Just like reflexive pronouns, direct object pronouns attach directly to the past tense auxiliary verbs (am, ai, a, am, ați, au). Because Romanian likes to flow smoothly, they bump into the auxiliary and contract with a hyphen.
Singular Objects: "Him" or "It"
When replacing a specific masculine or neuter noun with "him" or "it" in the past tense (Perfect Compus), the direct object pronoun îl connects to the auxiliary verb and contracts to l-.
Structure: l- + Auxiliary + Past Participle
| Person | Contraction | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| Eu | l-am | l-am verificat | I checked it/him |
| Tu | l-ai | l-ai verificat | You checked it/him |
| El / Ea | l-a | l-a verificat | He/She checked it/him |
| Noi | l-am | l-am verificat | We checked it/him |
| Voi | l-ați | l-ați verificat | You (pl.) checked it/him |
| Ei / Ele | l-au | l-au verificat | They checked it/him |
Plural Neuter Objects: "Them"
When replacing plural neuter nouns (like aparatele or exercițiile) with "them", we use the pronoun le. This also attaches to the auxiliary verb with a hyphen (le-am, le-ai, le-a, le-am, le-ați, le-au).
The Negative Past Tense
To make these sentences negative, simply place nu right before the hyphenated contraction. The contraction itself does not change.
Specific People and Plural Masculine Objects
When a direct object is a specific, identified person, Romanian places the preposition pe in front of the noun. The rules for attaching the pronoun to the verb stay exactly the same.
When talking about multiple masculine objects or people (like musafirii or candidații), the pronoun "them" is îi. This contracts to i- when attached to the auxiliary (i-am, i-ai, i-a, i-am, i-ați, i-au).
