dumneavoastră
Polite You
Dumneavoastră is the polite way to say 'you' in Romanian. It is used for both one person and multiple people in formal situations. It always takes a plural verb, but adjectives agree with the actual person you are talking to.
How It Works
To become proficient in using dumneavoastră, follow these key rules:
- Verb Agreement: Even when addressing one person, the verb must be in the second-person plural (the same form used with voi). Note that this differs from the less formal dumneata, which takes a singular verb.
Example: Dumneavoastră sunteți (You are). - Adjective Agreement: A predicate adjective must match the actual gender and number of the person. If you speak to one woman, the adjective is feminine singular; for one man, it is masculine singular.
Example: Dumneavoastră sunteți amabil (to a man) vs. Dumneavoastră sunteți amabilă (to a woman). - Possession and Case: The word dumneavoastră is invariable and acts as its own possessive. Unlike vostru/voastră, it does not change form.
Example: Cartea dumneavoastră (Your book). - Abbreviations: In writing, you will often see it shortened to dvs., dv., or d-voastră.
When using object pronouns (clitics), always use the plural forms vă or v-.
Examples (5)
- Dumneavoastră ce doriți să comandați?
What would you like to order?
Word by Word: You what wish to order?
Used here for a single customer. Note the plural verb 'doriți'.
- Doamnă, dumneavoastră sunteți foarte amabilă.
Madam, you are very kind.
Word by Word: Madam, you are very kind.
The verb 'sunteți' is plural, but the adjective 'amabilă' is feminine singular to match the 'Doamnă'.
- Vă rog să-mi arătați pașaportul dumneavoastră.
Please show me your passport.
Word by Word: You (polite) I-ask to-me show passport-the your.
Uses the polite object clitic 'vă' and the possessive 'dumneavoastră'.
- Domnule, dumneavoastră sunteți pregătit?
Sir, are you ready?
Word by Word: Sir, you are prepared?
The adjective 'pregătit' is masculine singular because the speaker is addressing one man.
- Dumneavoastră sunteți invitații noștri.
You are our guests.
Word by Word: You are guests-the our.
Here, 'dumneavoastră' refers to multiple people, so both the verb and the noun 'invitații' are plural.
Common Mistakes
Using a singular verb with dumneavoastră.
Dumneavoastră ești român?Dumneavoastră sunteți român?Even when addressing one person, 'dumneavoastră' requires the plural verb form 'sunteți', not the singular 'ești'.
Over-correcting adjectives to plural.
Doamnă, dumneavoastră sunteți ocupate?Doamnă, dumneavoastră sunteți ocupată?The verb must be plural, but the adjective must remain singular if you are only talking to one person.
Mixing familiar clitics with formal pronouns.
Te rog, dumneavoastră...Vă rog, dumneavoastră...You cannot mix the familiar 'te' with the formal 'dumneavoastră'. You must use the plural/polite 'vă'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'dumneavoastră' correctly, you must first be familiar with the standard Romanian subject pronouns and how to conjugate basic verbs in the second-person plural (the 'voi' form), as this polite address follows those grammatical rules regardless of whether you are speaking to one or many people.
Related Patterns
- eu / tu / el / ea / noi / voi / ei / eleSubject Pronouns
Dumneavoastră is the formal alternative to the subject pronouns 'tu' (singular) and 'voi' (plural).
Level 1 - Address and Social Register
This pattern explains the social nuances between the different levels of 'you' in Romanian.
Level 5 - te rog / vă rogPlease
The polite way to say 'please' uses the same plural agreement logic as dumneavoastră.
Level 1 - Adjective Agreement
Understanding how adjectives change gender and number is crucial for using dumneavoastră correctly.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice dumneavoastră in Bubblegum
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