Forming Fractions with -ime
To express precise portions, Romanian adds the suffix -ime to a cardinal number. This transforms the number into a regular feminine noun (e.g., o treime = one third, două treimi = two thirds).
When describing a fraction of a larger group, link the fraction to the noun using the preposition din (out of / from) or the genitive article a.
| A third of the population lives in the capital. | O treime din populație locuiește în capitală. |
| A third of the students must read the novel. | O treime a studenților trebuie să citească romanul. |
Straightforward Additions
For many numbers, drop the final vowel (if there is one) and add -ime. For example, cinci becomes cincime (a fifth), and zece becomes zecime (a tenth).
| As soon as I arrived, I cleaned a fifth of the house. | Imediat ce am ajuns, am curățat o cincime din casă. |
| A tenth of the salary goes directly to the foundation. | O zecime din salariu merge direct la fundație. |
Vowel Changes in Fractions
Some root vowels change to accommodate the -ime suffix:
- a -> ă: patru -> pătrime (a fourth / quarter)
- a -> e: șase -> șesime (a sixth)
- ouă -> oi: nouă -> noime (a ninth)
| I sold exactly a fourth of this harvest. | Am vândut exact o pătrime din această recoltă. |
| He bought a sixth of the grandfather's land. | El a cumpărat o șesime din terenul bunicului. |
| You lost a ninth of the information on the disk. | Ați pierdut o noime din informația de pe disc. |
Micro-Fractions
The -ime suffix is also used with large base numbers like sută (hundred) and mie (thousand) to describe very small fractions.
| I found a mistake in a hundredth of the pieces. | Am găsit o greșeală într-o sutime din piese. |
| A thousandth of a gram changes absolutely everything. | O miime de gram schimbă absolut totul. |
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