Mergem la bunici în weekend.

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Breakdown of Mergem la bunici în weekend.

• în: in
• weekendul: the weekend
• bunicul: the grandparent
• a merge: to walk

Questions & Answers about Mergem la bunici în weekend.

Where is the word “we” in the Romanian sentence?

Romanian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.

• Mergem = we go / we are going
• The ending -em tells you it’s 1st person plural (we).
• You can say Noi mergem la bunici în weekend. for emphasis, but normally people just say Mergem….

So the idea of “we” is built into mergem.

What form and tense is mergem, and what is the infinitive?

• The infinitive is a merge = to go.
• Mergem is present tense, 1st person plural.

Mini present-tense conjugation of a merge:

• (eu) merg – I go
• (tu) mergi – you go (sg.)
• (el / ea) merge – he / she goes
• (noi) mergem – we go
• (voi) mergeți – you go (pl.)
• (ei / ele) merg – they go

So Mergem la bunici în weekend. literally is We go / are going to (our) grandparents this weekend.

Can mergem mean both “we go (regularly)” and “we are going (this weekend)”?

Yes. Romanian present tense is flexible, like English.

• Habitual:
  Mergem la bunici în weekend. = We (usually) go to our grandparents at the weekend.
• Planned future:
  Mergem la bunici în weekend. = We’re going to our grandparents this weekend.

Context (tone, previous sentences, adverbs like de obicei “usually” or weekendul ăsta “this weekend”) makes the meaning clear.

For a clearly future meaning, you can also say:

• Vom merge la bunici în weekend. = We will go to our grandparents at/this weekend.

What’s the difference between mergem and vom merge?

Both can refer to the future, but:

• Mergem la bunici în weekend.
  Sounds natural and conversational for a planned or decided future (like English “We’re going…”).

• Vom merge la bunici în weekend.
  Uses the synthetic future (we will go). It can sound a bit more formal, neutral, or slightly more distant/uncertain in everyday speech.

In normal conversation about plans, mergem is extremely common.

Why is it la bunici and not something like către bunici or spre bunici?

La is the default preposition for “to” when you go to a person’s place or to a location:

• Mergem la bunici. – We are going to (our) grandparents.
• Merg la doctor. – I’m going to the doctor.
• Merg la școală. – I’m going to school.

Spre / către mean more literally towards and are less common for “going to someone’s place”:

• Merg spre casă. – I’m going towards home.
• Merg către oraș. – I’m going towards the city.

For “going to grandparents (their home)”, la bunici is the normal, idiomatic choice.

Why is it just bunici and not bunicii (“the grandparents”) or bunicii noștri (“our grandparents”)?

With close family members, Romanian often drops both the article and the possessive when the owner is obvious (usually the speaker or subject):

• Merg la bunici. ≈ I’m going to (my / our) grandparents.
• Merg la mama. ≈ I’m going to (my) mom.
• Sun la sora. ≈ I’m calling (my) sister.

So la bunici is understood as “to my/our grandparents” without saying noștri (“our”). The context (who is speaking) usually makes it clear.

Using the article/possessive is possible, but it changes nuance (more explicit, sometimes more contrastive or specific).

How do I say “to our grandparents” or “to my grandparents” explicitly?

To be explicit, you use the definite form of “grandparents” + possessive adjective:

• la bunicii mei – to my grandparents
• la bunicii noștri – to our grandparents
• la bunicii tăi – to your grandparents (sg.)
• la bunicii voștri – to your grandparents (pl.)

So:

• Mergem la bunicii noștri în weekend.
  = We are going to our grandparents this weekend (very clear it’s “our”).

But in everyday speech, Mergem la bunici în weekend. is normally enough; “our” is understood.

What is the singular of bunici, and how does gender work here?

The family words:

• bunic – grandfather
• bunică – grandmother
• bunici – grandparents (mixed or general plural; can refer to “both grandparents”)

So:

• bunic (m. sg.) → bunici (pl.)
• bunică (f. sg.) → bunici (pl.)

If you want to be specific:

• Mergem la bunicul și bunica în weekend.
  = We’re going to (our) grandfather and grandmother this weekend.
• Mergem la bunici în weekend.
  = We’re going to (our) grandparents (as a pair / in general).

Can I change the word order and say Mergem în weekend la bunici? Is there any difference?

Yes, both are correct:

• Mergem la bunici în weekend.
• Mergem în weekend la bunici.

The difference is mostly rhythm and slight emphasis:

• la bunici în weekend: the destination (la bunici) comes first, then the time.
• în weekend la bunici: the time (în weekend) comes first, then the destination.

In neutral speech they mean the same thing, like English:

• We’re going to our grandparents at the weekend.
• We’re going at the weekend to our grandparents.

Why is it în weekend and not la weekend?

For time expressions, Romanian often uses în to mean “in / during”:

• în weekend – on / during the weekend
• în iunie – in June
• în vacanță – on holiday
• în seara asta – this evening

La weekend is not idiomatic in standard Romanian for “on the weekend”. Use în weekend or a paraphrase like la sfârșit de săptămână (at the end of the week).

When do I say just în weekend and when în weekendul trecut / viitor?

• în weekend
  Often means “on/at the weekend” in a general or near-future sense, especially if context is clear (usually the upcoming weekend).

• în weekendul trecut – last weekend
• în weekendul viitor – next weekend
• în weekendul ăsta – this weekend (colloquial)
• în weekendul ăla – that weekend

So you add the definite article -ul plus an adjective/adverb when you talk about a specific weekend (last / next / this). Without anything extra, în weekend is more general or relies on context.

Is there a more “Romanian-sounding” way to say “weekend”, like without the English loanword?

Yes, you can use sfârșit de săptămână = end of the week:

• Mergem la bunici la sfârșit de săptămână.
  = We’re going to our grandparents at the weekend.

In practice:

• weekend is very common and natural in everyday speech.
• sfârșit de săptămână is a bit more formal/neutral and fully native.

Both are correct.

Could I say Ne ducem la bunici în weekend instead of Mergem…? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can:

• Mergem la bunici în weekend.
• Ne ducem la bunici în weekend.

Both mean We’re going to our grandparents this weekend.

Nuance:

• a merge = to go (neutral, very common)
• a se duce = to go / to head off (sometimes a bit more colloquial or with a sense of “we’re heading over there”)

In this sentence, the difference is small; mergem is slightly more neutral and is the safest choice for learners.