-a
/a/
In Romanian, the English word "the" is expressed through a combination of independent words and suffixes. If unsure, use -a. Wiktionary also lists cel and cea.
Meaning: article (article)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| -a | /a/ |
| cel | [tʃel] (narrow) |
| cea | /t͡ʃe̯a/ |
The way you say "the" depends on whether the noun is masculine or feminine and whether you are using it as a standalone article or as part of a superlative to mean "the most".
Which one should you use?
The forms function differently: cel and cea are independent words, while -a is an enclitic suffix. Use cel for masculine singular nouns and cea for feminine singular nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
For feminine singular nouns, the article is used as a suffix -a attached to the end of the word. When forming the superlative (to say "the most"), use the combination cel mai for masculine contexts or cea mai for feminine contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/a/
Did you know?
- The Romanian system of articles is more similar to Bulgarian and Albanian than to its Latin cousins, because those Balkan languages also use suffixes.
- The feminine singular article -a is actually a 'ghost' of the Latin word illa, which means 'that'.
- Romanian is one of the few Romance languages where the definite article is often stuck onto the end of a word like a tail.
Examples in context
- Sunt cel mai bun.I'm the best.This sentence shows the use of cel in a superlative context.Tatoeba #6881824 by CataG, translation #755242 by sctld
- Hai să scoatem ceapa.Let's unearth the onions.This sentence demonstrates the use of cea as part of a noun.Tatoeba #6722622 by elenacristina260, translation #3339977 by 8011794255
- Care este cel mai bun?Which is the best?This sentence shows how to use cel to ask which one is the best.Tatoeba #8619453 by CataG, translation #4073898 by CK
- 402 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “the” translations and entries -a, cel, cea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries -a, cel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
