To say that something represents the extreme limit of a quality—like the tallest, the fastest, or the most famous—Romanian uses a specific structure. You combine a demonstrative article (cel), the word mai (more), and the adjective.
cel mai + adjective
Agreement in Gender and Number
The demonstrative article and the adjective must both agree with the noun they describe. The word mai never changes.
| Gender & Number | Article | Example Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine/Neuter Singular | cel | cel mai înalt |
| Feminine Singular | cea | cea mai înaltă |
| Masculine Plural | cei | cei mai înalți |
| Feminine/Neuter Plural | cele | cele mai înalte |
When placed directly before a noun, the superlative phrase replaces the noun's definite article:
| Which is the highest peak of the mountain? | Care este cel mai înalt vârf al muntelui? |
| The fastest player won the competition. | Cel mai rapid jucător a câștigat concursul. |
| It is the most popular song in the country. | Este cea mai populară melodie din țară. |
| They are the richest men in the city. | Ei sunt cei mai bogați oameni din oraș. |
| The most popular teams play today. | Cele mai populare echipe joacă astăzi. |
Using Superlatives After a Verb
Just like in English, a superlative can follow the verb a fi (to be) to describe the subject. The article and adjective still agree with the subject of the sentence.
| Our team is the strongest. | Echipa noastră este cea mai puternică. |
| That ocean is the most famous. | Acel ocean este cel mai faimos. |
| This record is the best. | Acest record este cel mai bun. |
Ranked Superlatives
To talk about records like "the second biggest" or "the third oldest", simply place the ordinal number (such as al doilea for "the second") right before the superlative phrase.
| Which is the second largest ocean? | Care este al doilea cel mai mare ocean? |
