Personal pe

Level 2

Use pe with personal names and strong personal pronouns as direct objects. Common-noun objects can have different patterns: compare Caut profesorul and Îl caut pe profesor.

How It Works

Romanian nouns usually look the same whether they are the subject or the object. To avoid confusion, Romanian uses pe to mark 'prominent' objects.

1. When to use it:

  • Proper names: O văd pe Elena. (I see Elena.)
  • Strong pronouns: Te ascult pe tine. (I am listening to you.)
  • Human common nouns: Pe is common for a prominent or contextually identified person, e.g., Îl caut pe tata. (I am looking for dad.)

2. The Clitic Doubling Rule:
With strong personal pronouns, use the matching direct object clitic: Te văd pe tine. With postverbal names and common nouns, doubling depends on the construction and discourse; Îl văd pe Ion is a common pattern, but pe by itself does not make doubling obligatory in every context.

3. Noun Changes:
When a common noun follows pe, it usually loses its definite article suffix unless it is modified by an adjective.
Example: Îl văd pe băiat (I see the boy) vs. Îl văd pe băiatul înalt (I see the tall boy).

4. Beyond People:
While primarily for humans, it is also used with the relative pronoun pe care for both people and objects.

Examples (5)

  1. Îl aștept pe Andrei.

    I am waiting for Andrei.

    Word by Word: Him wait-I on Andrei.

    Andrei is a proper name, so 'pe' is required, along with the masculine clitic 'îl'.

  2. O vizitez pe bunica mea.

    I am visiting my grandmother.

    Word by Word: Her visit-I on grandmother-the my.

    Because 'grandmother' is a specific person (my grandmother), 'pe' and the feminine clitic 'o' are used.

  3. Pe cine cauți?

    Whom are you looking for?

    Word by Word: On whom search-you?

    Interrogative cine takes pe when it functions as a direct object. Other object roles have their own prepositions or case forms.

  4. Te văd pe tine.

    I see you.

    Word by Word: You see-I on you.

    Strong personal pronouns like 'tine' always require 'pe' for emphasis or clarity.

  5. Cartea pe care o citesc este bună.

    The book that I am reading is good.

    Word by Word: Book-the on which her read-I is good.

    In relative clauses, 'pe care' is used even for inanimate objects like 'cartea'.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the matching clitic with a strong personal object pronoun.

    Văd pe tine.
    Te văd pe tine.

    In this construction, strong pe tine is accompanied by the matching clitic te: Te văd pe tine. Do not generalize this requirement to every postverbal noun marked with pe.

  • Using 'pe' for non-human specific objects.

    Văd pe mașina.
    Văd mașina.

    For the ordinary direct-object noun mașina, use Văd mașina. Other inanimate expressions can use pe, including pe care and certain pronouns; the restriction here concerns this plain noun construction.

  • Confusing the object marker 'pe' with the location 'pe' (on).

    Pun pe masă pe carte.
    Pun cartea pe masă.

    'Pe' means 'on' when referring to location. Don't add a second 'pe' just because the object is definite.

How It Connects

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

Personal peLevel 2

Learn This First

Recognize direct-object clitics and personal pe. Strong personal-pronoun objects require their matching clitic, while doubling with postverbal names and common nouns depends on the construction and context.

Words in This Pattern