Logical Agreement (Acordul logic)
In Romanian, verbs normally match the grammatical number of their subject. However, when you use a singular collective noun followed by de and a plural noun, the verb takes a plural form.
This is known as logical agreement (acordul logic). Because the action is logically performed by the plural items or people in the group, the verb reflects that plural reality.
Categories and People
This pattern is incredibly common when talking about demographics or groups of people. Words like o minoritate (a minority) or o categorie (a category) will trigger a plural verb when followed by de and plural members.
Keep in mind that if a collective noun is the subject but stands entirely on its own—without the de phrase—it returns to standard grammatical agreement and takes a singular verb.
Flocks and Swarms
The natural world has its own set of collective nouns. For instance, un stol is used for flocks of birds, while un roi is used for swarms of insects. The logical agreement rule applies to these just the same.
Quantities: Multitudes and Numbers
Some collective nouns are used so frequently in this structure that they act almost entirely as plural quantifiers. The most common are un grup (a group), un număr (a number), and o mulțime (a multitude / a lot).
When paired with de, always follow them with a plural verb.
