Lupa este pe tarabă.

The magnifying glass is on the stall.

Breakdown of Lupa este pe tarabă.

• a fi: to be
• pe: on
• taraba: the market stall
• lupa: the magnifying glass

Questions & Answers about Lupa este pe tarabă.

Why is lupa written without ă, when the dictionary form is lupă?

Because lupa is the definite form of the noun.

The basic noun is lupă = magnifying glass.
Romanian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun:

• lupă = a magnifying glass
• lupa = the magnifying glass

So the final -ă changes to -a when the feminine singular definite article is added.

Why isn’t there a separate word for the before lupa?

Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun, not as a separate word before it.

So instead of something like English the magnifying glass, Romanian says:

• lupă = a magnifying glass
• lupa = the magnifying glass

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice in Romanian.

What gender is lupă?

Lupă is a feminine noun.

You can tell from its forms:

• o lupă = a magnifying glass
• două lupe = two magnifying glasses
• lupa = the magnifying glass

That pattern is typical of many feminine nouns in Romanian.