la + Place
La with Places
The preposition la is the most common way to say 'at' or 'to' in Romanian. It treats a location as a specific point or a destination rather than an enclosed space.
How It Works
The preposition la is a versatile tool in Romanian geography and social life. Here are the primary rules for its use:
- Location and Destination: It answers both unde? (where?) and încotro? (where to?).
Example: Sunt la cinema (I am at the cinema) vs. Merg la cinema (I am going to the cinema). - The Bare Noun Rule: When talking about common institutions or habitual activities, the noun following la does not take a definite article. You say la școală (at school), not la școala.
- Articulated Nouns: A definite phrase with an adjective or possessive can retain the article. A known or specific place can still appear without an article in a simple location phrase.
Example: Merg la școala nouă (I go to the new school). - People as Locations: To say you are at someone's house or going to see them, use la + the person's name.
Example: Sunt la Andrei (I am at Andrei's). - Cities vs. Countries: Use la for cities when treating them as a destination point, and normally use în for countries.
Examples (5)
- Merg la școală în fiecare zi.
I go to school every day.
Word by Word: I-go to school in every day.
Notice that 'școală' is unarticled because it is a general institution.
- Ea este la birou acum.
She is at the office now.
Word by Word: She is at office now.
In Romanian, 'la birou' covers the meaning of 'at the office' without needing a definite article.
- Ne întâlnim la ora cinci la teatru.
We are meeting at five o'clock at the theater.
Word by Word: Us meet at hour five at theater.
'La' is used for both the time (at five) and the location (at the theater).
- Diseară mergem la Maria.
Tonight we are going to Maria's.
Word by Word: Tonight go-we to Maria.
Using 'la' with a person's name indicates going to their home or location.
- Trenul ajunge la București.
The train arrives at Bucharest.
Word by Word: Train-the arrives at Bucharest.
'La' is used here to treat the city as a destination point.
Common Mistakes
Using the definite article for general institutions.
Merg la școala.Merg la școală.Romanian omits the definite article after 'la' for common destinations like school, work, or hospital unless they are specifically described.
Using 'la' for countries.
Merg la România.Merg în România.For travel to the country Romania, say Merg în România. Country names normally take în in this geographical use.
Confusing 'la' with the French/Spanish feminine article.
La fată este aici.Fata este aici.In Romanian, 'la' is only a preposition. The definite article is a suffix attached to the end of the noun (e.g., 'fata').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'la' with places, you first need to understand its role as a basic preposition. You also need to be familiar with noun genders and the definite article system, as 'la' often precedes nouns in their base form where a definite article might otherwise be expected in English.
- în / la / cu / pentru / fărăBasic Prepositions
The pattern 'la + place' is a specific usage of the basic preposition 'la', so understanding its general function as a preposition is essential.
Level 1 - The Attached Definite Article
In Romanian, 'la' is used with the dictionary form of certain nouns (like 'școală' or 'serviciu') which implies an understanding of how definite articles usually work and when they are omitted in prepositional phrases.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice la + Place in Bubblegum
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