toate

Toate is a Romanian word that functions as the feminine plural form of the determiner tot, meaning "all" or "the whole." It agrees with feminine plural nouns and can also serve as a pronoun referring to a group of feminine nouns. Its masculine singular form is tot, the masculine plural form is toți, and the feminine singular form is toată. The neuter form totul means “everything.”

In usage, toate introduces or modifies a feminine plural noun, indicating the entirety of the items or people described. For example: toate femeile au primit invitații (all the women received invitations) and toate cărțile de pe masă sunt vechi (all the books on the table are old). It can also function as a standalone pronoun when the feminine plural is understood: toate au fost prezentate, toate au fost completate. In fixed phrases, toate appears in expressions such as toate cele bune, a polite closing meaning “all the best.”

Toate is etymologically derived from Latin totus, via Romanian evolution of adjective and pronoun forms. It shares cognates with other Romance languages, such as Italian tutte and tutte le (feminine plural), Spanish todas, and French toutes, all reflecting the same root meaning “all.”

Common note: Romanian distinguishes gender and number in quantifiers, so tot/totul, totul meaning “everything” (neuter singular) is not interchangeable with toate in meaning. All the feminine plural usage emphasizes a subset that is feminine or feminine-referenced, rather than the neuter universal sense.

Overall, toate is a versatile quantifier/pronoun used with feminine plural nouns, in general statements, enumeration, or polite expressions, and it forms part of standard Romanian grammar and vocabulary.