Language/Romanian/Grammar/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.
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!