Learn Romanian: Acel om se trezește devreme.

Acel om se trezește devreme.

That man wakes up early.

Breakdown of Acel om se trezește devreme.

the man (human being)

acel

that (m/n)

Questions & Answers about Acel om se trezește devreme.

Why is it Acel om instead of Acel omul?

When a demonstrative adjective like acel (that) is placed directly before a noun, the noun drops its definite article. So we just say acel om (that man) instead of adding the usual -ul ending to the noun.

Could I use acest instead of acel here?

You could, but it would change the meaning! Acest means "this" (for a person or thing close to you), while acel means "that" (for someone further away). Both are used for masculine singular nouns like om.

Why is there a se in front of trezește?

The verb for "to wake up" is reflexive in Romanian: a se trezi. Literally, this sentence translates to "That man wakes himself up early." The word se is the reflexive pronoun for "he".

Does om mean "man" or "person"?

It can mean both! Depending on the context, om translates to "man", "human", or "person". If you wanted to specifically emphasize "man" as opposed to "woman", you could also use the word bărbat and say Acel bărbat.