Question 1

How does the phrase În ceea ce privește literally break down?

Accepted Answer

This is a fixed expression meaning as regards or concerning. Literally, it translates to in that which looks at (în = in, ceea ce = that which, privește = looks at). It is an excellent discourse marker to use when you want to sound more fluent and structure your arguments.

Question 2

Does the noun following În ceea ce privește always need a definite article?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the noun after this expression acts as the direct object of the verb privește and takes the definite article in the accusative case. That is why we use prețul (the price) instead of just preț (price). If you wanted to say concerning the cars, you would say în ceea ce privește mașinile.

Question 3

Why is the word mai placed before trebuie and not before discutăm?

Accepted Answer

Placing mai (still) before the impersonal verb trebuie is very natural in Romanian and emphasizes that the necessity itself still exists (we still need to). You could also say trebuie să mai discutăm (we need to discuss further), which shifts the focus slightly to the action of discussing, but both are perfectly correct and mean virtually the same thing.

Question 4

Since the sentence means WE still need to discuss, why isn't trebuie conjugated for the first person plural?

Accepted Answer

In Romanian, trebuie (must/need) is an impersonal verb, meaning its present tense form never changes to match a person. The subject of the action is entirely indicated by the subjunctive verb that follows it. Here, the first person plural is shown by să discutăm (that we discuss).

În ceea ce privește prețul, mai trebuie să discutăm.

Breakdown of În ceea ce privește prețul, mai trebuie să discutăm.

Questions & Answers about În ceea ce privește prețul, mai trebuie să discutăm.

Learn În ceea ce privește prețul, mai trebuie să discutăm and more in Romanian