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### The article goes on the first word

A Romanian noun carries its definite article as an ending: *profesorul*, *casa*. That ending always sits on the FIRST word of the phrase. So when an adjective moves in front of the noun, the article moves onto the adjective: **noul** profesor (the new teacher), **frumoasa** casă (the beautiful house). The noun after it stays bare: never *noul profesorul*. You have known one example since your first weeks: **micul dejun** (breakfast) is *mic* + the article, in front of *dejun*.

| adjective after | adjective in front |
|---|---|
| profesorul nou | **noul** profesor |
| casa frumoasă | **frumoasa** casă |
| doctorul bătrân | **bătrânul** doctor |
| colegii noi | **noii** colegi |
| cărțile noi | **noile** cărți |

An adjective in **-e** takes **-le**, like a noun in -e: *mare* → **marele** scriitor (feminine **marea**). After *un*, *o*, *acest* or *acel* nothing changes: *un nou coleg*, *acest mare om*.

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### The case ending moves too

In the genitive and the dative the ending also goes on the adjective, and the noun still stays bare:

| | nominative | genitive / dative |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | noul profesor | **noului** profesor |
| feminine | frumoasa casă | **frumoasei** case |
| plural | noii colegi | **noilor** colegi |

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A possessive comes straight after the adjective: **noul nostru** vecin, **buna mea** prietenă.

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### Why put it first?

*Profesorul nou* and *noul profesor* both mean "the new teacher". Putting the adjective first stresses it and sounds more written: you meet it in the news, in books and in speeches more than in the street. With **mare** the meaning changes as well: **marele scriitor** is the great, famous writer; *scriitorul mare* is the big or tall one. A few adjectives nearly always come first, so you will always see them with the article: **fostul** (the former), **ultimul** (the last).

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The article on a fronted adjective (noul profesor, marele scriitor)

adjective

adverb

adverbial phrase

auxiliary

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The verb to be and definite articles (a fi, -ul, -le)

Feminine definite articles (-a, -ua)

Indefinite articles (un, o)

Negative sentences (nu)

Question words (ce, unde, cine)

The verb to have (a avea)

Masculine plural nouns (-i, -ii)

Feminine plural nouns (-e, -i, -le)

Neuter plural nouns (-uri, -e, -le)

Adjectives and agreement

Present tense of regular -a verbs

Present tense of -a verbs with suffix (-ez)

Present tense of regular -i and -î verbs

Present tense of -i and -î verbs with suffix (-esc / -ăsc)

Present tense of -ea and -e verbs

Reflexive pronouns (mă, te, se, ne, vă)

Accusative prepositions (în, la, pe, din, cu)

Likes and dislikes (îmi place)

Possessive adjectives (meu, tău, său)

Third-person possessives (lui, ei, lor)

Possessive articles (al, a, ai, ale)

Formal politeness (dumneavoastră)

Demonstrative adjectives (acest, acel)

Numbers 1 to 10

The number two (doi, două)

Numbers 11 to 20

Counting by tens to 100

Quantifying large numbers (de)

The subjunctive (să)

Third-person subjunctive (să)

Direct object pronouns (îl, o, îi, le)

Personal direct objects (pe)

Days of the week

Telling time (e ora...)

Months of the Year (January to June)

Months of the Year (July to December)

The Four Seasons

Weather Conditions

Rooms in a House

Basic Body Parts: Upper Body

Basic Body Parts: Limbs

Everyday Clothing

Basic Foods: Groceries

Fruits and Vegetables

Around Town

Getting Around

Setting the Table

A Colorful World

Common Animals

In the Wild

Jobs and Careers

Everyday Tech

Describing people (tânăr, bătrân, înalt)

Asking when and why (când, de ce, care)

Hello and goodbye (bună ziua, la revedere)

Coming and going (intra, sta, trece)

Where is it? (sub, lângă, între)

Knowing and thinking (știu că, cred că)

Sorry, welcome, congratulations (îmi pare rău, la mulți ani)

Introducing yourself (mă numesc, sunt din România)

How much and how many (puțin, prea, doar)

Can and may (pot merge, pot să merg)

If and whether (dacă)

At school and university

Irregular verbs in the present (vrea, lua, da, bea, sta)

Free time and sport

How much is it? (cât costă, câți, câte)

Before and after (înainte, după, până)

At the doctor (mă doare)

Meals of the day (micul dejun, prânzul, cina)

At the restaurant

Ability and permission (a putea să)

Obligation and necessity (trebuie să)

Desires and intentions (a vrea să)

Impersonal statements (se)

Adverbs of frequency (adesea, uneori)

Conjunctions for reasons and links (pentru că, deci)

Stressed accusative pronouns (pe mine, pe tine)

Indefinite pronouns (cineva, ceva)

Negative pronouns and double negation (nimeni, nimic)

The past tense auxiliary (am, ai, a)

The past tense (am, ai, a)

Regular past participles (-at, -it)

Regular past participles (-ut, -s, -t)

Negative past tense (nu am)

Question	Answer
The new teacher is very young.	Noul profesor este foarte tânăr.
The beautiful house next to the park has been sold.	Frumoasa casă de lângă parc a fost vândută.
The old doctor helped us a lot.	Bătrânul doctor ne-a ajutat mult.
I put the new books on the table.	Am pus noile cărți pe masă.
The new colleagues came to the office today.	Noii colegi au venit azi la birou.
Nobody knows the real reason.	Nimeni nu știe adevăratul motiv.
Our new neighbor is a doctor.	Noul nostru vecin este medic.
My good friend is waiting for me at the station.	Buna mea prietenă mă așteaptă la gară.
I showed the new teacher our project.	I-am arătat noului profesor proiectul nostru.
The windows of the beautiful house are very old.	Ferestrele frumoasei case sunt foarte vechi.
I sent the new colleagues a message.	Le-am trimis un mesaj noilor colegi.
The young doctor explained everything to the old lady.	Tânărul medic i-a explicat bătrânei doamne totul.
I've read all of the great writer's novels.	Am citit toate romanele marelui scriitor.
The great writer died last year.	Marele scriitor a murit anul trecut.
The former president spoke on TV.	Fostul președinte a vorbit la televizor.

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