Language/Romanian/Grammar/Participles-and-Gerunds

Welcome to another exciting lesson in our journey through the beautiful Romanian language! Today, we will delve into the fascinating world of participles and gerunds. Understanding these concepts is crucial as they will help you express actions and states more richly and accurately in your Romanian conversations. Whether you're describing activities, expressing ongoing actions, or conveying a sense of time, participles and gerunds will be your best friends.

Romanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Participles and Gerunds

In this lesson, we will cover:

• What are participles and gerunds?

• How to form participles and gerunds in Romanian

• Examples of their usage in sentences

• Exercises to practice what you've learned

So, let's get started!

What are Participles and Gerunds?

Participles and gerunds are both forms of verbs, but they serve different purposes in sentences. Let's break it down:

Participles

Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives or nouns. They are used to indicate a completed action or a state related to the verb. In Romanian, we primarily use two types of participles:

• Perfect participle: indicates a completed action.

• Present participle: indicates an ongoing action or state.

Gerunds

Gerunds are verb forms that act like nouns. They express actions or states and are often used to indicate ongoing actions or to describe the purpose of an action. In Romanian, gerunds are formed from the verb's root plus specific endings.

How to Form Participles in Romanian

Let's explore how to form both the perfect and present participles in Romanian.

Perfect Participles

To form the perfect participle in Romanian, you typically use the past participle form of the verb. This usually involves adding a specific ending based on the verb's conjugation group. Here’s a simple breakdown:

• For regular verbs ending in -a (like a cânta - to sing), the perfect participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding -at:

• cântat (sung).

• For regular verbs ending in -e (like a merge - to go), the perfect participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding -ut:

• mergând (gone).

• For regular verbs ending in -i (like a vorbi - to speak), the perfect participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding -it:

• vorbit (spoken).

Here’s a quick table summarizing this:

Verb Infinitive	Perfect Participle	English
a cânta	cântat	sung
a merge	mers	gone
a vorbi	vorbit	spoken

Present Participles

Present participles are formed by adding -ând or -ind to the verb stem. The ending changes based on the conjugation of the verb. Here’s how it works:

• For -a ending verbs (like a cânta), the present participle is formed with -ând:

• cântând (singing).

• For -e ending verbs (like a merge), the present participle is formed with -ând:

• mergând (going).

• For -i ending verbs (like a vorbi), the present participle is formed with -ind:

• vorbind (speaking).

Here’s a table for better understanding:

Verb Infinitive	Present Participle	English
a cânta	cântând	singing
a merge	mergând	going
a vorbi	vorbind	speaking

How to Form Gerunds in Romanian

Gerunds in Romanian are quite straightforward. They are formed by adding -ând or -ind to the verb stem, similar to present participles. However, they always act as nouns in sentences.

Here’s how to form gerunds from different verbs:

• For -a ending verbs:

• a mânca (to eat) → mâncând (eating).

• For -e ending verbs:

• a scrie (to write) → scriind (writing).

• For -i ending verbs:

• a răspunde (to answer) → răspunzând (answering).

Let’s summarize this in a table:

Verb Infinitive	Gerund	English
a mânca	mâncând	eating
a scrie	scriind	writing
a răspunde	răspunzând	answering

Examples of Usage in Sentences

Now that we know how to form participles and gerunds, let's look at some examples to see how they work in sentences.

Examples with Participles

1. Cântând la chitară, el a uitat de timp. (Singing on the guitar, he forgot about time.)

2. Mers pe jos, am descoperit locuri frumoase. (Having gone on foot, I discovered beautiful places.)

3. Vorbind cu prietenii, am aflat noutăți. (Speaking with friends, I learned the news.)

4. Cântatul este hobby-ul meu preferat. (Singing is my favorite hobby.)

5. Mersul pe bicicletă este sănătos. (Biking is healthy.)

Here’s a table for a clearer view:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
Cântând la chitară, el a uitat de timp.	/kɨnˈtɨnd la kiˈtaɾə, el a uˈitat de timˈp/	Singing on the guitar, he forgot about time.
Mers pe jos, am descoperit locuri frumoase.	/meɾs pe ʒos, am deskoˈpeɾit ˈlokuri fɾuˈmoase/	Having gone on foot, I discovered beautiful places.
Vorbind cu prietenii, am aflat noutăți.	/voɾˈbind ku pɾiˈetenij, am aˈflat nouˈtaʦi/	Speaking with friends, I learned the news.
Cântatul este hobby-ul meu preferat.	/kɨnˈtatul ˈjɛste ˈhobi.ul meʊ pɾefeˈɾat/	Singing is my favorite hobby.
Mersul pe bicicletă este sănătos.	/ˈmeɾsul pe biˈʧiˈletə ˈjɛste səˈnɨtos/	Biking is healthy.

