# este vs e



## Setwale_Charm

Are there are any special rules for when 'este' may or may not be contracted to 'e'? I may be under a delusion but I have noticed that after 'cine' 'e' is used while after 'ce' mostly 'este' is used?


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## Kraus

As far as I know, one may use "este" or "e" indifferently, but let's wait for the natives' opinion...


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## Woland

There is no rule for contraction, both mean ''is''.
'este' and 'e', pronounced (jeste and je) have the same use. Usually, 'este' is more formal, while 'e' is used in everyday speech, but this is not a general rule.
In some regions of Romania, especially in Moldova and Transilvania, or in literature, the form îi(yi) is also used.


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## Trisia

Oh, no, Setwale_Charm, not Romanian too! (how many languages again? )

I suppose you could say "este" is slightly more formal, but I don't know any rules regarding the usage.

Now that I think of it, We do tend to say "Cine e?" (Answer to *Knock-knock*) and "Ce este?" a bit more. But I've heard "ce e?" a lot of times too.
I've tried to find a difference (maybe in attitude?) but there really is none - the tone says it all - you could be miffed or feeling quite benevolent while saying either.

Oh well, maybe some more natives have other (better) opinions.


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## Setwale_Charm

So 'cine' and 'ce' have no influence on the use of one or the other whatsoever?


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## Woland

As far as I know, they have no influence. Both are correct used with both 'e' and 'este'.


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## Trisia

I suppose the only difference resides in how lazy the speaker is and how balanced the sentence feels.

"Cine e?" sounds a bit more natural than "Cine este?" - unless you ask "Who's _there_?" - in that case, you'll probably have either "Cine este acolo?" or, more common, "Cine-*i* acolo?"


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## Setwale_Charm

Sorry, Trisia, I did not notice your first post.

What about this "Cine-*i* acolo?" creeping in now?! Is it a legitimate contraction?


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## Woland

Sure it is, it is widely used in literature and every-day speech. It is correct.


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## Trisia

Woland has it right.

P.S. Don't worry about it


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## Setwale_Charm

Thnaks. But I am just starting, I am worried about everything.


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## Woland

Good luck, Setwale charm! Romanian grammar is very difficult for foreigners.


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## deegee_sister

I agree, este and e are interchangeable. Thanks for pointing our the îi, Woland! We really do use it a lot, although it's definitely an oral usage only. At school, they drill it in our heads that "e" and "este" are the only correct written alternatives.


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## Psi-Lord

Hello, everyone. This is my very first message in the forum, and I’m glad it’s a post in a topic I’d been searching high and low around the Web to no avail: differences between _este_, _e_ and even _îi_. I couldn’t help finding it curious that most of my sources do present the three forms eventually, and yet _este_ is the only one they seem to bother ‘explaining’ when introducing _a fi_.


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## agathea

I would not use the form /i' for este in writing. You can view it as either regionalism, or a contraction of the verb used in spoken and informal language. It's simillar to the english "do not" and "don't", but more informal. 

Also, "cine-i" is incorrect in formal language. I would write "cine e" and that can be read "cinei". Just like "eu s" for "eu sunt". 

For more information check: dexonline.ro: 
"        *fi2 (a ~)* vb., ind. prez. 1 sg. şi 3 pl. _sunt_, neacc. *(pop.) -s* _(mi-s, ăştia-s)_, *(reg.) îs*, 2 sg. _eşti_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], 3 sg. _éste_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], neacc. _e_ [pron. _ie_], *(fam.) *_*-i *(ăsta-i)_, *(reg.) îi,* 1 pl. _súntem_, 2 pl. _súnteţi_; imperf. 1 _erám_, 2 sg. _erái_, 3 sg. _erá_, 2 pl. _eráţi_, 3 pl. _eráu_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], perf. s. 1 sg. _fuséi/fui_, 1 pl. _fusérăm/fúrăm_, m.m.c.p. 1 sg. _fusésem_, 1 pl. _fuséserăm_; conj. prez. 1 sg. _să fiu_,  2 sg. _să fii_, 3 _să fie_; cond. prez. 3 _ar fi_ / (în imprecaţii) _fír-ar_; imper. 2 sg. _fii_, neg. _nu fi_, pl. _(nu) fiţi_; ger. _fiínd (fi-ind)_; part. _fost_          "


Thea


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## MarX

agathea said:


> I would not use the form /i' for este in writing. You can view it as either regionalism, or a contraction of the verb used in spoken and informal language. It's simillar to the english "do not" and "don't", but more informal.
> 
> Also, "cine-i" is incorrect in formal language. I would write "cine e" and that can be read "cinei". Just like "eu s" for "eu sunt".
> 
> For more information check: dexonline.ro:
> "        *fi2 (a ~)* vb., ind. prez. 1 sg. şi 3 pl. _sunt_, neacc. *(pop.) -s* _(mi-s, ăştia-s)_, *(reg.) îs*, 2 sg. _eşti_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], 3 sg. _éste_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], neacc. _e_ [pron. _ie_], *(fam.) *_*-i *(ăsta-i)_, *(reg.) îi,* 1 pl. _súntem_, 2 pl. _súnteţi_; imperf. 1 _erám_, 2 sg. _erái_, 3 sg. _erá_, 2 pl. _eráţi_, 3 pl. _eráu_ [_e_ pron. _ie_], perf. s. 1 sg. _fuséi/fui_, 1 pl. _fusérăm/fúrăm_, m.m.c.p. 1 sg. _fusésem_, 1 pl. _fuséserăm_; conj. prez. 1 sg. _să fiu_,  2 sg. _să fii_, 3 _să fie_; cond. prez. 3 _ar fi_ / (în imprecaţii) _fír-ar_; imper. 2 sg. _fii_, neg. _nu fi_, pl. _(nu) fiţi_; ger. _fiínd (fi-ind)_; part. _fost_          "
> 
> 
> Thea


Multsumesc, Agathea, but how do you read the entry you quoted there?
Does the tilde denote stress?


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## OldAvatar

Woland said:


> There is no rule for contraction, both mean ''is''.
> 'este' and 'e', pronounced (jeste and je) have the same use.



Pronounced _ieste _and _ie _by some. Even if the official rules say that it is correct to pronounce it that way, it really scratches the ear of many modern Romanian speakers.


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