Lucrul

Lucrul is a Romanian noun that typically means “the thing” or “the matter,” and it can also refer to a piece of work or a task. It covers both concrete referents (an object) and abstract ones (a topic, a situation, or a matter under discussion). The definite singular form is lucrul, and the plural is lucruri (the indefinite singular is un lucru, and the definite plural is lucrurile).

Grammatical notes: Lucru is masculine. The base word appears as un lucru in the indefinite singular, lucrul in the definite singular, lucruri in the indefinite plural, and lucrurile in the definite plural. In use, lucrul often serves as a generic referent in statements about a specific matter, or as the head noun in phrases such as “acest lucru” (this thing) or “lucrul pe care îl știți” (the thing you know).

Usage and examples: Lucrul is common in everyday speech and in written Romanian. Examples include: “Este un lucru simplu.” (It is a simple thing.) “Acest lucru trebuie rezolvat.” (This thing/matter must be resolved.) “Este un lucru pe care îl știi.” (It is the thing that you know.) The word can appear in both literal and figurative contexts, and it is often used to shift focus to a subject under consideration or to introduce a clarification.

Relation to related terms: Lucrul is derived from the noun lucru/lucru and is closely connected to the verb a lucra (to work) and to related nouns like lucrare (work, operation). It remains a flexible, everyday term in Romanian, used across formal and informal registers.