Romanian -e verbs use a common set of present endings, but each verb can have its own stem shape. Compare Cer ajutor. (I ask for help.) with Scriu un mesaj acum. (I am writing a message now.)
How do you identify and form an -e verb?
Check the dictionary form with a first: a cere (to ask), a face (to do, to make), and a scrie (to write) all end in -e. Then match the common present ending to the person and learn any stem change with the verb. The conjugation-group overview explains why the label is a starting point rather than a complete formula.
| Person | Common present ending | Baseline example: a cere |
|---|---|---|
| eu | No extra ending; sometimes -u | cer (I ask) |
| tu | -i | ceri (you ask) |
| el / ea | -e | cere (he, she asks) |
| noi | -em | cerem (we ask) |
| voi | -eți | cereți (you ask, plural or polite) |
| ei / ele | No extra ending; sometimes -u | cer (they ask) |
The first-person singular and third-person plural are often identical: eu cer and ei cer. When the stem ends in a consonant followed by r or l, or when it ends in a vowel, the corresponding forms commonly take -u: umplu and scriu. The first- and second-person plural endings are unstressed in this group.
Which complete paradigms should you learn first?
Use a cere as the baseline consonant-stem model, then compare it with common verbs whose stems end in different sounds. Each row gives a complete present-indicative paradigm: the singular forms follow the order eu, tu, el / ea, and the plural forms follow noi, voi, ei / ele. The labels el / ea and ei / ele show person and number combinations, not gendered verb endings.
| Verb | Singular: eu; tu; el / ea | Plural: noi; voi; ei / ele |
|---|---|---|
| a cere | cer; ceri; cere | cerem; cereți; cer |
| a face | fac; faci; face | facem; faceți; fac |
| a merge | merg; mergi; merge | mergem; mergeți; merg |
| a pune | pun; pui; pune | punem; puneți; pun |
| a umple | umplu; umpli; umple | umplem; umpleți; umplu |
| a scrie | scriu; scrii; scrie | scriem; scrieți; scriu |
The present forms in the table can express a habit, a current state, or an action happening now. Merg la serviciu în fiecare zi (I go to work every day) describes a habit. Scriu un mesaj acum (I am writing a message now) describes an action happening now. The same Romanian tense covers the English simple and continuous present; context or a time expression makes the meaning clear.
How do the main stem patterns differ?
Start with the ending, then learn the stem shape of the individual verb. These common patterns show how stems differ:
- A consonant stem can follow the a cere pattern: cer, ceri, cere, cerem, cereți, cer. Common verbs in this broad pattern include a face, a merge, a înțelege, and a naște (to give birth). A înțelege has înțeleg, înțelegi, înțelege, înțelegem, înțelegeți, înțeleg. A naște has nasc, naști, naște, naștem, nașteți, nasc.
- A stem ending in -n can lose the n before the second-person singular ending and change its vowel: a pune gives pun, pui, pune, punem, puneți, pun. The same stem change appears in a rămâne: rămân, rămâi, rămâne, rămânem, rămâneți, rămân.
- A stem ending in a consonant followed by r or l takes -u in eu and ei / ele: a umple gives eu umplu and ei / ele umplu, but umpli, umple, umplem, and umpleți elsewhere.
- A vowel-final stem takes -u in eu and ei / ele, while tu can show two i letters: a scrie gives scriu, scrii, scrie, scriem, scrieți, scriu. The first i in scrii belongs to the stem and the second marks the person.
Removing final -e can expose a useful stem, but one extracted stem does not predict every form. The common endings can organize your notes, while the stem determines the actual spelling. Keep the infinitive and at least the eu, tu, and el / ea forms together when a verb has a change: a pune: pun, pui, pune; a scrie: scriu, scrii, scrie.
Can you leave out the subject pronoun?
