Language/Romanian/Grammar/Conditional-and-Subjunctive-Moods

Romanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Conditional and Subjunctive Moods

Welcome to another exciting lesson in your journey to mastering Romanian! Today, we will dive into the fascinating world of conditional and subjunctive moods, essential elements of Romanian grammar that allow you to express hypothetical situations and desires with finesse. Understanding these moods is vital as they not only enrich your communication skills but also help you connect more deeply with the nuances of the Romanian language.

In this lesson, we will cover the following:

• The importance of conditional and subjunctive moods in Romanian

• Definitions and distinctions between the two moods

• Structures and conjugations of verbs in both moods

• Practical examples to solidify your understanding

• Exercises for practice and reinforcement

So, let's embark on this grammatical adventure!

Importance of Conditional and Subjunctive Moods

Understanding the conditional and subjunctive moods is crucial for expressing desires, wishes, and hypothetical scenarios. These moods allow you to convey not just what is happening, but also what could happen or what you wish would happen. In Romanian, mastering these moods can significantly enhance your ability to communicate complex thoughts and emotions.

The Conditional Mood

The conditional mood is used to express actions that would happen under certain conditions. It's akin to the English "would" and is typically used with "if" clauses.

Structure of the Conditional Mood

To form the conditional mood in Romanian, you generally use the verb "a avea" (to have) in the conditional form followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Conditional forms of "a avea":

• Eu aș (I would)

• Tu ai (You would)

• El/Ea ar (He/She would)

• Noi am (We would)

• Voi ați (You all would)

• Ei/Ele ar (They would)

Examples of the Conditional Mood

Let’s look at some practical examples:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
Dacă aș avea bani, aș călători.	[ˈdaka aʃ aˈveː ˈba.ni, aʃ kə.laˈt͡ro.i]	If I had money, I would travel.
Tu ai mânca pizza dacă ar fi cald.	[tu ai mɨnˈka ˈpit͡sa ˈda.kə ar fi ˈkald]	You would eat pizza if it were warm.
El ar merge la petrecere.	[el ar ˈmer.d͡ʒe la peˈtre.t͡ʃe.re]	He would go to the party.
Noi am cumpăra o mașină nouă.	[noi am kum.pəˈra o məˈʃi.nə ˈno.ə]	We would buy a new car.
Voi ați studia în străinătate.	[voi aʦ tu.diˈa ɨn strə.ɨnəˈta.te]	You all would study abroad.
Ei ar vizita Bucureștiul.	[ei ar vi.ziˈta bu.kuˈreʃ.t͡ʲul]	They would visit Bucharest.

The Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood is used to express doubts, wishes, or possibilities. It often conveys ideas that are contrary to reality, similar to the English "if only" or "I wish."

Structure of the Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive is typically formed using the present tense of the verb, commonly preceded by the conjunction "să" (that).

Here’s how it works:

• Present subjunctive forms:

• Să fiu (that I be)

• Să fii (that you be)

• Să fie (that he/she/it be)

• Să fim (that we be)

• Să fiți (that you all be)

• Să fie (that they be)

Examples of the Subjunctive Mood

Now, let’s see some examples in action:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
Îmi doresc să călătoresc în România.	[ɨm doˈresk sə kə.lə.toˈresk ɨn roˈma.ni.a]	I wish to travel in Romania.
Sper să vină și Maria.	[sper sə ˈvi.nə ʃi maˈri.a]	I hope Maria will come.
Ar fi bine să înveți română.	[ar fi ˈbi.ne sə ɨnˈvɛts roˈmɨ.nə]	It would be good for you to learn Romanian.
Vreau să mănânc la restaurant.	[vreaʊ sə məˈnɨŋk la re.stauˈrant]	I want to eat at the restaurant.
Să fii fericit este important.	[sə fi feˈri.t͡ʃit ˈje.ste im.porˈtant]	Being happy is important.
E important să studiem pentru examene.	[e im.porˈtant sə stuˈdi.em ˈpen.tru eɡˈza.me.ne]	It’s important to study for exams.

Combining Conditional and Subjunctive =

In some sentences, you may find the conditional and subjunctive used together. This often occurs in hypothetical scenarios where one action depends on another.

