Breakdown of Azi-dimineață am băut doar o cafea.
cafeaua
the coffee
o
a / an (f)
bea
to drink
doar
only
azi-dimineață
this morning
Questions & Answers about Azi-dimineață am băut doar o cafea.
Why is azi-dimineață written with a hyphen?
It forms a compound adverb. In Romanian, when azi (today) combines with parts of the day like dimineață (morning) or noapte (night) to mean this morning or tonight, they are linked with a hyphen to act as a single unit of time.
The English translation says "I had a coffee", but doesn't am băut mean "I drank"?
Does the position of doar matter here?
Yes, its placement dictates the emphasis. By putting doar right before o cafea, you emphasize that you drank only a coffee and nothing else. If you moved it to the front (Doar azi-dimineață am băut o cafea), it would change the meaning to say that this morning was the only time you drank a coffee.
Could I drop the o and just say am băut doar cafea?
Absolutely. Just like in English, you can drop the article to talk about the beverage in general (I drank only coffee). Using o cafea simply emphasizes that you had a single cup or serving.
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