In English, we show possession with an apostrophe (the car's engine) or the word "of" (the engine of the car). In Romanian, you express this using the Genitive case.
The word order in Romanian is always Possessed Noun + Possessor Noun. The noun that owns the object (the possessor) takes a special Genitive ending.
Forming the Genitive
To put a noun into the Genitive case, you change the definite article attached to the end of the word.
| Gender | Standard Definite Ending (The...) | Genitive Ending (Of the... / 's) |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine & Neuter | -ul | -ului (motorul → motorului) |
| Feminine | -a | -ei or -ii (mașina → mașinii) |
Let's look at some feminine nouns first. Notice how the possessed object comes first, followed by the possessor in the Genitive:
| The mechanic checks the car's engine. | Mecanicul verifică motorul mașinii. |
| The tire's price is very high. | Prețul anvelopei este foarte mare. |
For masculine and neuter nouns, the standard -ul ending simply becomes -ului:
| The mechanic's friend buys the oil. | Prietenul mecanicului cumpără uleiul. |
| The engine's oil is dirty. | Uleiul motorului este murdar. |
Describing Car Parts
As you describe the mechanics of cars, you will use this structure constantly. Notice how the first noun (the feature or part being possessed) stays in its standard definite form, while the second noun takes the Genitive tag.
| The steering wheel's color is gray. | Culoarea volanului este gri. |
| The mechanic solves the brake's problem. | Mecanicul rezolvă problema frânei. |
| The windshield's price is low. | Prețul parbrizului este mic. |