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Noi mâncăm la restaurant.

Noi mâncăm la restaurant.
We eat at the restaurant.
From Lesson 20:Accusative prepositions (în, la, pe, din, cu)·Romanian

Breakdown of Noi mâncăm la restaurant.

noi
we
mânca
to eat
la
at / to
restaurantul
the restaurant

Questions & Answers about Noi mâncăm la restaurant.

Why does this sentence use la instead of în if we are physically inside the restaurant?
While în means "in" or "inside", Romanian frequently uses la (at) for public places or businesses when you are there for their normal purpose. You use la restaurant just like you use "at the restaurant" in English.
The English translation says "at the restaurant". Why isn't it la restaurantul?
In Romanian, when a noun comes immediately after most prepositions like la, în, pe, or din, it usually drops the "the" (the definite article) at the end of the word. Because of this rule, we simply say la restaurant, even though it translates to "at the restaurant".
Is it okay to just say mâncăm la restaurant and leave out noi?
Yes, absolutely! Because the verb ending in mâncăm already tells us that "we" are doing the action, the word noi (we) is optional. Native speakers usually drop it unless they want to add special emphasis.
What does the little hat on the first "a" in mâncăm change?
That letter is â. It makes a short, deep sound in the back of your throat, somewhat similar to the "uh" sound in the second syllable of "roses". It is completely different from the regular, open "a" sound at the end of the word.

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