# C and CH rules



## staticbob

Hi again,

Could somebody outline the rules for these letter sounds please? And any others that differ on context.

From my understanding, "ch" is always sounded like the english k, a hard sound. As K in kite. Is this correct?

Then the letter "c", I think is sounded like the english "ch" in chair. But this is not always the case...

For example... 

"Cum te cheamă?" - Which gives us hard "K" sound on both "Cum" and "cheama"

"Tu cine ești?" where the letter c has the soft "ch" sound.


Can somebody explain please?

Multumesc,
Bob


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## Outsider

As far as I know, it's just like in Italian:

"C" is normally pronounced as a "k", but it's pronounced "ch" before the front vowels "e" and "i".

"CH" represents the "k" sound before "e" and "i".


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## Trisia

Hi,

Outsider is right. 

Normally, "c" has the "k" - sound:
_room _- *c*ameră 
_colleague _- *c*oleg 
_captain _- *c*ăpitan
_clear _- *c*lar
_protected _- o*c*rotit​ _but_:
accomplices - compli*ci *
belt - *ce*ntură 
in both, "c" is read as the English "ch," like in "cherry."


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## SerinusCanaria3075

The general rule in Romanian and Italian (for C and Ch) is as follows:

*C* before back vowels *A, O, U *- sounds like K:
*Ca*l
*Câ*ştigător 
*Co*pil
*Cu*rs

*Ch* before back vowels *E, I *- sounds like K:
*Che*lner
*Chi*n

*C* Before front vowels *E, I *- sounds like English Ch (cheese, cheap):
*C**e*l
*Ci*nabru


To translate words like "chocolate" usually a diphthong is used:
C*io*colată.


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## OldAvatar

The rules apply to group of letters: _chi_, _che_, _ci_, _ce_. It is like in Italian, but with minor exceptions, for example, complici has a short sound at the end, not exactly like in Italian, while _complicii _(the accomplices) sounds more like Italian *complici*.
See this and this.


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## SerinusCanaria3075

Good point, although I think this would apply to the pronunciation of the -*i *at the end of a word since _complic*e*_ _(accomplice [female])_ would be pronounced as written (unlike _drum_ and _drumur*i*_), correct?  (I couldn't open the links above). 

It's interesting for foreigners (like me) when we first encounter this phenomenon; not only when forming the plural but in foreign words like _me*ci* _(English _mat*ch*_) or those of Slavic origin such as _bi*ci* _(Bulgarian/Russian _би*ч*_).


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