to be (identity, profession, nationality, description)
Core copular use.
Sunt student.
I am a student.
Ea este medic.
She is a doctor.
Ai fost foarte amabil.
You were very kind.
#3 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, fi means “to be (identity, profession, nationality, description)”. It’s the #3 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
The essential Romanian verb meaning to be; highly frequent and irregular, used for identity, states, location, existence, and as an auxiliary in compound tenses.
neutralCore copular use.
I am a student.
She is a doctor.
You were very kind.
Used for temporary states and location.
We are home.
Where are you?
The book is on the table.
Often with expletive-like or existential meaning.
It is quiet here.
There are many parks in the city.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 6 forms cover about 85% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | sunt | ești | este / e | suntem | sunteți | sunt |
| Imperfect | eram | erai | era | eram | erați | erau |
| Perfect compus | am fost | ai fost | a fost | am fost | ați fost | au fost |
| Future | voi fi | vei fi | va fi | vom fi | veți fi | vor fi |
| Conditional | aș fi | ai fi | ar fi | am fi | ați fi | ar fi |
| Subjunctive | să fiu | să fii | să fie | să fim | să fiți | să fie |
Sunt obosit după muncă.
I am tired after work.
sunt - Present tense, first person singular.
Unde ești acum?
Where are you now?
ești - Present tense, second person singular.
Mâine vom fi la București.
Tomorrow we will be in Bucharest.
vom fi - Future tense, first person plural.