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caină

pities, laments (for someone's misfortune) /kəˈi.nə/

verb#2494 most common

Also: mourns, bewails, complains, whines (reflexive: se căină), bemoans one's fate

Example sentences

Ea căină un câine rănit pe stradă.
She pities an injured dog on the street.
Bunica se căină de dureri de spate.
Grandma complains about back pain.
Vecinii se căină mereu de vreme, dar nu fac nimic.
The neighbors always complain about the weather, but do nothing.
Copiii se căină când trebuie să meargă la culcare devreme.
The children whine when they have to go to bed early.
Ea își căină soarta în fiecare seară, fără să încerce vreo schimbare.
She laments her fate every evening, without trying to change anything.
Poetul căină, în stihuri arhaice, pieirea unui neam întreg.
The poet mourns, in archaic verses, the ruin of an entire people.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgcăincăinaivoi căina
2sgcăinicăinașivei căina
3sgcăinăcăinăva căina
1plcăinămcăinarămvom căina
2plcăinațicăinarățiveți căina
3plcăinăcăinarăvor căina

Word family

a se căito repent, to regret
căințărepentance, remorse
căinarethe act of pitying or lamenting
căitrepentant, regretful

Etymology

The verb "a (se) căina" entered Romanian from Slavic, related to the Old Church Slavonic and South Slavic root meaning "to repent" or "to feel sorry." In Romanian it split into two related uses: pitying or mourning someone else's misfortune, and, reflexively, complaining about one's own. Its close relative "a se căi" (to repent) comes from the same Slavic root and gave Romanian the common noun "căință" (repentance, remorse).

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