Learn Romanian: Știu că orchestra cântă foarte bine. - I know that the orchestra plays very well.

Știu că orchestra cântă foarte bine.

I know that the orchestra plays very well.

Breakdown of Știu că orchestra cântă foarte bine.

to sing / to play (music), perform

ști

to know

Questions & Answers about Știu că orchestra cântă foarte bine.

Why is știu used here instead of cunosc for the verb 'to know'?

A ști is used when you know a fact, a piece of information, or when followed by a clause with că (that). A cunoaște means to be acquainted with a person, a place, or to be familiar with a deep subject. Since you are stating a fact about the orchestra's performance, știu is the correct choice.

Could I use să instead of că after știu?

Not for this meaning. A ști că means 'to know that' (stating a fact). If you use a ști să plus a subjunctive verb, it translates to 'knowing how to' perform a skill. For example, Știu să cânt means 'I know how to play/sing'.

Doesn't a cânta usually mean 'to sing'? Why does it translate to 'plays' here?

In Romanian, a cânta is used both for singing with the voice and for playing a musical instrument or performing as a musical group. You cannot use a se juca (which means 'to play a game or sport') for music.

Is orchestra the exact same base word in Romanian as in English?

It looks identical here, but be careful with the ending. The base dictionary word in Romanian is actually orchestră, ending with the vowel -ă. In this sentence, it ends in -a because the feminine definite article has been attached to the end to mean 'the' orchestra.