Breakdown of De Paște, mergem la biserică.
merge
to go / to run (of a machine)
la
at / to
de
of / to, near (after se apropia)
biserica
the church
Questions & Answers about De Paște, mergem la biserică.
Why do we say De Paște instead of using La to mean "At Easter"?
In Romanian, the preposition de is the standard way to express "at" or "for" a specific holiday. You will use this same pattern for other celebrations, such as de Crăciun (at Christmas) or de Revelion (on New Year's Eve).
I have also seen Easter written as Paști. Are Paște and Paști the same?
Yes, both are perfectly correct and widely used. Paște is the singular form and is very popular in modern, everyday Romanian. Paști is the plural form, which is slightly older and often heard in more traditional, regional, or religious contexts. You will be understood using either one.
Why is the noun biserică unarticulated here? Shouldn't it be biserica?
After simple prepositions of place and direction like la, în, or din, Romanian nouns drop their definite article unless they are followed by an adjective or another modifier. Because we just say "to church" without describing which specific one, we use the unarticulated form la biserică.
Could mergem translate to "we will go" if Easter is in the future?
Yes! In Romanian, the present tense is frequently used to talk about firmly planned future events. Depending on the conversation, this sentence could describe a general family tradition ("Every Easter, we go to church") or a plan for the upcoming holiday ("This Easter, we are going to church").