Genitive Relative Pronouns
In Romanian, the genitive forms of the relative pronoun care (who/which) are identical to the dative forms you have already learned. They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer back to.
| Gender / Number | Genitive Relative Pronoun |
|---|---|
| Masculine / Neuter Singular | căruia |
| Feminine Singular | căreia |
| Plural (All Genders) | cărora |
Genitive Prepositions
When you want to say "against whom," "in front of which," or "around whom," you use a preposition that governs the genitive case, followed immediately by the genitive relative pronoun.
Common prepositions requiring the genitive include:
- împotriva / contra (against)
- asupra (upon / over)
Many of these are compound prepositions formed with a noun ending in the definite article:
- în fața (in front of)
- în spatele (behind)
- în jurul (around)
- în prezența (in the presence of)
Because the relative pronoun acts as the object of the preposition, you do not use clitic doubling here.
Using Căruia (Masculine and Neuter Singular)
When referring back to a masculine or neuter singular noun, use căruia.
| The prosecutor in front of whom the client pleads is severe. | Procurorul în fața căruia pledează clienta este sever. |
| The rival against whom you are playing will contest the result anyway. | Rivalul împotriva căruia joci va contesta oricum rezultatul. |
| The detail upon which the prosecutor insists is important. | Detaliul asupra căruia insistă procurorul este important. |
Using Căreia (Feminine Singular)
When the preposition describes a feminine singular noun, use căreia.
| The institution against which the protest takes place is large. | Instituția împotriva căreia are loc protestul este mare. |
| Had we seen the injustice against which she fights, we would have made the appeal. | Să fi văzut nedreptatea contra căreia luptă, făceam recursul. |
| The judge in whose presence he lost the appeal is upset. | Judecătoarea în prezența căreia a pierdut recursul este supărată. |
Using Cărora (Plural)
For all plural nouns, regardless of their gender, use cărora.
| The institutions against which we fight do not accept the injustice. | Instituțiile împotriva cărora luptăm nu acceptă nedreptatea. |
| Had we known the rules, we would not have bothered the judges in front of whom we plead. | Să fi știut regulile, nu deranjam judecătoarele în fața cărora pledăm. |
