direct object (Whom is he waiting for?)
  • în camera de zi – prepositional phrase of place (Where is he waiting?)
Could you replace Bunicul with Bunica or Bunicii, and what would change?

Yes, and the verb form stays the same in the present (it doesn’t change for gender):

  • Bunica așteaptă familia în camera de zi.
    – The grandmother is waiting for the family in the living room.

  • Bunicii așteaptă familia în camera de zi.
    – The grandparents are waiting for the family in the living room.

Notes on forms:

  • Bunica = the grandmother (feminine singular: bunică → bunica)
  • Bunicii = the grandparents (here: plural buni(c)i
    • definite article -i)

In the present tense, așteaptă is the same for he, she, and they:

  • El așteaptă
  • Ea așteaptă
  • Ei / Ele așteaptă