Expressing "Ago" with "Acum"
In English, the word "ago" is placed after the time period ("ten years ago"). In Romanian, the word for "ago" goes before the time period.
The most common way to express this is with acum. While acum usually means "now", when followed by a measure of time, it means "ago".
| ago (before a time period) | acum |
| My adolescence ended ten years ago. | Adolescența mea s-a terminat acum zece ani. |
| Our engagement took place exactly three years ago. | Logodna noastră a avut loc exact acum trei ani. |
The Alternative "În urmă cu"
Another common way to express "ago" is the phrase în urmă cu. It functions exactly like acum, placed directly before the amount of time. It sounds slightly more formal, making it perfect for discussing major milestones or longer periods.
| They got engaged and founded a family ten years ago. | Ei s-au logodit și au întemeiat o familie în urmă cu zece ani. |
| This hospital was founded a century ago. | Acest spital s-a întemeiat în urmă cu un secol. |
Linking Memories with "De"
To describe a noun using a past time period—such as "the moments from ten years ago"—use the preposition de directly before acum or în urmă cu.
| Those moments from a month ago were memorable. | Acele clipe de acum o lună au fost memorabile. |
| I would like to relive our engagement from three years ago. | Aș vrea să retrăiesc logodna noastră de acum trei ani. |
| What nostalgia I feel when I think about the adolescence of twenty years ago! | Ce nostalgie simt când mă gândesc la adolescența de acum douăzeci de ani! |
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