Word
Chestia e că nu am timp.
Meaning
The thing is, I don't have time.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Chestia e că nu am timp.
fi
to be (sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt)
nu
no / not
avea
to have
că
that (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Chestia e că nu am timp.
Why is chestia used here instead of lucrul for the thing?
Chestie is a very common, slightly informal word for a matter, issue, or abstract thing, whereas lucru is more standard for an object or action. Saying chestia e că is the most natural way to translate the conversational phrase the thing is that.
How does the word chestie become chestia?
Chestie is a feminine noun ending in -ie. To add the definite article (meaning the) to feminine nouns with this ending, the final -e changes to -a, giving us chestia.
Why do we use că for that here instead of să?
We use că because it introduces a simple fact or statement (the reality that you do not have time). You would use să if you were introducing an action that someone wants, needs, or intends to happen.
Can I use the full word este instead of e?
Yes, e is just the short, conversational form of este. Because this is a casual sentence, chestia e că sounds much more natural and flows better in speech than chestia este că.