Breakdown of Băiatul brunet este primul la concurs.
fi
to be (sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt)
băiatul
the boy
la
at / to
brunet
dark-haired
Questions & Answers about Băiatul brunet este primul la concurs.
Why does the word for first have -ul at the end (primul) instead of just being prim?
In Romanian, ordinal numbers almost always take a definite article (like "the" in English). Because băiatul (the boy) is masculine, we take the base word prim and add the masculine definite article -ul to get primul.
How would this sentence change if it were a dark-haired girl who came in first?
The ordinal number must match the gender of the noun. For a girl, you use the feminine form prima. The adjectives change too, so the sentence becomes: Fata brunetă este prima la concurs.
Does brunet just mean black, and can I use it for objects like a black car?
No, brunet is a special adjective used only for people to mean they have dark hair. To describe an object as black, you must use the standard color adjective negru.
The English translation says "in the competition." Why does Romanian use la concurs instead of în concurs?
Romanian frequently uses the preposition la (which normally means "at" or "to") for public events, activities, or gatherings. You are "at" the competition, so la concurs is the most natural way to say you are participating in it.