Language/Romanian/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Verbs

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Romanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Pronouns and Verbs → 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.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Advanced Verb Tenses & Basic Adverbs.

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.

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Prepositions & Ordinal Numbers in Romanian.

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

Other 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

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