Introduction to the Romanian Present Tense
The present tense in Romanian is used to talk about actions that are happening right now or actions that happen regularly. It's like when you say 'I eat' or 'I play' in English.
Forming the Present Tense
To form the present tense in Romanian, you need to know the verb stem and then add the correct endings. The endings change depending on who is doing the action.
Important Points
- For 'eu' (I), add '-u' or '-esc'.
- For 'tu' (you, singular), add '-i' or '-ești'.
- For 'el/ea' (he/she), add '-ă' or '-e'.
- For 'noi' (we), add '-ăm' or '-im'.
- For 'voi' (you, plural), add '-ați' or '-iți'.
- For 'ei/ele' (they), add '-ă' or '-esc'.
Regular verbs follow a pattern when you add the endings. Let's look at the verb 'a cânta' (to sing).
Examples
- Eu cânt la pian.
- Tu cânți frumos.
- Noi cântăm împreună.
Some verbs are irregular, which means they don't follow the normal pattern. You have to memorize these special forms.
Examples
- Eu sunt fericit. (from 'a fi' - to be)
- Tu ai un câine. (from 'a avea' - to have)
- El face temele. (from 'a face' - to do/make)
We use the present tense to talk about things happening now, like 'I am eating', or things that happen regularly, like 'I go to school every day'.
Examples
- Eu mănânc acum.
- El merge la școală în fiecare zi.
- Noi citim cărți seara.