"The Other" (Celălalt)
To point out an alternative, like "the other" or "the other one," Romanian uses the demonstrative celălalt.
It can act as an adjective (placed right before the noun) or as a pronoun (replacing the noun). It always agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers to.
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine / Neuter | celălalt | ceilalți (masculine only) |
| Feminine | cealaltă | celelalte (feminine / neuter) |
Trying Things On
When shopping, you will often need to evaluate alternatives and discuss sizes.
| This shoe is too small. Can I try on the other shoe? | Acest pantof este prea mic. Pot să probez celălalt pantof? |
| This size does not fit me at all. | Mărimea asta nu mi se potrivește deloc. |
When "the other" acts as a direct object pronoun, it takes the preposition pe.
| The blue coat is expensive, so I am buying the other one. | Haina albastră este scumpă, deci o cumpăr pe cealaltă. |
With feminine nouns like perechea (the pair) or opțiunea (the option), use the feminine singular form cealaltă.
| This pair of glasses is new, but the other one is old. | Această pereche de ochelari este nouă, dar cealaltă este veche. |
| I do not like the first pair. Which is the other option? | Nu îmi place prima pereche. Care este cealaltă opțiune? |
Plurals: "The Others"
For plurals, use ceilalți for masculine nouns and celelalte for feminine or neuter nouns.
| Where are the other students from our group? | Unde sunt ceilalți studenți din grupul nostru? |
| I am buying these two books, and the rest remains for the other girls. | Eu cumpăr aceste două cărți, iar restul rămâne pentru celelalte fete. |
Dividing Groups and "The Rest"
When splitting things up, use the verb a împărți (to divide / to share).
| The teacher divides the class into two small groups. | Profesorul împarte clasa în două grupuri mici. |
To talk about fractions of a group or object, use partea (the part) or simply restul (the rest).
| I am doing the other part of the project. | Eu fac cealaltă parte a proiectului. |
| A part of the group waits here, and the rest leaves. | O parte a grupului așteaptă aici, iar restul pleacă. |
