to seem, appear
The most common use: to express an impression based on what is seen, heard, or felt.
Mi se pare obosit.
He seems tired to me.
Pare mai simplu decât este.
It seems easier than it is.
Afara părea liniște.
Outside it seemed quiet.
#59 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, părea means “to seem, appear”. It’s the #59 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
A părea means “to seem” or “to appear.” It is used for impressions, outward appearance, and something that seems likely or true from what you can tell.
neutralThe most common use: to express an impression based on what is seen, heard, or felt.
He seems tired to me.
It seems easier than it is.
Outside it seemed quiet.
Used for how something or someone appears from the outside.
The house looks small from the street.
The child seemed very calm.
Used when making a cautious statement or inference.
It looks like it’s going to rain.
It seemed that no one knew the answer.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 88% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | par | pari | pare | părăm | păreți | par |
| Imperfect | păream | păreai | părea | păream | păreați | păreau |
| Perfect compus | am părut | ai părut | a părut | am părut | ați părut | au părut |
| Future | o să par | o să pari | o să pară | o să părem | o să păreți | o să pară |
| Conditional | aș părea | ai părea | ar părea | am părea | ați părea | ar părea |
| Subjunctive | să par | să pari | să pară | să părem | să păreți | să pară |
Mi se pare o idee bună.
It seems like a good idea to me.
mi se pare? - Common fixed pattern with se/mi se to express opinion.
Afară părea foarte frig.
Outside it seemed very cold.
părea - Describes an impression in the past.
Pare că ai dreptate.
It seems that you are right.
pare - Used for a present inference.
Common phrases built around părea — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “to-me it-seems bad” · clitic marks the experiencer: îți pare rău (you), îi pare rău (he/she)
lit. “it seems”
lit. “to-me it-seems well” · greeting on first meeting; clitic marks the experiencer (îți pare bine, îi pare bine)