cel mai / cea mai / cei mai / cele mai

Relative Superlatives

Level 2

The relative superlative in Romanian is formed by adding the adjectival article cel (which changes for gender/number) before the comparative marker mai.

How It Works

The relative superlative identifies the extreme degree of a quality within a specific context.

1. The Adjectival Article (cel)
The article cel must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes:

  • Masculine/Neuter Singular: cel (e.g., cel mai bun)
  • Feminine Singular: cea (e.g., cea mai bună)
  • Masculine Plural: cei (e.g., cei mai buni)
  • Feminine/Neuter Plural: cele (e.g., cele mai bune)

2. Word Order and Articles
There are two ways to position the superlative:

  • Before the noun: The noun has no attached definite article; the whole phrase is definite. (e.g., cel mai înalt băiat)
  • After the noun: The noun must have its own enclitic definite article. (e.g., băiatul cel mai înalt)

3. Case Agreement
Standard Romanian requires the adjectival article to change when the noun is in the Genitive or Dative case: celui (M.Sg.), celei (F.Sg.), and celor (Plural).

4. Adverbs
When using the superlative with an adverb, the form is fixed as cel mai: Ea fuge cel mai repede (She runs the fastest).

5. Comparison Context
To specify the group, use din (in) or dintre (among): cel mai înalt din clasă.

Examples (5)

  1. El este cel mai înalt băiat din echipă.

    He is the tallest boy in the team.

    Word by Word: He is the most tall boy from team.

    Uses 'cel' because 'băiat' is masculine singular.

  2. Aceasta este cea mai interesantă carte.

    This is the most interesting book.

    Word by Word: This is the most interesting book.

    Uses 'cea' because 'carte' is feminine singular.

  3. Ei sunt cei mai buni prieteni ai mei.

    They are my best friends.

    Word by Word: They are the most good friends of mine.

    Uses 'cei' because 'prieteni' is masculine plural.

  4. Ea cântă cel mai frumos.

    She sings the most beautifully.

    Word by Word: She sings the most beautiful.

    When modifying a verb (adverbial use), 'cel mai' remains masculine singular.

  5. I-am scris celei mai bune prietene.

    I wrote to my best friend.

    Word by Word: I to-her have written to-the most good friend.

    Uses 'celei' because the noun is in the Dative case (to whom?).

Common Mistakes

  • Failing to agree 'cel' with feminine nouns.

    cel mai frumoasă fată
    cea mai frumoasă fată

    The article must match the gender of the noun. 'Fată' is feminine, so 'cel' must become 'cea'.

  • Adding a definite article suffix to the adjective.

    cel mai bunul băiat
    cel mai bun băiat

    The definiteness is already provided by 'cel'. You should not add the '-ul' or '-a' suffix to the adjective itself in this construction.

How It Connects

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cel mai / cea mai / cei mai / cele maiLevel 2Relative Superlatives

Learn This First

To form the relative superlative in Romanian, you need to understand how to compare things using 'mai' (more) and how to apply gender and number agreement using the adjectival articles (cel, cea, cei, cele) to match the noun being described.

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Words in This Pattern

celmai