Neuter Agreement

Level 1

Neuter nouns take masculine agreement in the singular and feminine agreement in the plural. Learn the noun’s gender with its forms; meaning alone does not decide it.

How It Works

In Romanian, nouns are categorized into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. While many objects and abstract concepts have neuter gender, it also includes some animate nouns like animal, personaj (character), or popor (people/nation).

1. The 'Un-Două' Test
The easiest way to identify a neuter noun is the 'One-Two' test. A neuter noun uses the masculine form for 'one' and the feminine form for 'two':

Un scaun (One chair - masculine form)
Două scaune (Two chairs - feminine form)

2. The Agreement Switch
Any word describing a neuter noun (adjectives, articles, numbers) must switch its agreement:

Singular: Use masculine forms. For example, un creion roșu (a red pencil).
Plural: Use feminine forms. For example, două creioane roșii (two red pencils).

3. Common Endings
Neuter nouns usually end in a consonant or -u in the singular. Many modern loanwords ending in -o (radio) or -i (taxi) are also neuter. In the plural, they typically end in -uri (common in neuter plurals, but not exclusive to them), -e, or -i.

4. Definite Articles
Like masculine nouns, neuter nouns ending in a consonant take the -ul article (trenul). Those ending in -u simply add -l (muzeul). In the plural, they use the feminine -le article (trenurile).

Examples (6)

Un scaun nou.
A new chair.
Word by Word: A chair new.
In the singular, 'scaun' (chair) uses the masculine indefinite article 'un' and the masculine adjective form 'nou'.
Două scaune noi.
Two new chairs.
Word by Word: Two chairs new.
In the plural, 'scaune' switches to the feminine numeral 'două' and the feminine plural adjective form 'noi'.
Trenul este lung.
The train is long.
Word by Word: Train-the is long.
The neuter noun 'tren' takes the masculine definite article '-ul' and a masculine adjective 'lung' in the singular.
Trenurile sunt lungi.
The trains are long.
Word by Word: Trains-the are long.
In the plural, 'trenurile' takes the feminine definite article '-le' and the feminine plural adjective 'lungi'.
Am un birou modern.
I have a modern desk.
Word by Word: I-have a desk modern.
'Birou' uses the masculine singular adjective 'modern'.
Am niște birouri moderne.
I have some modern desks.
Word by Word: I-have some desks modern.
The plural 'birouri' switches to the feminine plural adjective form 'moderne', clearly showing the gender shift.

Common Mistakes

Using the masculine 'two' (doi) for neuter nouns.
doi scaune
două scaune
Scaun is neuter in both numbers. It takes masculine agreement in the singular (un scaun) and feminine agreement in the plural (două scaune).
Using masculine plural adjective endings for neuter nouns.
tablouri frumoși
tablouri frumoase
Neuter plurals require feminine plural adjectives. 'Frumoși' is masculine plural; 'frumoase' is feminine plural.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Neuter AgreementLevel 1

Learn This First

To understand neuter agreement, you must first be familiar with the three-gender system in Romanian. You also need to know how to form noun plurals and the basic rules of adjective agreement, as neuter nouns uniquely switch between masculine patterns in the singular and feminine patterns in the plural.