Comments on: Romanian 1 Practice 2 http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/ From the abyss, life. From silence, music. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 06:07:09 +0000 http://polimedia.us hourly 1 By: Robinson Dorion http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/#comment-205 Robinson Dorion Thu, 05 Nov 2020 14:53:58 +0000 http://dorion-mode.com/?p=945#comment-205 Thank you for the thorough explanation! I didn't know that about the formal coming from a mark of nobility, that makes sense and will help to remember. Thank you for the thorough explanation! I didn't know that about the formal coming from a mark of nobility, that makes sense and will help to remember.

]]> By: Diana Coman http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/#comment-204 Diana Coman Thu, 05 Nov 2020 14:00:52 +0000 http://dorion-mode.com/?p=945#comment-204 Romanian is more like French in this respect and less like Italian and Spanish. To the point: Italian and Spanish use 3rd person singular for formal but Romanian and French use only 2nd plural for formal (the 3rd singular is really just that, ie talking about a third person, nothing at all to do with formal). Hence, if you are talking to someone directly, meaning you are addressing them, in Romanian you can use either 2nd singular or 2nd plural but not the 3rd. Perhaps one way to remember this is that the formal in Romanian quite literally comes from a mark of nobility, so in a way it makes perhaps sense that it uses the exact reflection of that "we, the king", hence the 2nd plural "you, the king". The formal pronoun in Romanian, that "dumneavoastra" is really the short/contracted form of "domnia voastra" aka "your Lordship" or equivalent. Romanian is more like French in this respect and less like Italian and Spanish. To the point: Italian and Spanish use 3rd person singular for formal but Romanian and French use only 2nd plural for formal (the 3rd singular is really just that, ie talking about a third person, nothing at all to do with formal). Hence, if you are talking to someone directly, meaning you are addressing them, in Romanian you can use either 2nd singular or 2nd plural but not the 3rd.

Perhaps one way to remember this is that the formal in Romanian quite literally comes from a mark of nobility, so in a way it makes perhaps sense that it uses the exact reflection of that "we, the king", hence the 2nd plural "you, the king". The formal pronoun in Romanian, that "dumneavoastra" is really the short/contracted form of "domnia voastra" aka "your Lordship" or equivalent.

]]> By: Robinson Dorion http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/#comment-203 Robinson Dorion Thu, 05 Nov 2020 13:28:12 +0000 http://dorion-mode.com/?p=945#comment-203 Now I'm wondering why they're using the 2nd personal plural rather than the 3rd personal singular "intelege" ? Is it usage ? To introduce the particular phonetics of "intelegeti" ? Also, in spanish, the 2nd person plural "vosotros entendeis" is informal, i.e. "ya'll understand", why is the 2nd person plural used formally in ro ? Now I'm wondering why they're using the 2nd personal plural rather than the 3rd personal singular "intelege" ? Is it usage ? To introduce the particular phonetics of "intelegeti" ?

Also, in spanish, the 2nd person plural "vosotros entendeis" is informal, i.e. "ya'll understand", why is the 2nd person plural used formally in ro ?

]]> By: Robinson Dorion http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/#comment-202 Robinson Dorion Thu, 05 Nov 2020 11:34:20 +0000 http://dorion-mode.com/?p=945#comment-202 They do indeed use the 2nd personal plural, thank you for the correction. They do indeed use the 2nd personal plural, thank you for the correction.

]]> By: Diana Coman http://dorion-mode.com/2020/11/romanian-1-practice-02/#comment-200 Diana Coman Wed, 04 Nov 2020 19:10:28 +0000 http://dorion-mode.com/?p=945#comment-200 <blockquote> Intelegi doamna ? </blockquote> Are you sure that's what they said in there? It's much more likely for it to be "intelegeti, doamna?" - the difference being that "intelegi" is 2nd person singular aka informal while "intelegeti" is 2nd person plural aka formal. If you combine informal verb form with formal address, the result certainly works but more as a way to highlight the contrast between the pretended status ("doamna") and the actual/observed rather lower level of comprehension perhaps! For the same reason of informal among the formal rest (though without any further implication), the earlier "Intelegi engleza ?" doesn't quite fit with the others. It's more likely to be "intelegeti engleza?"

Intelegi doamna ?

Are you sure that's what they said in there? It's much more likely for it to be "intelegeti, doamna?" - the difference being that "intelegi" is 2nd person singular aka informal while "intelegeti" is 2nd person plural aka formal. If you combine informal verb form with formal address, the result certainly works but more as a way to highlight the contrast between the pretended status ("doamna") and the actual/observed rather lower level of comprehension perhaps!

For the same reason of informal among the formal rest (though without any further implication), the earlier "Intelegi engleza ?" doesn't quite fit with the others. It's more likely to be "intelegeti engleza?"

]]>