de
/de/
In Romanian, 'by' is translated as de.
The preposition de is highly polysemous and can mean 'of', 'from', 'by' or 'about' depending on the context. It is the standard preposition used when 'by' indicates the agent of a passive construction, such as in the phrase 'written by'.
Meaning: indicates a means (prep)
How does it change in a sentence?
Depending on the sentence structure and context, de functions as a versatile preposition that can represent 'of', 'from', 'by' or 'about'.
How do you pronounce it?
/de/
Did you know?
- While de is the standard for 'by' in passive sentences, Romanians often use the reflexive se to avoid the passive voice entirely, effectively removing the need for de.
- In Romanian, the word de is used to describe the 'by' in 'by the way' (apropo de), but the word apropo itself is borrowed directly from the Italian phrase 'a proposito'.
- To say 'by' in the sense of 'by car' or 'by train', Romanians typically use cu, which literally means 'with'.
Examples in context
- Apropo, de unde ești?By the way, where are you from?This sentence shows how de can be part of a phrase meaning 'by the way'.Tatoeba #4948773 by elenacristina260, translation #38050 by Zifre
- El m-a prins de mână.He caught me by the hand.This sentence illustrates using de to indicate a part of the body being acted upon.Tatoeba #5138097 by fathe, translation #297888 by CK
- Să trecem de biserică.Let's pass by the church.This sentence shows de used in the context of passing by a location.Tatoeba #6547785 by fathe, translation #19094 by CK
- Cu ajutorul unei echipeBy means of a team
- Cu ajutorul tehnologieiBy means of technology
- Prin mesajBy text message
- Cu mașina buniculuiBy Grandpa's car
- Cu ajutorul prietenilorBy means of friends
- Prin plimbareBy walking
- Cu ajutorul imaginilorBy means of images
- Cu scuterul prietenuluiBy the friend's scooter
- 207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andreea and Alexandru are talking about how they received a gift.
- AndreeaAm primit acest cadou de la tine.I received this gift from you.
- AlexandruEste de la un prieten vechi.It is from an old friend.
- AndreeaA fost trimis de curier?Was it sent by courier?
- AlexandruNu, de la sora mea.No, from my sister.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
