Breakdown of Chelnerul vine la masă.
masa
the table
la
at / to
veni
to come / to feel like (dative + vine să)
chelnerul
the waiter
Questions & Answers about Chelnerul vine la masă.
Why is the English phrase 'the waiter' written as one word, chelnerul?
In Romanian, the word for 'the' (the definite article) attaches to the very end of the noun instead of coming before it. For masculine words ending in a consonant like chelner, you add -ul to make chelnerul.
Does vine mean 'he comes' or 'she comes'?
It can mean both! Vine is the 'he, she, or it' form of the verb a veni (to come). Since chelnerul is the subject here, it translates to 'the waiter comes'.
Why doesn't masă have a 'the' ending attached to it, like chelnerul does?
After most short prepositions like la (to or at), Romanian drops the 'the' ending on the noun. So even though we say 'to the table' in English, in Romanian you just say la masă (literally 'to table').
Can la also mean 'at'? How do I know if it means 'to' or 'at' here?
Yes, la means both 'to' (showing direction) and 'at' (showing location). You can tell which one makes sense based on the verb. Because vine (comes) is an action of motion, la masă means 'to the table'. If the verb described resting in one place, it would mean 'at the table'.