Language/Romanian/Grammar/Complex-Sentences-and-Connectors

Romanian → Grammar → Complex Sentences and Connectors

As a Romanian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know how challenging it can be for students to master complex sentence structures and connectors in Romanian. However, with determination and practice, anyone can achieve fluency in this area. In this lesson, I will provide you with cultural information and interesting facts that will make your learning experience enjoyable and effective.

Complex Sentences

Complex sentences are sentences that contain a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. In Romanian, subordinate clauses can be introduced by conjunctions or relative pronouns. The most common conjunctions used to introduce subordinate clauses are:

• să - To indicate a purpose or an objective. Example: El a venit să te ajute. (He came to help you).
• că - To indicate a declaration or a fact. Example: Cred că are dreptate. (I believe that he is right).
• după ce - To indicate a sequence of events. Example: După ce m-am trezit, am făcut o cafea. (After I woke up, I made coffee).
• când - To indicate a temporal relationship. Example: Când va sosi el, o să-mi sune telefonul. (When he arrives, my phone will ring).

Relative pronouns used in Romanian include:

• care - To introduce a relative clause. Example: E cartea pe care am citit-o ieri. (It's the book that I read yesterday).
• când - To indicate a temporal relationship. Example: Acolo a fost momentul când am cunoscut-o. (There was the moment when I met her).
• unde - To indicate a spatial relationship. Example: Este casa în care m-am născut. (It's the house where I was born).

It's important to understand the usage of different conjunctions and relative pronouns to construct complex sentences properly.

Types and Examples of Connectors to Use in Complex Sentences

There are various types of connectors used in complex sentences in Romanian, including temporal, causal, adversative, concessive, and final connectors. Here are some examples:

• Temporal connectors:

în timp ce (while): În timp ce mergeam la serviciu, m-am întâlnit cu o veche cunoştinţă. (While I was going to work, I met an old acquaintance). imediat ce (as soon as): Imediat ce ajunge la aeroport, va suna acasă. (As soon as he arrives at the airport, he will call home). până când (until): Am lucrat până când am terminat totul. (I worked until I finished everything).

• Causal connectors:

deoarece (because): Am luat o umbrelă, deoarece afara ploua. (I took an umbrella because it was raining outside). fiindcă (since): Fiindcă nu a venit ieri la întâlnire, o să-l sunăm astăzi. (Since he didn't come to the meeting yesterday, we'll call him today). datorită faptului că (due to the fact that): Nu a putut să vină la petrecere, datorită faptului că avea un examen. (He couldn't come to the party due to the fact that he had an exam).

• Adversative connectors:

dar (but): Lui îi place cafeaua, dar eu prefer ceaiul. (He likes coffee, but I prefer tea). însă (however): A vrut să meargă la film, însă nu avea bani. (He wanted to go to the cinema, however he didn't have money). totuşi (nevertheless): A întârziat la întâlnire, totuși ne-a cerut scuze. (He was late for the meeting, nevertheless he apologized).

• Concessive connectors:

cu toate că (although): Cu toate că am muncit din greu, nu am obţinut rezultatele scontate. (Although I worked hard, I didn't get the expected results). chiar dacă (even if): Chiar dacă plouă, merg în parc. (Even if it rains, I will go to the park). oricât de mult (however much): Oricât de mult ai munci, banii rămân la fel. (However much you work, the money remains the same).

• Final connectors:

pentru ca (so that): A cumpărat un dicţionar de limbă română, pentru ca să înveţe această limbă. (He bought a Romanian language dictionary, so that he can learn the language). ca să (in order to): Am hotărât să merg la sală, ca să mă simt mai bine. (I decided to go to the gym, in order to feel better). de (să) (in order to): Am cumpărat câteva cărţi de istorie, de să învăţ mai multe lucruri. (I bought some history books, in order to learn more things).

By mastering these connectors, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Romanian.

Exercises

To reinforce your knowledge and practice what you have learned, here are some exercises to try out:

1. Complete the sentence: M-am întâlnit cu el __ am venit acasă. (I met him __ I came home). 2. Translate the sentence: Am mâncat pizza, deoarece îmi place. (I ate pizza, because I like it). 3. Use a causal connector to complete the sentence: __________ am venit la serviciu târziu. (Because I came to work late). 4. Choose the correct connector to complete the sentence: El nu mă poate ajuta, __________ îl iubesc oricum. (although, however, so that)

You can use the examples provided in this lesson to create your own exercises and practice at your own pace.

Sources

• Romanian Conjunctions: List of Romanian Linking Words

Related Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense
• Cases
• Instrumental Case in Romanian
• Prepositions and Postpositions
• Indefinite Articles in Romanian
• The Accusative Case in Romanian
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• How to use ¨can¨ in Romanian