Pattern
The indefinite article is un (masculine) or o (feminine): un băiat (a boy), o fată (a girl). Plural: niște (some).
Explanation
Romanian has gender — every noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. Un goes with masculine singular nouns; o with feminine singular. The form you choose depends on the noun's gender, which you'll learn together with the word. For learners, the practical rule is: when you learn a new noun, learn it with its article (un măr, o casă).
Neuter nouns behave masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural. Un scaun (a chair) is masculine in form; două scaune (two chairs) takes the feminine plural ending. So un scaun, două scaune. Romanian neuters are a Slavic-influenced category that doesn't exist in French or Italian.
For "some" in the plural, Romanian uses niște, an invariable word: niște băieți (some boys), niște fete (some girls), niște scaune (some chairs). Niște is gentle and indefinite — like English "a few" or "some."
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Am un frate și o soră. | I have a brother and a sister. |
| Vreau o cafea. | I want a coffee. |
| Este un câine în curte. | There is a dog in the yard. |
| Cumpăr niște mere. | I'm buying some apples. |
| O carte interesantă. | An interesting book. |
Common mistakes
- Using "un" with feminine nouns: Un cafea is wrong — cafea is feminine, say o cafea.
- Memorizing nouns without their gender: Always learn the article together with the noun.
- Translating "some" with un/o: For "some apples" use niște mere, not un mere.