Yes. Romanian often omits a subject pronoun when the verb form and context make the subject clear, as explained in Romanian subject pronouns. Say Cere ajutor. (He or she asks for help.) or Cerem ajutor. (We ask for help.) without writing el / ea or noi.
- Keep the pronoun for contrast: Eu cer informații, iar ei cer ajutor. (I ask for information, while they ask for help.)
- The form cer can mean eu cer or ei / ele cer, so context may matter. Add eu or ei when you need to remove that ambiguity.
- For polite singular or plural address, dumneavoastră takes the plural form: Dumneavoastră cereți ajutor? (Are you asking for help?)
How do you make an -e verb negative?
Put nu directly before the finite verb — the form that carries tense and agrees with the subject: Nu scriu acum. (I am not writing now.) See Romanian negation with nu for the wider pattern.
| Positive | Negative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ceri ajutor. | Nu ceri ajutor. | You ask / do not ask for help. |
| Ea face cafea. | Ea nu face cafea. | She makes / does not make coffee. |
| Umplem formularul. | Nu umplem formularul. | We fill in / do not fill in the form. |
How do you ask questions?
A basic yes-or-no question keeps the same word order. Use question intonation in speech or a question mark in writing: Scrii un mesaj? (Are you writing a message?) Mergeți la film? (Are you going to the cinema?) A negative question keeps nu before the verb: Nu pui întrebarea? (Aren't you asking the question?)
With a question word, keep the finite verb in its normal person form: Ce cere Ana? (What does Ana ask for?) Ce scrieți? (What are you writing?) The form scrieți addresses several people or one person politely. When the question word is the object, the subject can follow the verb.
Which verbs do not belong in this pattern?
Do not group a verb by an English translation or by a similar-looking Romanian form. A vedea (to see) ends in -ea, not -e; a cânta (to sing) ends in -a; and a dormi (to sleep) ends in -i. Their present-tense patterns belong to separate topics, so do not transfer cerem or scrii to them.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use the infinitive after a subject: say Eu scriu un e-mail (I write an email), not Eu a scrie un e-mail.
- Do not assume that eu always has the same ending. Compare cer with umplu and scriu.
- Do not regularize a pune: the second-person singular is pui, not puni.
- Do not put nu after the verb: say Nu merg la birou. (I am not going to the office.), not Merg nu la birou.
- Do not apply this article to -ea, -a, or -i/-î verbs. Check the infinitive and learn the verb's actual present forms.
Which pair contains two verbs whose infinitives end in -e?
- a merge, a face
- a vedea, a putea
- a dormi, a veni
- a cânta, a lucra
A merge and a face both end in -e. The other pairs belong to the -ea, -i, or -a groups.
Complete: Eu ___ un mesaj acum. (I am writing a message now.)
- scrie
- scriu
- scrii
- scriem
The first-person singular of a scrie is scriu. Scrii is second-person singular, scrie is third-person singular, and scriem is first-person plural.
Which sentence means “We go to the cinema every week”?
- Noi merge la cinema în fiecare săptămână.
- Noi merg la cinema în fiecare săptămână.
- Noi mergem la cinema în fiecare săptămână.
- Noi mergeți la cinema în fiecare săptămână.
Noi mergem is the first-person plural present of a merge. The other forms belong to third-person singular, first-person singular, and second-person plural.
Make Tu ceri ajutor negative.
- Tu ceri nu ajutor.
- Tu nu cer ajutor.
- Tu nu cere ajutor.
- Tu nu ceri ajutor.
Put nu immediately before the finite verb and keep the tu form ceri: Tu nu ceri ajutor.
How should you learn a new -e verb?
- Use the a cere paradigm for every -e verb.
- Keep the infinitive and record the verb's actual present forms, especially when the stem changes.
- Use the English translation to choose the Romanian endings.
- Replace the infinitive with -i before adding the endings.
The -e ending identifies the traditional group, but verbs such as a pune, a umple, and a scrie have different stem shapes. Record the actual forms instead of forcing every verb into one model.