# mai



## sargon

What does "mai" mean and where is normally used. Thanks


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## Whodunit

Are you referring to the month "mai" or to the interjection "măi"? if you mean the latter, I can tell you that it means something like "hey!," but I'm not a native, so I can't be sure.


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## parakseno

"mai" has a lot of meanings and it's used in many situations. As whodunit said earlier it can mean the month "May" as a noun. But it can also be used to emphasize an action and here it can have a lot of meanings (I won't be able to cover them all). For example:

Nu _mai _vreau. - I don't want it _anymore_.
_Mai_ vreau. - I want _more_.
_Mai_ vrei salată? - Do you want _more_ salad?
Am _mai _văzut asta. - I've seen this _before_.
Încă _mai_ crezi asta? - Do you _still_ believe this?
Vreau să _mai_ văd filmul _o dată_. - I want to see the movie _again_ / _one more time_.

It would be more easier if you would give us the phrase that uses this word. It's not very easy to talk about it's general use as I'm sure I might skip a meaning or two...


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## alitza

"Mai" is also used in comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs:
mai înalt -taller
mai deştept - smarter
mai bine - better
It can also mean "again" or "still":
Ne mai vizitezi? - Will you visit us again?
Mai fumezi? - Do you still smoke?


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## Mallarme

> Nu _mai _vreau. - I don't want it _anymore_.


How would you say "I don't want any more"?  Would it be the same?

ex: Mai vrei salată? Do you want more salad?
     _____________ No, I don't want any more.


Thanks parakseno and alitza. This is one of the trickiest words to pin down in Romanian.


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## alitza

Mallarme said:


> How would you say "I don't want any more"? Would it be the same?
> 
> ex: Mai vrei salată? Do you want more salad?
> _____________ No, I don't want any more.
> 
> 
> Thanks parakseno and alitza. This is one of the trickiest words to pin down in Romanian.


 
Actually, a more accurate translation of "I don't want it anymore" is" Nu-l/ nu o mai vreau",(where _(i)l_ and _o _replace _it_) whereas "I don't want any more" is simply " Nu mai vreau".


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## parakseno

Ups, my mistake.  I know, I know, I should be more careful...



			
				Mallarme said:
			
		

> This is one of the trickiest words to pin down in Romanian.



Couldn't agree with you more... it's one of those situations when there is no "mot a mot" translation.


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## sargon

Could you please explain the difference among mea, mei, mele?


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## parakseno

It would've been easier if you were more specific. But I'll give it a try...

"meu", "mea", "mei", "mele" is the possessive pronoun or adjective in Romanian (it depends on the context whether it's an adjective or a pronoun) for the first person. It agrees with the possessed object in gender and number. Here are some examples:
(I'll give 2 sentences... the first with the adjective, the second with the pronoun).

Câine (dog) - masculine noun
Câinele meu este afară. Acela e *al meu*. - My dog is outside. That is mine.
Câinii mei sunt afară. *Ai mei* sunt aceia. - My dogs are outside. Mine are those.

Carte (book) - feminine noun
Cartea mea e pe masă. Cartea aceea e *a mea*. - My book is on the table. That book is mine.
Cărţile mele sunt pe masă. Cărţile acelea sunt *ale mele*. - My books are on the table. Those books are mine.

The neuter is simple... just take the singular form from the masculine and the plural from the feminine...
Creion (pencil) - neuter noun
Creionul meu e pe masă. - My pencil is on the table.
Creioanele mele sunt pe masă. - My pencils are on the table.

This is all just for the first person singular (me). 

one possessed object / more possesed objects
me:  meu (m.), mea(f) / mei (m.), mele(f.)
you: tău, ta / tăi, tale
he/she: său, sa / săi, sale
etc.

For the 3rd person the genitive of the personal pronoun can be used to show possession:
his book: cartea lui / cartea sa (the first is with the personal pronoun)
her book: cartea ei / cartea sa

Hope what I said is a bit understandable (and not too "technical"). If there is something that wasn't clear enough, please tell me.


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## sargon

parakseno said:


> It would've been easier if you were more specific. But I'll give it a try...
> 
> "meu", "mea", "mei", "mele" is the possessive pronoun or adjective in Romanian (it depends on the context whether it's an adjective or a pronoun) for the first person. It agrees with the possessed object in gender and number. Here are some examples:
> (I'll give 2 sentences... the first with the adjective, the second with the pronoun).
> 
> Câine (dog) - masculine noun
> Câinele meu este afară. Acela e *al meu*. - My dog is outside. That is mine.
> Câinii mei sunt afară. *Ai mei* sunt aceia. - My dogs are outside. Mine are those.
> 
> Thanks a lot, you made it clear
> Carte (book) - feminine noun
> Cartea mea e pe masă. Cartea aceea e *a mea*. - My book is on the table. That book is mine.
> Cărţile mele sunt pe masă. Cărţile acelea sunt *ale mele*. - My books are on the table. Those books are mine.
> 
> The neuter is simple... just take the singular form from the masculine and the plural from the feminine...
> Creion (pencil) - neuter noun
> Creionul meu e pe masă. - My pencil is on the table.
> Creioanele mele sunt pe masă. - My pencils are on the table.
> 
> This is all just for the first person singular (me).
> 
> one possessed object / more possesed objects
> me: meu (m.), mea(f) / mei (m.), mele(f.)
> you: tău, ta / tăi, tale
> he/she: său, sa / săi, sale
> etc.
> 
> For the 3rd person the genitive of the personal pronoun can be used to show possession:
> his book: cartea lui / cartea sa (the first is with the personal pronoun)
> her book: cartea ei / cartea sa
> 
> Hope what I said is a bit understandable (and not too "technical"). If there is something that wasn't clear enough, please tell me.


 
Thanks a lot, you made it clear


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