Fire and earthquake
Focul is fire in general — in a stove, a campfire. Incendiul (plural incendii) is a fire that destroys things, the word the news uses. Cutremurul (plural cutremure) is an earthquake. Romania knows them well: on 4 March 1977 an earthquake killed more than 1,500 people, most of them in Bucharest.
| The firefighters put out the fire. | Pompierii au stins incendiul. |
| Many buildings were destroyed by the earthquake. | Multe clădiri au fost distruse de cutremur. |
The passive in the news
Reports of accidents and crimes lean on the past passive: a fost / au fost + a participle that agrees with the subject. Răni (rănesc, rănești, rănește), from rana (the wound), gives rănit, rănită, răniți, rănite. Note the difference between a murit (he died — nothing about how) and a fost ucis (he was killed — someone did it).
| Two people were injured. | Doi oameni au fost răniți. |
| Nobody was hurt. | Nimeni nu a fost rănit. |
| The weapon was found by the police. | Arma a fost găsită de poliție. |
Two ways to kill
| verb | present | participle | register |
|---|---|---|---|
| ucide | ucid, ucizi, ucide | ucis | news, courts, history |
| omorî | omor, omori, omoară | omorât | everyday, also figurative |
| The victim was killed with a knife. | Victima a fost ucisă cu un cuțit. |
| This headache is killing me. | Mă omoară durerea de cap. |
Death, prison, blame
Moartea is feminine; its genitive is morții. Închisoarea (plural închisori) is the prison. Vina is the blame for something: e vina mea (it's my fault), din vina cuiva (because of someone). Compare vinovat (guilty), which you already know.
| After Grandpa's death, the house was sold. | După moartea bunicului, casa a fost vândută. |
| The thief will be sent to prison. | Hoțul va fi trimis la închisoare. |
| It's not your fault. | Nu e vina ta. |
