Subject Pronouns in Romanian

Overview

Romanian subject pronouns are among the first things a learner encounters at the A1 level, and they lay the groundwork for understanding verb conjugation, agreement, and sentence structure throughout the language. Romanian has six subject pronouns covering three persons in both singular and plural forms, with distinct third-person forms for masculine and feminine.

One of the most distinctive features of Romanian is that subject pronouns are frequently omitted in everyday speech and writing. Because Romanian verb endings clearly indicate the person and number of the subject, the pronoun is often redundant. When a speaker does include the pronoun, it typically serves to add emphasis, clarify ambiguity, or create contrast between subjects. This characteristic, known as pro-drop, is shared with other Romance languages like Spanish and Italian but sets Romanian apart from English and French.

Understanding when to use and when to omit subject pronouns is an essential skill that develops naturally as you become familiar with verb conjugations. At the beginning stage, it is perfectly acceptable to include pronouns for clarity while you build confidence with verb forms.

How It Works

Romanian has the following subject pronouns:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	eu (I)	noi (we)
2nd	tu (you, informal)	voi (you, plural/informal)
3rd masculine	el (he)	ei (they, masc.)
3rd feminine	ea (she)	ele (they, fem.)

Key Rules

Formal address uses the pronouns dumneavoastră (singular formal "you") or dumneavoastră (plural formal "you"), which take second-person plural verb forms. In very formal or institutional settings, you may also encounter dumneata (a slightly less formal alternative to dumneavoastră) paired with second-person singular verb forms.

Third-person plural distinguishes gender: ei refers to all-masculine or mixed groups, while ele refers to all-feminine groups. This gender distinction in the third-person plural is a feature Romanian shares with Italian but not with French or Spanish.

Pro-drop behavior means that the verb alone often carries enough information:

• Sunt student. — "(I) am a student." (pronoun omitted)
• Eu sunt student. — "I am a student." (pronoun included for emphasis)

Pronoun for contrast:

• Eu lucrez, dar el doarme. — "I work, but he sleeps."

Examples in Context

Romanian	English	Note
Eu sunt student.	I am a student.	Pronoun included for clarity
Tu ești aici.	You are here.	Informal singular
El este înalt.	He is tall.	Masculine third person
Ea este doctoriță.	She is a doctor.	Feminine third person
Noi suntem din România.	We are from Romania.	First person plural
Voi sunteți prietenii mei.	You are my friends.	Second person plural
Ei sunt acasă.	They (masc.) are at home.	Masculine or mixed group
Ele sunt la școală.	They (fem.) are at school.	All-feminine group
Merg acasă.	(I) go home.	Pronoun omitted — verb ending shows 1st sg.
Eu merg, tu rămâi.	I go, you stay.	Pronouns for contrast
Dumneavoastră sunteți profesorul?	Are you the teacher?	Formal address
Sunt obosit.	(I) am tired.	Pro-drop in casual speech

Common Mistakes

Overusing pronouns in every sentence.

• Wrong: Eu merg la magazin. Eu cumpăr pâine. Eu vin acasă.
• Right: Merg la magazin. Cumpăr pâine. Vin acasă.
• Why: Romanian naturally drops pronouns when the subject is clear from context. Including them in every sentence sounds stilted.

Using tu in formal situations.

• Wrong: Tu sunteți profesor? (to a stranger)
• Right: Dumneavoastră sunteți profesor?
• Why: Use dumneavoastră with the second-person plural verb form when addressing someone formally.

Confusing ei and ele.

• Wrong: Maria și Ana? Ei sunt acolo.
• Right: Maria și Ana? Ele sunt acolo.
• Why: An all-feminine group requires ele, not ei. Use ei only for all-masculine or mixed-gender groups.

Forgetting that sunt serves double duty.

• Wrong: Thinking sunt always means "I am."
• Right: Sunt means both "I am" (1st person singular) and "they are" (3rd person plural). Context or the pronoun disambiguates.

Usage Notes

In everyday spoken Romanian, subject pronouns are omitted more often than they are included. Written Romanian, especially in formal registers, may include them slightly more for stylistic clarity, but the tendency to drop them remains strong across all registers.

The formal pronoun dumneavoastră (often abbreviated dvs. in writing) is essential in professional, institutional, and service contexts. Younger Romanians in casual settings may use tu more broadly than older generations, but erring on the side of formality with strangers is always appropriate at the A1-A2 level.

Regional variation is minimal for subject pronouns, though the degree of pro-drop can vary by dialect and personal style.

Practice Tips

• Practice conjugating verbs without pronouns first, then add them back only for emphasis or contrast. This builds the habit of relying on verb endings rather than pronouns.
• Create pairs of sentences — one with the pronoun and one without — and say them aloud to develop a feel for when emphasis is natural versus redundant.
• Listen to Romanian podcasts or watch shows with subtitles, noting how often native speakers omit pronouns in conversation.

Related Concepts

• Next steps: Verb 'A Fi' (To Be) — the first essential verb to conjugate with these pronouns
• Next steps: Verb 'A Avea' (To Have) — the second key verb combining with subject pronouns
• Next steps: Verb Conjugation Groups — understanding how verb endings encode person and number
• Next steps: Clitic Pronouns — object pronoun forms that complement subject pronouns