Pseudo-cleft sentences (ceea ce)

Sometimes you want to highlight a specific action, object, or concept rather than a person. Instead of simply saying "I like art," you might want to emphasize, "What interests me most is art." This structure is called a pseudo-cleft sentence, and it is perfect for discussing your main interests and hobbies.

"What" or "That Which"

To build these emphasizing sentences in Romanian, you use the compound relative pronoun ceea ce.

Unlike cel care (which changes form to match a specific person or noun), ceea ce is invariable. It never changes gender or number because it refers to abstract ideas, whole situations, or unspecified objects. In English, it translates to "what" or "that which" when making a statement.

Emphasizing Your Hobbies

The most common way to use ceea ce is at the beginning of the sentence. You start with ceea ce and the action, follow it with the verb este (is), and end with the specific noun or action you want to focus on.

If the focus of your sentence is another action (like wanting to collect or to dedicate yourself), you will connect it using the subjunctive marker să.

Flipping the Focus

You can also reverse this structure. If you want the focus to hit the listener's ear immediately, place the emphasized noun at the very beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb a fi (to be) and then ceea ce.

If the thing you are emphasizing at the beginning of the sentence is plural—such as a list of two distinct qualities—remember to use the plural form sunt (are) instead of este.