ce
/t͡ʃe/
The English word 'what' is translated into Romanian as ce.
The primary way to say 'what' is ce, used as an interrogative pronoun. You may also encounter ceea ce, which serves as a more formal or explicit way to say 'what' when it functions as a relative pronoun, such as in the phrase 'what happened'. Additionally, ce!, cum! and poftim! can be used as expressions of surprise.
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Which one should you use?
Use ce when 'what' is a neutral interrogative or an object. If you are using 'what' to mean 'which' (choosing from a specific set), you should use care instead. When using 'what' as a relative pronoun, the more formal ceea ce is often used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When 'what' is used as a subject in an interrogative structure, ce remains the standard form for referring to a thing. If the subject refers to a person, the word changes to cine.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃe/
Did you know?
- The word ce is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid. This makes it a close linguistic relative to the English phrase 'quid pro quo'.
- In many regions, if you didn't hear someone clearly, saying ce? can sound quite blunt or even rude, similar to an impatient 'What?' in English.
- In casual speech, Romanians may use ce as a filler or a way to check if someone is listening, similar to how English speakers use 'right?' or 'you know?'
Examples in context
- Ce vrei să bei?What would you like to drink?This sentence uses ce to ask what someone wants to drink.Tatoeba #3249520 by radubradu, translation #24765 by CK
- Tu în ce crezi?What do you believe in?This sentence uses ce to ask what someone believes in.Tatoeba #4989219 by fathe, translation #3395892 by CK
- Știi ce a spus?Do you know what he said?This sentence uses ce to ask what someone said.Tatoeba #5129119 by fathe, translation #283431 by CK
- Ce vrei să mănânci?What do you want to eat?
- Ce mâncare preferi?What food do you prefer?
- Ce faci?What are you doing?
- Ce mai zici?What's up?
- Ce-ți place să faci în timpul liber?What do you like to do in your free time?
- 918 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexandru and Maria are talking about a movie.
- AlexandruCe cauți în cinema, Maria?What are you looking for in the cinema, Maria?
- MariaCaut bilete pentru filmul nou.I am looking for tickets for the new movie.
- AlexandruȘi ce film vrei să vezi?And what movie do you want to see?
- MariaVreau să văd comedia de vineri.I want to see the comedy on Friday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries ce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
