Language/Romanian/Grammar/Basic-Adverbs

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Romanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Basic Adverbs

As a Romanian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I know that learning a language is not only about grammar rules and vocabulary, but also about culture and interesting facts. In this lesson, we will cover basic adverbs in Romanian that will help you express yourself with more nuance and precision.

Introduction

Adverbs are an essential part of any language as they modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. In Romanian, adverbs are used to answer questions like "how?", "when?", "where?", or "to what extent?". In this lesson, we will focus on basic adverbs such as very, quite, too, and enough.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Interrogative Words in Romanian & Give your Opinion.

Basic Adverbs

Below is a list of some of the most common basic adverbs in Romanian:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
foarte	['fo̯ar.te]	very
destul de	['des.tul de]	quite
prea	['pre̯a]	too
destul	['des.tul]	enough

Foarte

The word "foarte" is a simple and versatile adverb that can be used to intensify adjectives, verbs or even other adverbs. For example:

• Sunt {foarte} bucuros. (I am very happy.)
• Cartea e {foarte} buna. (The book is very good.)
• Merge {foarte} repede. (He walks very fast.)

Destul de

The adverb "destul de" is used to express an average degree or intensity of a quality or action. It is a bit stronger than "mai" but not as strong as "foarte". For example:

• E {destul de} cald afara. (It's quite warm outside.)
• Am ajuns {destul de} repede. (We arrived quite fast.)
• A fost {destul de} dificil pentru mine. (It was quite difficult for me.)

Prea

"Prea" can be translated as "too" and indicates that the degree of the quality or action exceeds a desirable or acceptable limit. For example:

• Am mancat {prea} mult. (I ate too much.)
• A fost {prea} frig afara. (It was too cold outside.)
• Am {prea} multe de facut astazi. (I have too much to do today.)

Destul

"Destul" is used to indicate that the degree of the quality or action is sufficient or satisfying. For example:

• Am baut {destul} apa. (I drank enough water.)
• Am dormit {destul}. (I slept enough.)
• E {destul} timp pentru a face asta. (There is enough time to do this.)

Usage Tips

Here are a few tips to help you use basic adverbs correctly in Romanian:

• Remember that adverbs can modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs, and that they usually follow the word they modify.
• As a rule, adverbs ending in "-e" (e.g. "destul de", "bine", "tare") are usually invariable, while adverbs ending in "-a" and "-i" (e.g. "foarte", "prea", "usor") can take the endings of the adjective that they modify, as in "foarte buna" or "prea mici".
• Don't confuse "prea" with "mai", which means "more" and is used to indicate an increase in the degree of the quality or action. For example: "Am devenit {mai} bun la acest joc" (I have become {better} at this game).
• Practice, practice, practice! The more you use adverbs in context, the easier it will be to remember them and use them correctly.

Conclusion

Basic adverbs are essential for expressing yourself with nuance and precision in Romanian. In this lesson, we covered some of the most common ones such as "foarte", "destul de", "prea", and "destul". Remember to practice using them in context, and don't hesitate to experiment with different combinations to see what sounds natural. Happy learning!

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Direct and Indirect Speech & Inclusive Case in Romanian.

Table of Contents - Romanian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense of Verbs

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Basic Adjectives
• Basic Adverbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Basic Prepositions
• Basic Conjunctions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Common Foods
• Common Drinks

  ---

Questions and Negations

• Forming Questions
• Negation

  ---

Locations and Directions

• Common Locations
• Giving Directions

  ---

Plurals and Articles

• Plural Nouns
• Definite and Indefinite Articles

  ---

Hobbies and Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Describing Activities

  ---

Romanian Culture and Traditions

• Romanian Holidays
• Romanian Cuisine

  ---

Imperatives and Requests

• Imperative Form
• Polite Requests

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

  ---

Romanian Geography and History

• Geography of Romania
• Romanian History

Other Lessons

• How to Use Have
• Participles and Gerunds
• How to use ¨can¨ in Romanian
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Complex Sentences and Connectors
• Cases
• Prepositions and Postpositions
• Imperative Form
• Give your Opinion
• The Nominative Case in Romanian

Sources

• Romanian Adverbs: A Quick Reference
• The 100 Most Common Romanian Adverbs & How to Use Them

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