Examples of Combined Mood Usage

Here are a few examples demonstrating this concept:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
Dacă aș fi bogat, aș călători în întreaga lume.	[ˈdaka aʃ fi boˈɡat, aʃ kə.laˈt͡ro.i ɨn ɨnˈt͡re.a.ɡa ˈlu.me]	If I were rich, I would travel the whole world.
Dacă tu ai studia mai mult, ai avea note mai bune.	[ˈdaka tu ai stuˈdi.a mai mult, ai aˈve.a ˈno.te mai ˈbu.ne]	If you studied more, you would have better grades.
Dacă noi am ști, am merge împreună.	[ˈdaka noi am ʃti, am ˈmer.d͡ʒe ɨmˈpre.u.nə]	If we knew, we would go together.

Exercises to Practice

Now that you have a solid understanding of conditional and subjunctive moods, let's put your knowledge to the test! Below are exercises designed to reinforce what you've learned.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using the correct form of the conditional or subjunctive mood.

1. Dacă eu (a avea) __________ o mașină, aș merge în vacanță.

2. Sper să (a veni) __________ la petrecere.

3. Dacă tu (a studia) __________ mai mult, ai avea note mai bune.

4. Vreau să (a învăța) __________ română.

5. Ar fi bine să (a fi) __________ mai punctual.

Answers:

1. aș avea

2. vii

3. studiai

4. învăț

5. fii

Exercise 2: Translation Challenge

Translate the following sentences from English to Romanian, using the correct mood.

1. If I had time, I would help you.

2. I wish you would come to the party.

3. If they studied harder, they would pass the exam.

4. I want to eat something delicious.

5. It is important that you be on time.

Answers:

1. Dacă aș avea timp, te-aș ajuta.

2. Îmi doresc să vii la petrecere.

3. Dacă ei ar studia mai mult, ar trece examenul.

4. Vreau să mănânc ceva delicios.

5. Este important să fii la timp.

Exercise 3: Sentence Matching

Match the beginning of the sentence with the correct ending.

1. Dacă aș ști...

2. Sper că...

3. Ar fi minunat să...

4. Dacă voi avea...

5. Vreau să...

A. văd România.

B. aș face o excursie.

C. Maria va veni.

D. banii vor fi suficienți.

E. aș fi foarte fericit.

Answers:

1. E

2. C

3. A

4. D

5. B

Exercise 4: Conjugation Practice

Conjugate the following verbs in the conditional or subjunctive mood as indicated.

1. a merge (conditional, first person)

2. a fi (subjunctive, second person)

3. a învăța (conditional, third person)

4. a dori (subjunctive, first person)

5. a avea (conditional, second person)

Answers:

1. aș merge

2. să fii

3. ar învăța

4. să doresc

5. ai avea

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Sentences

Write five sentences using the conditional mood and five sentences using the subjunctive mood. Share them with a partner for feedback.

Example Answers:

• Conditional:

1. Dacă aș avea o bicicletă, aș merge la muncă pe ea.

2. Tu ai câștiga la loterie dacă ai juca.

• Subjunctive:

1. Îmi doresc să am mai mult timp.

2. Sper să fiu acceptat la universitate.

Conclusion

Mastering the conditional and subjunctive moods opens up new avenues of expression in Romanian. These grammatical structures are not just rules to memorize; they are tools that enable you to communicate your thoughts and feelings more authentically. By practicing these moods, you will gain confidence and fluency in your Romanian conversations.

Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to revisit this lesson whenever you feel the need to refresh your knowledge. Until next time, happy learning!

Table of Contents - Romanian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense of Verbs

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Basic Adjectives
• Basic Adverbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Basic Prepositions
• Basic Conjunctions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Common Foods
• Common Drinks

  ---

Questions and Negations

• Forming Questions
• Negation

  ---

Locations and Directions

• Common Locations
• Giving Directions

  ---

Plurals and Articles

• Plural Nouns
• Definite and Indefinite Articles

  ---

Hobbies and Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Describing Activities

  ---

Romanian Culture and Traditions

• Romanian Holidays
• Romanian Cuisine

  ---

Imperatives and Requests

• Imperative Form
• Polite Requests

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

  ---

Romanian Geography and History

• Geography of Romania
• Romanian History

Sources

• ROMANIAN VERBS

Other Lessons

• Possessive Case in Romanian
• Indefinite Articles in Romanian
• Definite Articles in Romanian
• Gender of Nouns
• Complex Sentences and Connectors
• Verbs and Conjugation
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns
• Genitive Case in Romanian
• Instrumental Case in Romanian