Talking About Others Respectfully
In Romanian, when you talk about someone you respect—like an older neighbor, a teacher, or a pensioner—you don't just use the casual el (he) or ea (she). Instead, you use a special set of polite third-person pronouns. These hit a sweet spot of "intermediate formality," showing respect without sounding overly stiff.
He and She: "Dânsul" and "Dânsa"
For a single person, use dânsul for a man and dânsa for a woman.
| He (polite) is walking with the cane, so I am helping him. | Dânsul se plimbă cu bastonul, deci îl ajut. |
| She (polite) is a very polite lady. | Dânsa este o doamnă foarte politicoasă. |
They seamlessly replace the person's noun in the sentence, keeping the tone polite when describing their actions or states.
| The pensioner does not have any grandson here, but he (polite) is happy. | Pensionarul nu are niciun nepot aici, dar dânsul este fericit. |
They: "Dânșii" and "Dânsele"
When talking about a group of respected individuals, the pronouns become dânșii (for an all-male or mixed-gender group) and dânsele (for an all-female group).
| They (m. polite) deserve our respect because they are elderly. | Dânșii merită respectul nostru, pentru că sunt în vârstă. |
| They (f. polite) have a lot of wisdom, so we listen to them. | Dânsele au multă înțelepciune, deci le ascultăm. |
Polite Pronouns in Action
These pronouns function exactly like regular nouns and pronouns. You can use them as subjects in a clause, or as objects (remembering to use pe when they are the direct object, since they refer to specific people).
| Do you (formal) respect them (m. polite)? | Dumneavoastră îi respectați pe dânșii? |
| The boy addresses her politely, because she (polite) is his teacher. | Băiatul i se adresează politicos, pentru că dânsa este profesoara lui. |