Present-tense patterns for -i and -î verbs

Romanian verbs ending in -i or -î belong to the same traditional fourth conjugation, but their present forms split into several patterns. Both a dormi and a citi end in -i. Only a citi uses the -esc- extension. Compare Dorm bine. (I sleep well.) with Citesc în fiecare seară. (I read every evening.)

How do you form the present of -i and -î verbs?

Start with the verb's present stem and choose its pattern. Then use the ending for the required person and number. The infinitive ending alone does not identify the pattern.

1. Keep the infinitive with a: a dormi (to sleep), a citi (to read), a coborî (to descend), or a hotărî (to decide).
2. Check whether the verb has no present extension, the -esc-/-ește- extension, or the -ăsc-/-ăște- extension. In the extended patterns, the extension usually appears in all singular forms and in the 3rd person plural.
3. Check the stem as well. Vowels or consonants can change in a present form, as in dorm but doarme and vin but vii.

Which -i verbs have no -esc- extension?

Many common -i verbs use the shorter stem in the present. Compare each person's ending with its complete a dormi form; the stem can still change.

The a dormi present set has a stem vowel change in the 3rd person singular: dorm- becomes doarm-. Other common no-extension verbs include a fugi (to run), a ieși (to go out), and a veni (to come). Check each verb's own present forms.

Which -i verbs use -esc- and -ește-?

A large group of -i verbs adds -esc- in the 1st person singular and 3rd person plural, -ești in the 2nd person singular, and -ește in the 3rd person singular. The 1st- and 2nd-person plural forms use the shorter stem.

The extension is part of the verb's present pattern, not a universal ending for every -i verb. Compare citesc, citești, citește with citim, citiți: do not write or say citescim or citeștiți. Other frequent verbs with this pattern include a vorbi (to speak), a iubi (to love), a gândi (to think), and a primi (to receive).

How do -î verbs differ?

Verbs ending in -î also belong to the fourth conjugation, but their ordinary endings include -âm and -âți in the plural. Some have no extension, while others use -ăsc-/-ăște-; the infinitive ending does not decide between these two choices.

The verb a coborî uses coboară in both 3rd-person forms and takes no -ăsc- extension. In a hotărî, -ăsc-/-ăște- appears in the singular and in the 3rd person plural, while noi hotărâm and voi hotărâți use the shorter stem. Other verbs with the -ăsc-/-ăște- pattern include a amărî (to upset) and a pârî (to denounce).

What stem changes should you learn?

Some present forms cannot be built by removing the infinitive ending and adding a present ending. Record the forms that expose the change, especially the 1st- and 3rd-person singular and the 1st- and 2nd-person plural forms. In each middle-column set, the forms follow eu, tu, el/ea, noi, voi, and ei/ele.

What happens to a final -i?

In forms such as tu dormi and tu cobori, keep the final -i. After a consonant, final i represents a very short [i] sound in the checked grammar. This sound helps distinguish forms such as eu dorm and tu dormi. This spelling and pronunciation detail is not a reason to add -i to every person.

How do you omit the subject, negate, and ask a question?

The finite verb — the verb form that carries tense and agrees with the subject — normally identifies the subject's person and number. Romanian can therefore omit the subject pronoun: Citim acum. (We are reading now.) Add noi for emphasis or contrast, as in Noi citim, dar ei dorm. (We read, but they sleep.)

• Put nu directly before the present verb: Nu dorm. (I am not sleeping.) and Nu hotărăsc astăzi. (I am not deciding today.)
• A basic yes-or-no question uses the same verb form and word order, with question intonation in speech or a question mark in writing: Citești acum? (Are you reading now?)
• With a question word, keep the question word before the verb: Când vii? (When are you coming?) and Ce citește Ana? (What is Ana reading?)

When can the present describe an action in progress?

Romanian has no separate progressive form, so the present can describe a habit or an action happening now. Depending on context, Lucrez aici. can mean I work here or I am working here.

Which high-frequency verbs are exceptions?

Some frequent verbs ending in -i have irregular present sets that must be memorized. In the middle column, the forms follow eu, tu, el/ea, noi, voi, and ei/ele. Do not try to build these verbs from the regular -i patterns.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not assume that every -i verb uses -esc-: a dormi gives dorm, but a citi gives citesc.
• Do not assume that every -î verb uses -ăsc-: a coborî gives cobor, but a hotărî gives hotărăsc.
• Do not use a bare infinitive ending as a present ending: noi citim and voi citiți, not noi citi or voi citî.
• When a verb form is ambiguous in context, add eu, tu, or another subject for contrast or clarification. Romanian otherwise normally omits the subject pronoun.
• Do not put nu after the verb: say Ana nu citește. (Ana is not reading.), not Ana citește nu.