Tuning In: Broadcasts and Antennas
Welcome to the studio! In this lesson, you will learn the essential vocabulary for radio broadcasting. We will start with the absolute basics of getting a signal on the airwaves, which involves transmisiunea (the transmission) and antena (the antenna).
| The transmission is bad, so we must repair the antenna. | Transmisiunea este proastă, așa că trebuie să reparăm antena. |
The Voices on the Air
Who runs the station? You will often hear from crainicul (the announcer) or prezentatoarea (the presenter) speaking from studioul (the studio).
When identifying someone, you can use the phrase cel care to mean "the one who." You will also encounter the phrase fără să (without), which triggers the subjunctive mood when describing an action done without something else happening.
| The announcer is the one who entered the studio early. | Crainicul este cel care a intrat devreme în studio. |
| The listener changed the frequency without asking. | Ascultătorul a schimbat frecvența fără să întrebe. |
Frequencies and Interference
Sometimes things do not go smoothly on the airwaves. You might encounter interferența (interference) on a specific unda (wave). To politely ask someone to look into an issue, you can use the conditional form of a putea (can / to be able to), such as ați putea (could you).
You will also see the phrase până să (by the time / before) paired with the verb a difuza (to broadcast). Like many Romanian conjunctions, până să is followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood.
| Could you check the interference on this wave? | Ați putea să verificați interferența pe această undă? |
| By the time they arrive, they will broadcast the transmission. | Până să ajungă, ei vor difuza transmisiunea. |
Hosting the Show
Finally, let's talk about moderatorul (the host) and emisia (the broadcast).
When talking about hypothetical situations in the past, Romanian uses the past conditional. It is formed using the conditional ar fi along with the past participle of the main verb (for example, dacă ar fi funcționat meaning "if it had worked").
You will also use two prepositional phrases to specify timing or subject matter: în cursul (during) and în privința (regarding). Both of these phrases require the noun that follows them to take the genitive case. Notice how emisia transforms into emisiei after these prepositions.
| If the radio had worked, the host would have started the broadcast. | Dacă radioul ar fi funcționat, moderatorul ar fi început emisia. |
| During the broadcast, the host spoke about modern music. | În cursul emisiei, moderatorul a vorbit despre muzica modernă. |
| I called the host regarding last night's broadcast. | Am sunat moderatorul în privința emisiei de aseară. |