Examples with Gerunds

1. Mâncând sănătos, te simți mai bine. (Eating healthy, you feel better.)

2. Scriind în jurnal, îmi eliberez gândurile. (Writing in my journal, I free my thoughts.)

3. Răspunzând la întrebări, el a arătat încredere. (Answering questions, he showed confidence.)

4. Dansând, ne distrăm foarte bine. (Dancing, we have a lot of fun.)

5. Citind cărți, învăț lucruri noi. (Reading books, I learn new things.)

Here’s a table for a clearer overview:

Romanian	Pronunciation	English
Mâncând sănătos, te simți mai bine.	/mɨnˈkɨnd səˈnɨtos, te simˈt͡sʲ maɪ ˈbine/	Eating healthy, you feel better.
Scriind în jurnal, îmi eliberez gândurile.	/sˈkɾiˈind ɨn ʒuˈnal, ɨm e.liˈbɾe͡z ˈɡɨnduɾile/	Writing in my journal, I free my thoughts.
Răspunzând la întrebări, el a arătat încredere.	/rəsˈpunzɨnd la ɨntɾeˈbɨɾ, el a aɾəˈtat ɨnˈkɾe̯deɾe/	Answering questions, he showed confidence.
Dansând, ne distrăm foarte bine.	/danˈsɨnd, ne disˈtɾəm ˈfwaɾte ˈbine/	Dancing, we have a lot of fun.
Citind cărți, învăț lucruri noi.	/t͡ʃiˈtind kɨʁt͡s, ɨnˈvɨt͡s ˈlukɾi nɔi/	Reading books, I learn new things.

Exercises to Practice

Now that you have a good understanding of participles and gerunds, it’s time to practice! Here are some exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned.

Exercise 1: Identify the Participles

Read the following sentences and identify the participles used.

1. Cântând, Maria a venit la petrecere.

2. Mers pe munte, ei s-au bucurat de peisaj.

3. Vorbind despre cărți, el a devenit pasionat.

Answers:

1. Cântând (present participle)

2. Mers (perfect participle)

3. Vorbind (present participle)

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Form

Complete the sentences with the correct participle or gerund form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. (a mânca) __________ sănătos este important.

2. (a cânta) __________ este pasiunea mea.

3. (a citi) __________ cărți ne face mai înțelepți.

Answers:

1. Mâncând

2. Cântatul

3. Citind

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Romanian, using participles or gerunds as appropriate.

1. Singing helps relax the mind.

2. Eating well is essential for health.

3. Reading books broadens your horizons.

Answers:

1. Cântatul ajută la relaxarea minții.

2. Mâncatul bine este esențial pentru sănătate.

3. Citind cărți, îți lărgești orizonturile.

Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the verbs with their participle or gerund forms.

1. El a cântat la concert. (change to participle)

2. Ea scrie o carte. (change to gerund)

3. Noi mergem la plajă. (change to participle)

Answers:

1. Cântând la concert, el a adus bucurie.

2. Scriind o carte, ea își împărtășește ideile.

3. Mergând la plajă, noi ne relaxăm.

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Sentences

Using the verbs provided, create your own sentences with participles or gerunds.

1. a dansa

2. a scrie

3. a călători

Answers (examples):

1. Dansând, m-am simțit liber.

2. Scriind, îmi clarific gândurile.

3. Călătorind, învăț despre culturi diferite.

Exercise 6: Matching Exercise

Match the Romanian sentences with their English translations.

1. Mâncând, el a slăbit.

2. Cântând, ea a câștigat competiția.

3. Vorbind despre probleme, am găsit soluții.

| Romanian Sentence | English Translation |

|-------------------|---------------------|

| 1. Mâncând, el a slăbit. | a. She won the competition by singing. |

| 2. Cântând, ea a câștigat competiția. | b. Talking about problems, we found solutions. |

| 3. Vorbind despre probleme, am găsit soluții. | c. Eating, he lost weight. |

Answers:

1 - c

2 - a

3 - b

Exercise 7: Error Correction

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences related to participles and gerunds.

1. Cântatul la chitară este distractiv. (correct)

2. Mers pe jos, eu am ajuns. (correct)

3. Scriind o scrisoare, ea a uitat de timp. (correct)

Answers: All sentences are correct; no changes needed.

Exercise 8: Sentence Transformation

Transform the following sentences from active to passive voice using participles.

1. El a cântat o melodie.

2. Maria a scris o carte.

Answers:

1. O melodie a fost cântată de el.

2. O carte a fost scrisă de Maria.

Exercise 9: Gap-Filling

Fill in the gaps with the correct participle or gerund form.

1. (a vorbi) __________ este important pentru a comunica eficient.

2. (a învăța) __________ este cheia succesului.

Answers:

1. Vorbind

2. Învățând

Exercise 10: Group Activity

In pairs, create a short dialogue using at least three participles or gerunds. Share with the class.

Answers will vary based on students’ creativity.

Congratulations! You have completed this lesson on participles and gerunds in Romanian. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be using these forms like a native speaker! Remember, the more you engage with the language, the easier it becomes. 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
• Romanian verbs - Wikipedia

Other Lessons

• How to use ¨to speak¨ in Romanian
• Nouns and Pronouns
• Plural in Romanian
• Negation
• Nouns
• Dative Case in Romanian
• Instrumental Case in Romanian
• How to use the verb there to be in Romanian
• Prepositions
• How to use ¨can¨ in Romanian