un / o / niște

Indefinite Articles

Level 1

Romanian indefinite articles are standalone words placed before the noun. Use un for masculine/neuter singular, o for feminine singular, and niște for all plurals.

How It Works

Indefinite articles are essential for introducing new information. They change based on the gender, number, and case of the noun:

Nominative/Accusative (Subject/Object):

  • Masculine & Neuter Singular: Use un.
    Example: un băiat (a boy), un scaun (a chair).
  • Feminine Singular: Use o.
    Example: o fată (a girl), o mașină (a car).
  • Plural (All Genders): Use niște.
    Example: niște băieți (some boys), niște fete (some girls).

Genitive/Dative (Possession/Indirect Object):
To say 'of a' or 'to a', the forms change and require specific noun forms:

  • Masculine & Neuter Singular: unui + singular noun (e.g., unui băiat - to a boy).
  • Feminine Singular: unei + the feminine genitive/dative singular form, which usually matches the nominative plural. For example, unei fete means of/to a girl; here fete has the same form as the nominative plural of fată. Learn exceptions with each noun.
  • Plural (All Genders): unor + plural noun (e.g., unor prieteni - to some friends). The noun must always be in its plural form when used with unor.

Key Usage Rules:
1. Placement: Always place the article before the noun.
2. Partitive Use: Niște is also used with uncountable nouns to mean 'some' (e.g., niște apă - some water).
3. Professions: Unlike English, Romanian usually omits the article when stating someone's profession after the verb a fi (e.g., El este doctor). An article is also possible when identifying or characterizing someone, as in El este un doctor bun; an overt article is not automatically an error.

Examples (6)

  1. Un băiat citește o carte.

    A boy is reading a book.

    Word by Word: A boy reads a book.

    Shows 'un' for a masculine noun (băiat) and 'o' for a feminine noun (carte).

  2. Am cumpărat niște mere.

    I bought some apples.

    Word by Word: I-have bought some apples.

    Niște is used with mere, the plural of the neuter noun măr. Neuter plurals take feminine agreement.

  3. Vrei niște apă?

    Do you want some water?

    Word by Word: Want-you some water?

    'Niște' acts as a partitive here, indicating an indefinite amount of an uncountable noun.

  4. Văd un scaun și o masă.

    I see a chair and a table.

    Word by Word: I-see a chair and a table.

    'Un' is used for the neuter noun 'scaun' in the singular, while 'o' is used for the feminine 'masă'.

  5. Ea este studentă.

    She is a student.

    Word by Word: She is student.

    Notice the article is omitted when stating a profession or status.

  6. I-am dat o carte unui prieten.

    I gave a book to a friend.

    Word by Word: Him-I-have given a book to-a friend.

    This shows the Dative form 'unui' used for a masculine singular noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'unu' instead of 'un' before a noun.

    Văd unu câine.
    Văd un câine.

    'Unu' is the number 'one' used when counting or standing alone. 'Un' is the article used specifically before a noun.

  • Confusing 'un' with feminine nouns.

    un casă
    o casă

    Beginners often default to 'un' for all singular nouns. Remember that feminine nouns ending in -ă or -a almost always require 'o'.

How It Connects

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un / o / nișteLevel 1Indefinite Articles

Learn This First

To use indefinite articles correctly, you must first understand that Romanian nouns are categorized into three genders, as the choice between 'un', 'o', and 'niște' depends entirely on the gender and number of the noun being modified.

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niște