Romanian has three genders:
Masculine
Feminine
Mixed (also called "Neuter")
The "Neuter" or Mixed gender uses the Masculine form in the singular, and the Feminine form in the plural.
Indefinite Form Endings:
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : - -i "s" -ǎ -e(!) "s"
Recipient: - -i "s' " -e -e "s' "
The definite article:
The definite article is attached to end the indefinite form.
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : -(u)l "the" -i "the __s"ǎ-a "the" -le "the __s"
Recipient: - (u)lui "the____'s" -lor "the ___s' " -i "the ___'s" -lor "the __s' "
The Feminine indefinite ǎ (like "a" in "about") is opened to a full 'a' as in 'Father' for the definite article. Thus the ending on a definite feminine noun is not ǎa, but simply "-a."
examples:
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : bǎiat--ul the boy bǎieț-i-i the boys mam-a the mom mam-e-lethe moms
Recipient: bǎiat-ului the boy's băieț-i-lorthe boys' mam-e-i the mom'smam-e-lorthe moms'
In contrast to the Pronouns we covered earlier, (see below), the Masculine Plural is not used as the dative of the singular In the indefinite form, the dative is left unmarked.. When the definite article "the" is added, the masculine singular dative/genitive (marked "Recipient case" above) form of the Definite Article is the distinctive "lui." For plurals, the combined masculine/feminine/mixed gender PLURAL DATIVE or GENITIVE marker "lor" dots any text or sentence, and signals to the beginner that he is truly reading a Romanian text.
The Masculine Plural Marker -i is used as the Feminine Singular Recipient Definite Article, replacing "-a" in the singular.
The Masculine Plural Definite Article "The _____s" is "-i", which is added to the previous Indefinite Plural Marker "-i" producing "-ii." Since the first -i only palatalizes the previous consonant, hearing a vowel sound "i" marks the plural definite article- while merely hearing a palatalized consonant marks the masculine plural.
The Feminine Plural is "-e," as in Italian, and the Feminine Definite Article is "le," also as in Italian. However, there are many exceptions to this pattern. Very many Romanian Feminine nouns have their Plural marker in "i," which must be learned individually. Eg. Femeie "woman" Femei "women" Femeile "the women."
Masculine
Feminine
Mixed (also called "Neuter")
The "Neuter" or Mixed gender uses the Masculine form in the singular, and the Feminine form in the plural.
Indefinite Form Endings:
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : - -i "s" -ǎ -e(!) "s"
Recipient: - -i "s' " -e -e "s' "
The definite article:
The definite article is attached to end the indefinite form.
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : -(u)l "the" -i "the __s"
Recipient: - (u)lui "the____'s" -lor "the ___s' " -i "the ___'s" -lor "the __s' "
The Feminine indefinite ǎ (like "a" in "about") is opened to a full 'a' as in 'Father' for the definite article. Thus the ending on a definite feminine noun is not ǎa, but simply "-a."
examples:
Masculine: Feminine:
1 many 1 many
Regular : bǎiat--ul the boy bǎieț-i-i the boys mam-a the mom mam-e-lethe moms
Recipient: bǎiat-ului the boy's băieț-i-lorthe boys' mam-e-i the mom'smam-e-lorthe moms'
In contrast to the Pronouns we covered earlier, (see below), the Masculine Plural is not used as the dative of the singular In the indefinite form, the dative is left unmarked.. When the definite article "the" is added, the masculine singular dative/genitive (marked "Recipient case" above) form of the Definite Article is the distinctive "lui." For plurals, the combined masculine/feminine/mixed gender PLURAL DATIVE or GENITIVE marker "lor" dots any text or sentence, and signals to the beginner that he is truly reading a Romanian text.
The Masculine Plural Marker -i is used as the Feminine Singular Recipient Definite Article, replacing "-a" in the singular.
The Masculine Plural Definite Article "The _____s" is "-i", which is added to the previous Indefinite Plural Marker "-i" producing "-ii." Since the first -i only palatalizes the previous consonant, hearing a vowel sound "i" marks the plural definite article- while merely hearing a palatalized consonant marks the masculine plural.
The Feminine Plural is "-e," as in Italian, and the Feminine Definite Article is "le," also as in Italian. However, there are many exceptions to this pattern. Very many Romanian Feminine nouns have their Plural marker in "i," which must be learned individually. Eg. Femeie "woman" Femei "women" Femeile "the women."
