jos
/ʒos/
The Romanian word for down is jos. Wiktionary also lists în jos and spre-n jos.
Meaning: from a high to a low position, downwards (adv)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| jos | /ʒos/ |
| în jos | /ɨn ʒos/ (word by word) |
| spre-n jos |
jos is used both to indicate a lower level (e.g., downstairs) and to command someone to sit or get down. It is also used with verbs of movement or position.
Which one should you use?
în jos indicates movement or direction towards the lower part of something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used with verbs of movement or position like 'a coborî' (to go down) or 'a sta' (to sit/stay), 'jos' functions as an adverb of place.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒos/
Did you know?
- The word jos is used in the common expression jos cu… to mean 'down with', used during protests to call for the removal of a leader or government.
- The word jos descends from the Late Latin word diōsum, which evolved from the Classical Latin deorsum.
- In Romania, jos is often used in the phrase jos în oraș, which literally means 'down in town' regardless of whether the city is actually at a lower elevation.
Examples in context
- Vino și stai jos.Come in and sit down.This sentence demonstrates using jos to command someone to sit down.Tatoeba #8565892 by fathe, translation #2275770 by CK
- Poți sta jos dacă vrei.You can sit down if you want.This sentence shows how jos can be used to express permission to sit down.Tatoeba #13613634 by Ioana_Dobre, translation #3223041 by CK
- El a fugit jos pe scări.He ran down the stairs.This sentence illustrates the use of jos to describe movement down a specific path like stairs.Tatoeba #8632562 by CataG, translation #8575189 by ET
- Lumina soarelui reflectată în apă se vede și pe clădirea de jos.The sunlight reflected in the water is visible on the building down below.
- Coboară jos de pe scări și întâlnește-ne în fața clădirii.Come down the stairs and meet us in front of the building.
- Stai jos! Nu e locul tău acolo.Stay down! That's not your place there.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrei and Elena are in a house and Andrei is upstairs.
- AndreiElena, tenumești jos acum?Elena, are you coming down now?
- ElenaDa, cobor jos în două minute.Yes, I'm coming down in two minutes.
- AndreiTe aștept jos în bucătărie.I'll wait for you down in the kitchen.
- ElenaBine, ajung jos imediat.Fine, I'll be down immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “down” translations and entries jos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (în, jos) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jos, în, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
