Learn Romanian › ci
ci
but rather /ˈtʃi/
other#186 most common
Also: not X but Y, on the contrary
Example sentences
Nu e câine, ci pisică.
It's not a dog, but a cat.
Nu vreau ceai, ci cafea.
I don't want tea, but coffee.
Nu am uitat, ci am fost ocupat.
I didn't forget, but I was busy.
Nu e vorba de bani, ci de principii.
It's not about money, but about principles.
Nu doar că a întârziat, ci a și uitat documentele.
Not only did he arrive late, but he also forgot the documents.
Scopul nu este de a câștiga cu orice preț, ci de a juca cinstit.
The goal is not to win at any cost, but to play fairly.
Word family
darbut (general contrast)însăhoweverdecâtthan / exceptnunot (the negation that "ci" typically follows)
Etymology
Romanian "ci" descends from Latin "quia", a word that originally meant "because" or "that". Over time in popular spoken Latin, its function drifted from giving a reason to marking a sharp contrast, and in Romanian it settled into a narrow, specific job: correcting a negation. This kind of shift, from causal or explanatory link to adversative link, happened elsewhere in Romance conjunctions too.
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
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