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Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.

Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.
The (male) student is as calm as the (female) student in class.
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Questions & Answers about Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.

What does la fel de ... ca mean, and is it the standard way to say “as ... as”?

La fel de ... ca is the normal way to express equality, just like English “as ... as”.

  • la fel de = equally / as …
  • ca = as

So:

  • la fel de liniștit ca = as quiet/calm as

This pattern is very productive:

  • la fel de înalt ca el – as tall as him
  • la fel de interesant ca filmul – as interesting as the movie
Why is it liniștit and not liniștită, since eleva is feminine?

The adjective agrees with the first noun it describes, not with the second one in the comparison.

The structure is:

  • Elevul (masculine, singular) este la fel de liniștit
  • ca eleva (feminine, singular)

So liniștit must be:

  • masculine
  • singular

If you started the sentence with the girl, the adjective would change:

  • Eleva este la fel de liniștită ca elevul la curs.
    (The female student is as quiet as the male student in class.)
What is the difference between elevul and eleva?

Both mean “pupil / school student”, but they mark gender:

  • elevul = the male pupil (masculine, singular, definite)
  • eleva = the female pupil (feminine, singular, definite)

In practice:

  • For a generic “student” you might also hear elev (no article) or student / studentă (especially for university level).
  • In this sentence, the contrast elevul / eleva makes it clear one is male and one is female.
How does the definite article work in elevul and eleva?

Romanian usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun, instead of putting “the” before it.

  • elev = pupil, student
    elevul = the pupil (male)
  • elevă = pupil, student (female)
    eleva = the pupil (female)

So:

  • Elevul = the male pupil
  • Eleva = the female pupil

This is a regular pattern:

  • băiat → băiatul (boy → the boy)
  • fată → fata (girl → the girl)
What does la curs mean exactly, and why is la used?

La curs literally means “at (the) class / during the class”.

  • la is a very flexible preposition:
    • la școală – at school
    • la birou – at the office
    • la film – at the movie

In this sentence, la curs tells you when / where they’re quiet:

  • not in general as people,
  • but in class, in the context of a lesson.
Can the word order change? For example, can I move la curs or ca eleva?

Yes, Romanian allows some flexibility in word order, especially with short phrases.

All of these are grammatically correct, with slight differences in emphasis:

  • Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.
    (neutral; “in class” feels closest to the girl)
  • Elevul este la curs la fel de liniștit ca eleva.
    (focus more on “in class” for the boy)
  • La curs, elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva.
    (emphasizes the setting: In class, the boy is as quiet as the girl.)

The basic comparative structure este la fel de [adj] ca [noun] stays the same.

Can I use e instead of este here?

Yes. e is simply a shorter, very common form of este (3rd person singular of “to be”).

  • Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.
  • Elevul e la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.

Both are correct. E sounds a bit more informal / conversational, but it’s widely used even in fairly neutral speech and writing.

Are there other natural ways to say the same idea in Romanian?

Yes, a few common alternatives:

  • Elevul este tot atât de liniștit ca eleva la curs.
    (The boy is just as quiet as the girl in class.)
  • Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca și eleva la curs.
    (as quiet as the girl too – very common in speech, though some grammarians dislike ca și here.)
  • Elevul este la fel de calm ca eleva la curs.
    (focuses more on calm than silent.)

The most standard and neutral is still:

  • Elevul este la fel de liniștit ca eleva la curs.
How would I say “The boys are as quiet as the girls in class”?

You need plural forms for both nouns and the adjective:

  • Elevii sunt la fel de liniștiți ca elevele la curs.

Breakdown:

  • elevii – the pupils (boys / mixed group)
  • elevele – the female pupils
  • sunt – are
  • liniștiți – masculine plural form of liniștit
  • la curs – in class

Adjectives must agree with the first noun:

  • elevii (masc. plural) → liniștiți (masc. plural)
Does liniștit mean “quiet” or “calm”? Is there a difference from words like tăcut?

Liniștit can mean both “quiet” and “calm”, depending on context:

  • un copil liniștit – usually a well-behaved, calm, not noisy child
  • stă liniștit în bancă – he sits quietly/calmly at his desk

Compared with:

  • tăcut – silent, not speaking much (focus on speaking)
  • calm – calm (emotional state more than noise level)

In la curs, liniștit naturally suggests “not disturbing the class”, so something between quiet and well-behaved/calm.

How do I pronounce liniștit, and what do the special letters ș and ț sound like?

Pronunciation of liniștit: roughly lee-neeSH-TEET.

  • li – like lee
  • ni – like nee
  • ș – like “sh” in ship
  • ti – like tee
  • t – final t is pronounced clearly

Special letters:

  • ș / Ș – sh sound
  • ț / Ț – ts sound (as in cats)

So:

  • ș in liniștit → sh
  • If you see linistit without diacritics, it’s just a typographical simplification; the intended word is liniștit.