Learn Romanian: Jucăria este a ei.

Jucăria este a ei.

The toy is hers.

Breakdown of Jucăria este a ei.

to be (sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt)

her

the possessive article (m.sg; a, ai, ale)

jucăria

the toy

Questions & Answers about Jucăria este a ei.

Why do we need the word a before ei?

a is the possessive linking article. When you say something is 'his' or 'hers' after the verb este, you must include this linker. Since jucăria (the toy) is a feminine singular noun, we use the feminine singular linker a.

Why is the word for 'hers' ei instead of ea?

ea is the basic pronoun meaning 'she'. To show possession ('her' or 'hers'), we use the possessive form ei. Together with the linking article, a ei translates to 'hers'.

What happens to the ending of the word jucărie here?

The basic dictionary word for 'toy' is jucărie, which is a feminine noun ending in -ie. To say 'the toy', the final -e is replaced by the feminine definite article -a, giving us jucăria.

Could I leave out the linking article and just say 'Jucăria este ei'?

No, the linking article is strictly required. In English, you have a single word 'hers', but in Romanian, you must build it using the linker that matches the object plus the owner's pronoun: a (matching the feminine toy) plus ei (belonging to her).