Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words used to link two related ideas, items, or phrases in a sentence. They are incredibly useful for navigating complex menus, explaining dietary restrictions, and specifying exactly what a dish contains.
Inclusion: Atât... Cât Și (Both... And)
To include two things equally, use the pair atât... cât și. While it literally translates to "as much... as well as", it is the standard Romanian equivalent for "both... and".
| A vegan menu uses both plant-based milk and fresh vegetables. | Un meniu vegan folosește atât lapte vegetal, cât și legume proaspete. |
| In a vegan diet we consume both plant-based milk and fruit. | Într-o dietă vegană consumăm atât lapte vegetal, cât și fructe. |
When the connected items require a preposition (such as la or cu), you must repeat the preposition after cât și for grammatical balance.
| I have an allergy to both gluten and lactose. | Am o alergie atât la gluten, cât și la lactoză. |
| I would like a plant-based dessert with both walnuts and fruit. | Aș vrea un desert vegetal atât cu nuci, cât și cu fructe. |
Exclusion: Nici... Nici (Neither... Nor)
To entirely exclude two things, use the pair nici... nici (neither... nor).
The most important rule to remember here is that Romanian requires double negation. Whenever you use nici... nici after a verb to describe what you don't eat or what a dish doesn't contain, the main verb itself must also be negated with nu.
| Vegans eat neither meat nor dairy products. | Veganii nu mănâncă nici carne, nici lactate. |
| This vegan ingredient contains neither dairy products nor gluten. | Acest ingredient vegan nu conține nici lactate, nici gluten. |
| I would prefer a cake that contains neither gluten nor honey. | Aș prefera un tort care nu conține nici gluten, nici miere. |
Notice how in all of these examples, the verbs (mănâncă, conține) are preceded by nu, ensuring the sentence remains grammatically correct while excluding both ingredients.
