To explain why we take precautions against a negative outcome, Romanian uses specific clauses of fear: de teamă să nu and de frică să nu (for fear that / out of fear that).
| I locked the window for fear that the intruder might enter. | Am încuiat fereastra de teamă să nu intre intrusul. |
| Out of fear that someone might attack them, they barricaded themselves in the bedroom. | De frică să nu îi atace cineva, ei s-au baricadat în dormitor. |
The Expletive "nu"
Notice the word nu? In these expressions, the nu is "expletive," meaning it doesn't actually make the clause negative. Although the structure translates literally to "for fear that the intruder might not enter," it means "for fear that he might enter." The negative form is used precisely because you are afraid the action will happen.
| The woman does not sleep at night, for fear that someone might stalk her. | Femeia nu doarme noaptea, de teamă să nu o pândească cineva. |
Structure and Pronouns
Teamă and frică both mean "fear" and are completely interchangeable. They are always followed by the subjunctive mood (the verb form paired with să).
If the action involves an object pronoun—like fearing someone will rob her or attack them—the pronoun sits right between să nu and the verb.
| She hid the jewelry out of fear that someone might rob her. | Ea a ascuns bijuteria de frică să nu o jefuiască cineva. |
| My colleague barricaded himself in the office for fear that we might rob him. | Colegul meu s-a baricadat în birou de teamă să nu îl jefuim. |
Paranoia and Precautions
These grammar structures naturally pair with descriptions of extreme caution or paranoia.
| The boy is cautious out of fear that someone might be lurking for him. | Băiatul este precaut de teamă să nu îl pândească cineva. |
| The obsessed woman is cautious out of fear that the thief might rob her. | Femeia obsedată este precaută de frică să nu o jefuiască hoțul. |
