When tracking movement or describing a location, Romanian uses specific compound prepositions that require the following noun to be in the Genitive case. Let's look at two of the most common ones for mapping out routes and spatial relationships.
De-a lungul (Along)
The compound preposition de-a lungul means "along" (literally, "along the length of"). Because it dictates the Genitive case, the noun that follows it must take the Genitive definite article ending.
For feminine nouns, this usually means the ending becomes -ei or -ii (e.g., frontiera → frontierei, cărarea → cărării).
| My colleague detected the illegal merchandise along the frontier. | Colega mea a depistat marfa ilegală de-a lungul frontierei. |
| The smuggler sneaked along the path in the forest. | Contrabandistul s-a furișat de-a lungul cărării din pădure. |
De-a latul (Across)
Similarly, de-a latul means "across" (literally, "along the width of"). It also strictly requires the noun to be in the Genitive case.
For masculine and neuter nouns, the Genitive definite article ending is typically -lui (e.g., râul → râului, drumul → drumului).
| The smuggling network stretches across the river. | Rețeaua de contrabandă se întinde de-a latul râului. |
| The dogs ran toward me across the road. | Câinii au fugit spre mine de-a latul drumului. |
Putting it all together
Whenever you use de-a lungul or de-a latul, always check the gender of the noun to apply the correct Genitive ending.
Here is an example of de-a latul used with a feminine noun (granița → graniței):
| The inspector observed an illegal activity across the border. | Inspectorul a observat o activitate ilegală de-a latul graniței. |
And one more example showing operations along a border:
| All the merchandise was confiscated along the frontier. | Toată marfa a fost confiscată de-a lungul frontierei. |