The Verb "A Avea" (To Have)
A avea ("to have") is the second verb every beginner needs. Beyond possession, it carries age ("am 20 de ani"), key states ("am nevoie de" = I need), and — crucially — it is the auxiliary that builds the everyday past tense (perfect compus). Learn its six present forms and you unlock talking about the past.
The present tense of a avea
Memorize these six. The third-person forms are (he/she has) and au (they have) are especially common.
| Person | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| eu | am | I have |
| tu | ai | you have |
| el / ea | are | he / she has |
| noi | avem | we have |
| voi | aveți | you have (pl.) |
| ei / ele | au | they have |
Everyday uses beyond "having things"
- Age: Am douăzeci de ani. — I am twenty. (literally "I have 20 years")
- Need: Am nevoie de ajutor. — I need help.
- Being right: Ai dreptate. — You are right.
- Obligation, colloquial: Am de făcut multe. — I have a lot to do.
The past-tense auxiliary — same verb, shorter forms
To make the perfect compus (the normal spoken past), you use a avea as a helper plus the past participle. The helper forms are slightly reduced — note a for el/ea and au for ei/ele:
| Person | Auxiliary | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | am | am făcut | I did / have done |
| tu | ai | ai făcut | you did |
| el / ea | a | a făcut | he / she did |
| noi | am | am făcut | we did |
| voi | ați | ați făcut | you (pl.) did |
| ei / ele | au | au făcut | they did |
Watch the two "a"s
Present are = "has"; past auxiliary a = the helper. "El are o carte" (he HAS a book) vs "El a citit o carte" (he READ a book). Same verb family, different job — keep them apart.
Examples
Am o întrebare.
I have a question.
Ai timp acum?
Do you have time now?
Ea are doi copii.
She has two children.
Câți ani ai?
How old are you?
Literally "how many years do you have?"
Am nevoie de apă.
I need water.
Au avut o zi bună.
They had a good day.
Auxiliary "au" + participle "avut".
| eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| am | ai | are | avem | aveți | au |
| eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| am | ai | a | am | ați | au |
Common mistakes
- Using a fi for age. Say "Am 20 de ani", never "Sunt 20 de ani".
- Mixing present "are" (has) with the past auxiliary "a": "a citit" (read), not "are citit".
- Forgetting "de" after numbers over 20: "Am douăzeci de ani", not "douăzeci ani".
- Saying "Am nevoie ajutor" — you need the preposition: "Am nevoie DE ajutor".
Lookup tips
- Seeing am / ai / a / am / ați / au right before another verb? That is the perfect compus — the past tense.
- For possession, age, need, and "being right", reach for a avea, not a fi.
- The helper for "he/she" in the past is just "a" — a single letter that is easy to miss.
Frequently asked questions
Why is "a avea" used for age?
Romanian expresses age as "having years": "Am 20 de ani" = "I have 20 years". Several states work this way (foame, dreptate, nevoie), so a avea covers more ground than English "have".
What is the difference between "are" and "a"?
"are" is the present tense ("he/she has"). "a" is the past-tense auxiliary ("a făcut" = he did). They look related but do different jobs.
How does a avea build the past tense?
Auxiliary (am/ai/a/am/ați/au) + past participle: "am mâncat" (I ate), "au venit" (they came). This is the perfect compus, the everyday spoken past.
Do I always need "de" after a number with ani?
From 20 upward, yes: "douăzeci de ani". From 1–19 there is no "de": "cinci ani".