Breakdown of Ei au niște haine scumpe.
avea
to have
ei
they; them (after a preposition)
niște
some
haina
the coat / the garment (pl. clothes)
Questions & Answers about Ei au niște haine scumpe.
Why does scumpe (expensive) come after haine (coats)?
In Romanian, adjectives usually go after the noun they describe. Instead of "expensive coats", the sentence is literally structured as "coats expensive" (haine scumpe).
Why does the adjective end in "-e" (scumpe)?
Adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender and number. The singular word for coat (haină) is feminine. Since the sentence is about multiple coats (haine), the adjective must be in its feminine plural form, which is scumpe. The basic masculine singular dictionary form is scump.
I thought haine meant "clothes". Can it also mean "coats"?
Yes! Haine is the general word for "clothes". However, a haină is also specifically a "coat" or "jacket". You will know whether someone means general clothes or specific coats based on the context of the conversation.