Breakdown of În primul rând, nu am timp. În al doilea rând, nu am bani.
nu
no / not
avea
to have
banii
the money
timpul
the time
în primul rând
first of all
în al doilea rând
secondly
Questions & Answers about În primul rând, nu am timp. În al doilea rând, nu am bani.
What does the word rând literally mean in these phrases?
Literally, rând means "row", "line", or "turn". So în primul rând word-for-word means "in the first row", but it is the standard Romanian expression for "firstly" or "first of all" when listing points or arguments.
Why do "first" (primul) and "second" (al doilea) have completely different grammatical structures here?
In Romanian, "first" is a special case that acts like a normal adjective taking a definite article at the end (prim + ul). From "second" onwards, masculine and neuter ordinal numbers use a specific pattern: al + [number] + lea. This is why "second" is al doilea instead of taking a simple ending.
If I want to say "firstly", can I just use prima dată instead of în primul rând?
Not quite! Prima dată translates to "the first time" and is used when you are talking about chronological events (like the first time you visited a place). When you are organizing your thoughts, making an argument, or listing reasons like in this sentence, you must use în primul rând.
Why is "money" translated to the plural form bani?
In Romanian, the general concept of money is almost always expressed in the plural. The singular word ban refers to a single coin (specifically, the smallest unit of Romanian currency). So when you say nu am bani, you are literally saying "I don't have coins."
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