No Dangling Prepositions
In English, it's common to drop the relative pronoun or leave a preposition at the end of a sentence: "The expert I collaborate with." In Romanian, you cannot drop the relative pronoun care (which / whom), and the preposition must always come directly before it.
| Preposition | Meaning | Romanian Phrase | Literal English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| cu | with | cu care | with whom / with which |
| despre | about | despre care | about whom / about which |
| la | to / at | la care | to whom / to which |
| pe | on | pe care | on whom / on which |
Collaborating (cu care)
When elaborating on the people you work or interact with, combine the preposition cu (with) and the relative pronoun care.
| The expert I collaborate with is very intelligent. | Expertul cu care colaborez este foarte inteligent. |
| The researcher I went to the conference with is Romanian. | Cercetătorul cu care am mers la conferință este român. |
Discussing and Referring (despre care, la care)
Different verbs require different prepositions. We talk about a theme (despre), but we refer to a theory (la).
| The theme we are talking about is for today's debate. | Tema despre care vorbim este pentru dezbaterea de azi. |
| Is the theory you are referring to interesting? | Teoria la care te referi este interesantă? |
Relying on Someone (pe care)
To say you "rely on" someone or something, use the reflexive verb a se baza followed by the preposition pe (on). In a relative clause, "the expert I rely on" translates literally to "the expert on whom I rely."
| The expert I rely on negotiates well. | Expertul pe care mă bazez negociază bine. |
| The colleague he relies on is busy. | Colegul pe care se bazează este ocupat. |
Putting It Together
These structures let you fluently connect multiple ideas into a single, precise sentence.
| They are organizing a debate about the theme we are referring to. | Ei organizează o dezbatere despre tema la care ne referim. |
