Learn Romanian: Cum sunteți dumneavoastră acum?

Cum sunteți dumneavoastră acum?

How are you now?

Breakdown of Cum sunteți dumneavoastră acum?

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

Questions & Answers about Cum sunteți dumneavoastră acum?

Why use dumneavoastră instead of tu?

dumneavoastră is the formal way to say you in Romanian. You use it when speaking to someone older, a stranger, or in professional settings to show respect. tu is the informal you used with friends and family.

If I am talking to just one person, why is the verb sunteți (plural) instead of ești (singular)?

Whenever you use the polite pronoun dumneavoastră, the verb must always take the plural (you all) form, even if you are only talking to a single person. Because of this rule, you use sunteți instead of ești.

Can I just say Cum sunteți acum? and leave out dumneavoastră?

Yes, you can. Because the verb sunteți already shows who you are talking to, dropping the pronoun is perfectly correct. However, keeping dumneavoastră in the sentence makes it sound a bit more polite and respectful.

How do I know if this sentence is asking one person or multiple people?

By looking at the sentence alone, you cannot tell! dumneavoastră and its matching verb sunteți are used whether you are formally addressing one person or a group of people. You have to rely on the real-world situation to know how many people are being asked.