One and Two Agreement

Level 1

In Romanian, the numbers 1 and 2 are special because they must agree with the gender of the noun. 1 has different forms for counting versus describing a noun, while 2 always changes based on gender.

How It Works

Unlike most other numbers in Romanian, 1 and 2 are inflected for gender.

1. The Number One (1)
When used alone as an adjective (directly before a noun), it functions like the indefinite article:

  • Masculine/Neuter: un (e.g., un băiat - one boy)
  • Feminine: o (e.g., o fată - one girl)

When counting or naming the number, use unu. The pronoun meaning one of a set is unul (masculine/neuter singular) or una (feminine). Note that in compound numbers like 21 or 31, the forms unu/una are used even before a noun (e.g., douăzeci și una de fete).

2. The Number Two (2) and Twelve (12)
These numbers always change to match the noun's gender:

  • Masculine: doi / doisprezece
  • Feminine/Neuter: două / douăsprezece

3. The Neuter "Switch"
The neuter gender acts masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural. Therefore:

  • 1 Neuter object = un (Masculine form)
  • 2 Neuter objects = două (Feminine form)

4. Compound Numbers and Exceptions
Agreement persists in numbers like 21, 22, 31, 32, etc. However, 11 (unsprezece) is an exception; it is invariable and does not change for gender. For example: unsprezece băieți and unsprezece fete.

Examples (5)

  1. Am un frate și două surori.

    I have one brother and two sisters.

    Word by Word: I-have one brother and two sisters.

    'Un' matches the masculine singular 'frate', while 'două' matches the feminine plural 'surori'.

  2. Un scaun este aici, dar două scaune sunt acolo.

    One chair is here, but two chairs are there.

    Word by Word: One chair is here, but two chairs are there.

    'Scaun' is neuter. It takes the masculine 'un' in singular and the feminine 'două' in plural.

  3. Ea are douăsprezece mere.

    She has twelve apples.

    Word by Word: She has twelve apples.

    Mere (apples) is the plural of the neuter noun măr. Neuter plurals take feminine agreement, so the number is douăsprezece.

  4. Pagina douăzeci și una.

    Page twenty-one.

    Word by Word: Page twenty and one.

    Since 'pagină' is feminine, the 'one' at the end of 21 becomes 'una'.

  5. Unu, doi, trei, start!

    One, two, three, go!

    Word by Word: One, two, three, start!

    When counting without nouns, we use the standalone masculine forms 'unu' and 'doi'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'unu' directly before a noun.

    Vreau unu bilet.
    Vreau un bilet.

    When 'one' describes a noun, you must use the short form 'un' (masculine/neuter) or 'o' (feminine).

  • Using masculine doi with feminine mașini.

    Am doi mașini.
    Am două mașini.

    Even if you think of a noun as 'inanimate', if it is feminine or neuter in the plural, you must use 'două'.

  • Forgetting agreement in the number 12.

    doisprezece fete
    douăsprezece fete

    While 11 (unsprezece) never changes, 12 must always agree with the gender of the noun.

How It Connects

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

One and Two AgreementLevel 1

Learn This First

To learn the agreement of 'one' and 'two', you first need to understand that Romanian nouns are categorized into three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and how to form their plural versions, as these numbers change their form to match the noun's gender and number.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

unudoi