Pattern
The four seasons: primăvară (spring), vară (summer), toamnă (autumn), iarnă (winter). With "in": primăvara, vara, toamna, iarna (definite article = "in spring," etc.).
Explanation
Romanian season names are all feminine. The base forms are primăvară, vară, toamnă, iarnă. When you want to say "in spring" / "during summer" / "in autumn" / "in winter," Romanian uses the definite article form: primăvara, vara, toamna, iarna. This adverb-like usage doesn't take a preposition — the definite article is doing the work.
So: Primăvara plouă mult (In spring it rains a lot). Vara mergem la mare (In summer we go to the seaside). Toamna cade frunza (In autumn the leaves fall). Iarna ninge des (In winter it snows often).
You can also use în + season name (with article) for the same meaning, slightly more formal: în primăvară, în vară, în toamnă, în iarnă. Both forms are correct. Conversationally, the bare definite article form (primăvara) is more common.
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Primăvara înfloresc copacii. | In spring the trees bloom. |
| Vara mergem la munte. | In summer we go to the mountains. |
| Toamna încep cursurile. | In autumn classes begin. |
| Iarna îmi place să schiez. | In winter I like to ski. |
| Care e anotimpul tău preferat — primăvara sau toamna? | What's your favorite season — spring or autumn? |
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the definite article: Primăvară plouă sounds wrong; use primăvara plouă.
- Adding "în" + base form: It's în primăvară (with article), not în primăvară without it.
- Confusing toamnă with toamna: One is "autumn" (the noun), the other is "in autumn."