Zgarda este roșie.

The collar is red.

Breakdown of Zgarda este roșie.

• a fi: to be
• zgarda: the collar
• roșu: red

Questions & Answers about Zgarda este roșie.

Why does zgarda end in -a?

Because Romanian often puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• zgardă = a collar
• zgarda = the collar

So Zgarda este roșie literally has the collar as its subject.

What is the base form of zgarda?

The base form is zgardă.

This is the indefinite singular form, meaning a collar. When you make it definite, Romanian adds the article to the end:

• zgardă = a collar
• zgarda = the collar

This attached article is very common in Romanian and is one of the first things English speakers notice.

Why is it roșie and not roșu?

Because the adjective has to agree with the noun in gender and number.

Here, zgardă / zgarda is a feminine singular noun, so the adjective must also be feminine singular:

• masculine singular: roșu = red
• feminine singular: roșie = red

So:

• băiatul este roșu = the boy is red
• zgarda este roșie = the collar is red