Vintage Discoveries with "Ce"
When you step into an antique shop (anticariatul) and want to express surprise at a unique find, you can use the exclamation ce. When placed directly before a noun (or a noun followed by an adjective), it translates to "What a..." or "What...".
Notice that in Romanian, you do not use an indefinite article after ce in these exclamations. You simply say "Ce anticariat..." rather than using the equivalent of "What an antique shop...".
Expressing Awe with "Cât de"
If you want to emphasize exactly how dusty, authentic, or valuable an item is, you will use cât de. This phrase is placed directly before an adjective or an adverb, and it translates to "How [adjective/adverb]!".
Mixing and Matching
As you explore the shop, you might find a bizarre statuette (statueta) or admire the silverware (argintăria). You can freely use both ce and cât de to react to your treasures.
You can even combine these two structures in a single sentence to express a complex reaction:
Finally, just like cât de, the word ce can also be used directly before an adjective or adverb to mean "How...". Both are natural, but cât de often adds a bit more emotional emphasis to the adjective.