The Vocative Case
When you speak directly to someone—to call out their name or get their attention—Romanian uses a special form called the vocative case. Instead of just saying the person's name, you change the ending of the word.
Masculine Words: -e and -ule
Masculine nouns and names typically take -e or -ule.
- -e: Often added to nouns and names ending in a consonant (băiat → băiete, prieten → prietene, Ion → Ioane).
- -ule: Added to other masculine nouns (om → omule) and names ending in -u (Radu → Radule).
| Boy, you have a beautiful smile. | Băiete, ai un zâmbet frumos. |
| Friend, I saw a tear. Are you okay? | Prietene, am văzut o lacrimă. Ești bine? |
| Man, why do you ask? | Omule, de ce întrebi? |
| John, where are you? I called out to you! | Ioane, unde ești? Te-am strigat! |
| Radu, you have no patience at all. | Radule, nu ai răbdare deloc. |
Feminine Words: -o
For feminine names and nouns, form the vocative by replacing the final vowel (-a or -ă) with -o.
- Maria → Mario
- Elena → Eleno
| Mary, why are you crying? I asked you. | Mario, de ce plângi? Te-am întrebat. |
| Helen, I forgave you. | Eleno, te-am iertat. |
| Helen, why do you have a tear on your face? | Eleno, de ce ai o lacrimă pe față? |
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