Language/Romanian/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Verbs
As a Romanian language teacher for the past 20 years, I have helped many students master the basics of Romanian grammar. In this lesson, we will focus on the present tense of regular Romanian verbs. This is an essential topic for beginners who wish to master the basics of the Romanian language. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense and use them in simple sentences.
Present Tense of Verbs
The present tense in Romanian indicates an action that is happening now, at this moment. It is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. Let's take a look at how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense:
First conjugation
The first conjugation of verbs includes all the verbs that have the infinitive form ending in "-a". Let's take the verb "a cânta" (to sing) as an example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
a cânta | a KAN-ta | to sing |
To conjugate this verb in the present tense, we simply remove the "-a" ending and add the following endings:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
eu cânt | yoo KANT | I sing |
tu cânti | too KANTs | you sing (informal) |
el/ea cântă | el/ea KAN-tuh | he/she sings |
noi cântăm | noy KAN-tuhm | we sing |
voi cântați | voy KAN-tahts | you sing (plural/formal) |
ei/ele cântă | ey/E-le KAN-tuh | they sing |
Here are a few examples using "a cânta" in simple sentences:
- Eu cânt la pian. (I am singing at the piano).
- Tu cânti bine. (You sing well).
- El cântă la chitară. (He plays the guitar).
- Noi cântăm împreună. (We are singing together).
- Voi cântați frumos. (You sing beautifully).
- Ele cântă în cor. (They sing in a choir).
Remember to pay attention to the special characters when pronouncing the verbs in Romanian, such as "ț" and "ș".
Second conjugation
The second conjugation of verbs includes all the verbs that have the infinitive form ending in "-e". Let's take the verb "a merge" (to go) as an example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
a merge | a MER-je | to go |
To conjugate this verb in the present tense, we simply remove the "-e" ending and add the following endings:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
eu merg | yoo MERC | I go |
tu mergi | too MER-jee | you go (informal) |
el/ea merge | el/ea MER-je | he/she goes |
noi mergem | noy MER-jem | we go |
voi mergeți | voy MER-jehts | you go (plural/formal) |
ei/ele merg | ey/E-le MERC | they go |
Here are a few examples using "a merge" in simple sentences:
- Eu merg la cinema. (I am going to the cinema).
- Tu mergi la magazin. (You go to the store).
- El merge la muncă. (He goes to work).
- Noi mergem la plajă. (We go to the beach).
- Voi mergeți la teatru. (You go to the theater).
- Ele merg la școală. (They go to school).
Third conjugation
The third conjugation of verbs includes all the verbs that have the infinitive form ending in "-ește" or "-ie". Let's take the verb "a trăi" (to live) as an example:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
a trăi | a TRA-ee | to live |
To conjugate this verb in the present tense, we simply remove the "-ește" or "-ie" ending and add the following endings:
Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
eu trăiesc | yoo TRAI-yesk | I live |
tu trăiești | too TRAI-esht | you live (informal) |
el/ea trăiește | el/ea TRAI-eshteh | he/she lives |
noi trăim | noy TRAI-m | we live |
voi trăiți | voy TRAI-tz | you live (plural/formal) |
ei/ele trăiesc | ey/E-le TRAI-yesk | they live |
Here are a few examples using "a trăi" in simple sentences:
- Eu trăiesc în București. (I live in Bucharest).
- Tu trăiești bine. (You live well).
- El trăiește singur. (He lives alone).
- Noi trăim fericit. (We live happily).
- Voi trăiți într-un oraș mare. (You live in a big city).
- Ele trăiesc cu familia. (They live with their family).
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have learned how to conjugate regular Romanian verbs in the present tense. Remember to practice these conjugations to get a better understanding of how to use them in simple sentences. With time and practice, you will be able to master the basics of Romanian grammar and use the language in everyday situations.
Videos
Learn Romanian with Nico - Present Tense (1st Conj. without infix ...
Related Lessons
- Verb to be with names and places
- Participles and Gerunds
- Past and Future Tenses
- Imperative Form
- How to use ¨can¨ in Romanian
- Conditional Mood
- Give your Opinion
- Polite Requests
- Prepositions
Sources
- Romanian language lesson: The Present Indicative of the verbs in -a ...
- Romanian verbs in present tense – Fast Language Mastery
- A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Romanian Verb Conjugation