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### When? Why? Which?

You already ask with **ce**, **unde** and **cine**. Three more question words complete the everyday set. They go first, and the verb follows.

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**Care** asks *which* one of several. Put it straight before a noun with no article (*care pix*, *care băiat*), or use it alone with *este*.

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### Because

Answer **de ce** with **pentru că** (because). It opens a full clause with its own verb.

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**Când** also joins two clauses, like English *when*:

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### Or, while, maybe

| word | meaning | use |
|---|---|---|
| **sau** | or | a choice: *cafea sau ceai?* |
| **iar** | and (in contrast), while | sets two people or things side by side |
| **poate** | maybe | an unsure answer |

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### Yes, I am!

To contradict a negative question, Romanian does not say *da* but **ba da** — *oh yes I am, oh yes I do*.

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Asking when and why (când, de ce, care)

adjective

adverb

adverbial phrase

auxiliary

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The verb to be and definite articles (a fi, -ul, -le)

Feminine definite articles (-a, -ua)

Indefinite articles (un, o)

Negative sentences (nu)

Question words (ce, unde, cine)

The verb to have (a avea)

Masculine plural nouns (-i, -ii)

Feminine plural nouns (-e, -i, -le)

Neuter plural nouns (-uri, -e, -le)

Adjectives and agreement

Present tense of regular -a verbs

Present tense of -a verbs with suffix (-ez)

Present tense of regular -i and -î verbs

Present tense of -i and -î verbs with suffix (-esc / -ăsc)

Present tense of -ea and -e verbs

Reflexive pronouns (mă, te, se, ne, vă)

Accusative prepositions (în, la, pe, din, cu)

Likes and dislikes (îmi place)

Possessive adjectives (meu, tău, său)

Third-person possessives (lui, ei, lor)

Possessive articles (al, a, ai, ale)

Formal politeness (dumneavoastră)

Demonstrative adjectives (acest, acel)

Numbers 1 to 10

The number two (doi, două)

Numbers 11 to 20

Counting by tens to 100

Quantifying large numbers (de)

The subjunctive (să)

Third-person subjunctive (să)

Direct object pronouns (îl, o, îi, le)

Personal direct objects (pe)

Days of the week

Telling time (e ora...)

Months of the Year (January to June)

Months of the Year (July to December)

The Four Seasons

Weather Conditions

Rooms in a House

Basic Body Parts: Upper Body

Basic Body Parts: Limbs

Everyday Clothing

Basic Foods: Groceries

Fruits and Vegetables

Around Town

Getting Around

Setting the Table

A Colorful World

Common Animals

In the Wild

Jobs and Careers

Everyday Tech

Describing people (tânăr, bătrân, înalt)

Hello and goodbye (bună ziua, la revedere)

Coming and going (intra, sta, trece)

Where is it? (sub, lângă, între)

Knowing and thinking (știu că, cred că)

Sorry, welcome, congratulations (îmi pare rău, la mulți ani)

Introducing yourself (mă numesc, sunt din România)

How much and how many (puțin, prea, doar)

Can and may (pot merge, pot să merg)

If and whether (dacă)

At school and university

Irregular verbs in the present (vrea, lua, da, bea, sta)

Free time and sport

How much is it? (cât costă, câți, câte)

Before and after (înainte, după, până)

At the doctor (mă doare)

Meals of the day (micul dejun, prânzul, cina)

At the restaurant

Ability and permission (a putea să)

Obligation and necessity (trebuie să)

Desires and intentions (a vrea să)

Impersonal statements (se)

Adverbs of frequency (adesea, uneori)

Conjunctions for reasons and links (pentru că, deci)

Stressed accusative pronouns (pe mine, pe tine)

Indefinite pronouns (cineva, ceva)

Negative pronouns and double negation (nimeni, nimic)

The past tense auxiliary (am, ai, a)

The past tense (am, ai, a)

Regular past participles (-at, -it)

Regular past participles (-ut, -s, -t)

Negative past tense (nu am)

Past tense with reflexive verbs (m-am, s-a)

Question	Answer
when	când
When do you eat?	Când mănânci?
When does the father work?	Când lucrează tatăl?
I listen to music when I read.	Ascult muzică când citesc.
why	de ce
Why are you sleeping now?	De ce dormi acum?
Why aren't you eating?	De ce nu mănânci?
because	pentru că
Why are you reading? Because the novel is interesting.	De ce citești? Pentru că romanul este interesant.
I am sleeping because I am tired.	Dorm pentru că sunt obosit.
I am not drinking coffee because it is late.	Nu beau cafea pentru că este târziu.
which / who / that (relative pronoun)	care
Which pen is new?	Care pix este nou?
Which car is new?	Care mașină este nouă?
Which boy is singing?	Care băiat cântă?
or	sau
Do you drink coffee or tea?	Bei cafea sau ceai?
Are you going home or to the park?	Mergi acasă sau în parc?
and (in contrast), while	iar
I am reading, while he is writing.	Eu citesc, iar el scrie.
The brother is sleeping, and the sister is reading.	Fratele doarme, iar sora citește.
maybe	poate
Where is the father? Maybe he is working.	Unde este tatăl? Poate lucrează.
Maybe he is at home.	Poate este acasă.
yes (contradicting a negative question)	ba da
Aren't you tired? Yes, I am.	Nu ești obosit? Ba da, sunt.
Aren't you reading? Yes, I am reading.	Nu citești? Ba da, citesc.

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