Breakdown of Cutia este un cadou al meu.
fi
to be (sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt)
un
a / an (m/n)
cutia
the box
meu
my [mea, mei, mele]
al
the possessive article (m.sg; a, ai, ale)
cadoul
the gift
Questions & Answers about Cutia este un cadou al meu.
Why do we need the word al here? Can't I just say un cadou meu?
You cannot put a possessive word like meu directly after an indefinite noun (a noun with un or o, like un cadou). To link them, you must use a possessive article. Since we are saying 'a gift of mine', we use al to bridge the gap.
How do I know whether to use al, a, ai, or ale in this sentence?
The possessive article must match the gender and number of the noun being owned, which is un cadou (a gift). The word cadou is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns act like masculine nouns in the singular. Therefore, it takes the masculine/neuter singular article al.
The subject of the sentence is cutia (the box), which is feminine. So why isn't the possessive a mea?
The possessive always agrees with the object being owned, not the subject of the sentence! Here, the thing being owned is the gift (un cadou). Because cadou is neuter singular, the possessive must be al meu, regardless of the gender of the box (cutia).
How would this sentence change if I wanted to say 'The box is my gift'?
If you say 'my gift' instead of 'a gift of mine', the noun becomes definite. You would drop the un and the al, attach the definite article to the noun, and say Cutia este cadoul meu. The linking article al is only needed when the noun is indefinite.
Learn Cutia este un cadou al meu and more in Romanian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free