Learn Romanian › înapoi

înapoi

back /ɨ.naˈpoj/

adverb#184 most common

Also: backward(s), behind

Example sentences

Vino înapoi!
Come back!
Du-te înapoi acasă.
Go back home.
Mi-a dat cartea înapoi.
He gave me the book back.
Autobuzul se întoarce înapoi peste o oră.
The bus comes back in an hour.
A făcut un pas înapoi înainte să răspundă.
He took a step back before answering.
Guvernul nu poate da timpul înapoi, dar poate corecta greșelile trecutului.
The government cannot turn back time, but it can correct the mistakes of the past.

Word family

apoithen, afterward
înapoiabehind
a înapoiato return, give back
înapoierereturn, restitution
înapoiatbackward, underdeveloped

Etymology

Înapoi is formed from the prefix în- ("in, into") and apoi ("then, afterward"). Apoi itself comes from Vulgar Latin ad post, a fusion of ad ("to") and post ("after, behind"). Romanian glued the directional prefix onto this old adverb to sharpen its meaning from a vague temporal "after" to a spatial "toward the back."

Learn Romanian the way that sticks.
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 4,027 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free

More Romanian words

treabătask, thing to doadevărattrueoriceanypesteoverdrumroad, wayastthis (archaic or regional masculine demonstrative, a worn-down form of "acest")cibut rathermânăhand