# 'cineva' and 'vreunul'



## mihi

Hi all,

What is the difference in nuance/meaning between the following two sentences?:

*Vreunul *trebuie să știe adresa.
*Cineva *trebuie să știe adresa.

Thank you so much.


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## farscape

First of all, "vreunul trebuie sa știe adresa" doesn't sound quite right, it needs a qualifier, "vreunul din(tre) noi trebuie sa știe adresa" - one of us must know the address. 

Second, cineva is used as somebody in English : somebody must know the address / cineva trebuie să știe adresa.

Here is an example for vreunul: vreunul din copiii ăștia trebuie să știe adresa / one of these kids must know the address.

And another one :
Vreun copil de prin vecini / Some kid from the neighbourhood.

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## irinet

Exactly.
'Vreunul' counts for the idea of somebody or something taken from a group like in the following context. Say, I've brought you some candies and I am curious if you enjoyed one type in particular: Ti-a plăcut _vreuna / una (=one) _mai mult (in particular/more than the rest)?

It's selective.

Grammar differences:
1. We use 'cineva' for persons and 'ceva' for things, objects, actions.
2 'Vreunul' is a compound < vreo + unul/una (= a type of one / something or someone in particular).

We also have this saying/idiom:
_
Dacă-ți spun *vreo două* (= 2 words), _meaning that I am upset and I warn you that if you go on I will say some heavy words to you so, don't provoke me.


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## mihi

Thank you for your responses.

The sentence with _vreunul _comes from Romanian: An Essential Grammar by Ramona Gönczöl-Davies.

Is it definitely incorrect, and not regional or maybe old-fashioned/formal?

It gives three examples for this term:

_Vreunul trebuie să știe adresa._
Someone must know the address.

_Îi știi pe vreunii de aici? _
Do you know anyone from here?

_Pixul acesta este al vreunuia dintre voi?_
Does this pen belong to any of you?

Do the other two sound like normal uses?

Due to the selective nature of this term, does this mean it is more likely to come up in questions than declarative sentences?


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## irinet

You are right. It's highly unlikely to find it in declarative sentences.
However, your first example is correct but it needs a context, that would work with 'cineva' as well.

You see a group of people wondering (and wishing perhaps) if anyone from that group knows the address you need.

_De-ar ști *măcar unul (=one at least) *adresa. = If someone knew the address!_


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