to want, to wish for
basic expression of desire or preference
Vreau o cafea.
I want a coffee.
Vreau să plec acum.
I want to leave now.
Ce vrei?
What do you want?
#139 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, vreau means “to want, to wish for”. It’s the #139 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Auxiliary/lexical form of the verb „a vrea”, used especially in the present indicative: „vreau” = „I want / I would like”. It is one of the most common verbs in Romanian and is often used to express desire, intention, and polite requests.
neutralbasic expression of desire or preference
I want a coffee.
I want to leave now.
What do you want?
used with a following infinitive-like construction with „să”
I want to learn Romanian.
I don't want to be late.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | vreau | vrei | vrea | vrem | vreți | vor |
| Imperfect | voiam | voiai | voia | voiam | voiați | voiau |
| Perfect compus | am vrut | ai vrut | a vrut | am vrut | ați vrut | au vrut |
| Future | o să vreau | o să vrei | o să vrea | o să vrem | o să vreți | o să vrea |
| Conditional | aș vrea | ai vrea | ar vrea | am vrea | ați vrea | ar vrea |
| Subjunctive | să vreau | să vrei | să vrea | să vrem | să vreți | să vrea |
Vreau o cafea.
I want a coffee.
vreau - Simple expression of desire.
Vreau să plec acum.
I want to leave now.
vreau - Common pattern with „să” + verb.
Nu vreau să vorbesc despre asta.
I don't want to talk about that.
vreau - Negative form with a direct object clause.