Present Tense (Prezent)
The present (prezent) is the workhorse tense of spoken Romanian — most sentences you say and hear are in it, and it covers both "I read" and "I am reading" (Romanian has no separate continuous form). Romanian verbs fall into four conjugation groups by their infinitive ending, and two very common groups add a little infix (-ez- or -esc-) in the singular.
Four conjugation groups
Group a verb by how its infinitive ends. Each group has its own endings, but the personal endings rhyme across groups once you notice the pattern.
Conjugation groups by infinitive ending
| Group | Infinitive ends in | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -a | a lucra | to work |
| 2 | -ea | a vedea | to see |
| 3 | -e | a merge | to go |
| 4 | -i / -î | a citi / a coborî | to read / to descend |
The regular endings
Here are two fully regular verbs — one from group 3 (a merge) and one from group 4 (a dormi). Notice tu ends in -i and noi ends in -m across the board.
a merge (to go) and a dormi (to sleep)
| Person | a merge | a dormi |
|---|---|---|
| eu | merg | dorm |
| tu | mergi | dormi |
| el / ea | merge | doarme |
| noi | mergem | dormim |
| voi | mergeți | dormiți |
| ei / ele | merg | dorm |
The -ez- and -esc- infixes (very common!)
Many group-1 verbs insert -ez- and many group-4 verbs insert -esc- in the singular and 3rd-person plural. This trips up beginners because the infix is not in the infinitive. "a lucra" → eu lucrez; "a vorbi" → eu vorbesc.
a lucra (-ez) and a vorbi (-esc)
| Person | a lucra | a vorbi |
|---|---|---|
| eu | lucrez | vorbesc |
| tu | lucrezi | vorbești |
| el / ea | lucrează | vorbește |
| noi | lucrăm | vorbim |
| voi | lucrați | vorbiți |
| ei / ele | lucrează | vorbesc |
One present, three English meanings
- Simple: Citesc cărți. — I read books.
- Continuous: Citesc acum. — I am reading now.
- Near future: Mâine plec la Cluj. — Tomorrow I leave / am leaving for Cluj.
Examples
Eu vorbesc puțin română.
I speak a little Romanian.
-esc infix verb.
Unde lucrezi?
Where do you work?
-ez infix verb.
Noi mergem la școală.
We go / are going to school.
Ea citește o carte.
She is reading a book.
Ei dorm acum.
They are sleeping now.
Mâine plec devreme.
Tomorrow I leave early.
Present used for near future.
Present-tense endings at a glance
| eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a merge | merg | mergi | merge | mergem | mergeți | merg |
| a vorbi (-esc) | vorbesc | vorbești | vorbește | vorbim | vorbiți | vorbesc |
| a lucra (-ez) | lucrez | lucrezi | lucrează | lucrăm | lucrați | lucrează |
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting the -ez-/-esc- infix: it is "eu lucrez" and "eu vorbesc", not "eu lucr" / "eu vorb".
- Looking for a separate continuous tense — Romanian has none; the present covers "I read" and "I am reading".
- Assuming the tu form is regular — many verbs shift the stem: a spune → tu spui, a putea → tu poți.
- Mixing up eu and ei/ele, which often share a form (merg, dorm, vorbesc) — the subject tells you which.
Lookup Tips
- Identify the infinitive group (-a, -ea, -e, -i/-î) first; it predicts the endings.
- If "eu" ends in -ez or -esc, expect -ezi/-ești for tu and -ează/-ește for el/ea.
- When in doubt about the six forms of a common verb, open its word page for the full conjugation.
Frequently asked questions
How many verb groups does Romanian have?
Four, sorted by infinitive ending: -a (a lucra), -ea (a vedea), -e (a merge), and -i/-î (a citi / a coborî).
What are the -ez and -esc infixes?
Extra syllables that many -a and -i verbs insert in the singular and 3rd-plural: "a lucra" → lucrez, "a vorbi" → vorbesc. They are not visible in the infinitive, so learn them per verb.
Is there a continuous tense like "I am reading"?
No. The Romanian present covers both "I read" and "I am reading": "Citesc" means either, depending on context.
Can the present tense talk about the future?
Yes, with a time word: "Mâine plec" = "Tomorrow I leave/am leaving". This is very common in speech.