Despre

Despre is a Romanian preposition used to indicate the topic or subject of discussion, writing, or thought. It Roughly corresponds to the English words about, concerning, or on. Despre introduces the noun phrase or pronoun that denotes what is being discussed.

In sentences, despre attaches to a wide range of topics, including objects, ideas, people, events, and situations. Examples include: “Vorbesc despre cărți,” meaning I am talking about books; “Am citit un articol despre istorie,” meaning I read an article about history; and “Nu știu nimic despre el,” meaning I know nothing about him. With pronouns, it accepts forms such as despre mine, despre tine, despre el, despre noi, despre voi, and despre ei/ele. Despre can also precede subordinate clauses that describe the topic more fully, as in “Nu știu mare lucru despre cum s-a întâmplat” (I don’t know much about how it happened).

Usage notes and alternatives: despre is a common, neutral preposition suitable for both formal and informal contexts. In more formal or varied styles, phrases like referitor la, cu privire la, or în legătură cu may be used as synonyms to express the same idea.

Etymology and cross-language context: Despre is a native Romanian preposition and is part of the standard set of prepositions used to pose topics. In many Romance and Balkan languages, there are equivalent constructions such as about/in regard to expressions (for example, in French à propos de, în legătură cu in Romanian), reflecting a common linguistic function across languages.