to ask for / request
the most common use; polite or neutral depending on context
a cere ajutor
to ask for help
a cere o cafea
to order / ask for a coffee
a cere bani
to ask for money
#174 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, cere means “to ask for / request”. It’s the #174 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
A cere means to ask for, request, or demand something. It can also mean to ask someone to do something or to request information.
neutralthe most common use; polite or neutral depending on context
to ask for help
to order / ask for a coffee
to ask for money
stronger and more forceful
to demand justice
to demand explanations
often followed by a clause introduced by să
please ask for help if you need it
to ask someone to come
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 3 forms cover about 83% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | cer | ceri | cere | cerem | cereți | cer |
| Imperfect | ceream | cereai | cerea | ceream | cereați | cereau |
| Perfect compus | am cerut | ai cerut | a cerut | am cerut | ați cerut | au cerut |
| Future | voi cere | vei cere | va cere | vom cere | veți cere | vor cere |
| Conditional | aș cere | ai cere | ar cere | am cere | ați cere | ar cere |
| Subjunctive | să cer | să ceri | să ceară | să cerem | să cereți | să ceară |
Am cerut un pahar cu apă.
I asked for a glass of water.
cerut? - Common past form in everyday speech.
Ceri prea mult.
You are asking for too much.
ceri - Present tense, 2nd person singular.
Ei cer mai multe informații.
They are asking for more information.
cer - Present tense, 3rd person plural.
Common phrases built around cere — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “to ask oneself excuses” · reflexive dative clitic marks the apologizer: îmi cer scuze (I apologize), îți cer scuze (I apologize to you)
lit. “to ask oneself forgiveness” · reflexive dative clitic: îmi cer iertare (I beg your pardon), îți cer iertare (I apologize to you)