to (subjunctive after a modal or another verb)
The default way to chain two verbs; the second verb is conjugated, not an infinitive.
Vreau să plec.
I want to leave.
Trebuie să mănânci.
You have to eat.
#5 · Particle
să
In Romanian, să means “to (subjunctive after a modal or another verb)”. It’s the #5 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
The fifth most frequent word in Romanian and the one that replaces the English infinitive. Where English says "I want to go", Romanian says vreau să merg — a full conjugated verb introduced by să. Every modal (vreau, pot, trebuie, încerc) leans on it, so să is one of the highest-leverage words a beginner can learn.
neutrallet's / may (wish, suggestion, command)
Standalone să + verb softens or turns a statement into a wish or third-person order.
Să mergem!
Let's go!
Să vină aici.
Let him come here.
so that / in order to (purpose)
Often reinforced as ca să when the subject changes.
Am venit să te văd.
I came to see you.
ca să înțelegi
so that you understand
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 97% of everyday use — learn these first.
să97%
Show 1 more form
s-3%
Grammar Behavior
modal + să + conjugated verb
vreau / pot / trebuie / încerc all take să rather than an infinitive.
Încerc să învăț.
I'm trying to learn.
ca să + verb
Purpose clause, especially when the two clauses have different subjects.
Îți scriu ca să știi.
I'm writing to you so you know.
să + clitic (să-mi, să-l, să-i)
Object pronouns hyphenate onto să and come before the verb.
Vreau să-l văd.
I want to see him.
hai să …
The everyday "let's" — hai să plus the noi form.
Hai să bem o cafea.
Let's have a coffee.
vs. a (infinitive marker)
The literary infinitive a merge exists, but everyday Romanian overwhelmingly prefers să merg.
Pot să merg. (vs. literary: Pot a merge.)
I can go.
vs. că
că introduces a stated fact ("that"), să introduces something wanted or not yet real.
Știu că vine. / Vreau să vină.
I know he is coming. / I want him to come.
Examples
Pot să te ajut?
Can I help you?
să - a putea + să + conjugated verb — the modal and the second verb agree with the same subject.
Trebuie să fie acasă.
He must be home.
să - The subjunctive 3rd person is where verbs change shape: fie (a fi), aibă (a avea), facă (a face).
S-a dus deja.
He already left.
s- - Careful — this s- is the reflexive pronoun se, not să. The particle să only contracts to s- before a clitic, as in "să-ți spun" → "să-ți".
Vreau să-ți spun ceva.
I want to tell you something.
să-ți - Clitic pronouns attach to să with a hyphen: să-ți, să-mi, să-l, să-i.
Only the 3rd person changes form after să: să merg / să mergi / să meargă. Learners usually get 1st and 2nd right and then keep the indicative in the 3rd — *să merge instead of să meargă.
Corpus examples
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I can't believe it.
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I can't believe it.
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Good to see you.
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It's going to be okay.
?
What do you mean?
?
What do you mean?