aceste

Aceste is a Romanian demonstrative determiner meaning “these.” It is used to refer to a group of items or ideas that are near the speaker or otherwise in focus in the discourse. In ordinary sentences, it precedes a plural noun, functioning similarly to the English word “these.” For example, in the phrase aceste cărți, the word indicates which books are being discussed.

Grammatical forms and usage: Aceste is the feminine plural form of the demonstrative set. The Romanian system also includes acest (masculine singular), această (feminine singular), acești (masculine plural), and aceste (feminine plural). Thus, the choice of form depends on the gender and number of the noun it accompanies. Examples include acești oameni (these men) and aceste idei (these ideas). The word can also appear in pronoun-like positions in some constructions, where the reference is to items already mentioned or obvious from context.

Etymology and relation to other languages: The Romanian demonstratives, including aceste, derive from the broader system of Latin and Proto-Romance demonstratives that evolved into modern Romanian forms. Cognates appear in other Romance languages, such as Italian questi/queste and French ces, reflecting a shared historical development of demonstratives across the family.

In usage, aceste fulfills a standard role in signaling proximity and specification within a discourse. It is common in everyday speech, literature, and formal writing, and it coexists with related forms that mark different degrees of definiteness and proximity.