A2 Tense & Aspect 4 min read आसान

Future Intentions

Simply put o să before your verb to talk about any future plan or intention naturally.

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

To express future intentions in Romanian, use the auxiliary verb 'a vrea' followed by the infinitive of your main verb.

  • Conjugate 'a vrea' (voi, vei, va, vom, veți, vor) for the subject.
  • Add the main verb in its infinitive form (e.g., 'a mânca').
  • For negatives, place 'nu' before the auxiliary verb.
Subject + [a vrea] + [Infinitive Verb]

Overview

Romanian has a few ways to talk about the future. The most popular one is o să. It is like the English
I am going to.
It sounds natural and friendly in every conversation.
You will hear it at the market and in the office. It is the go-to choice for daily life. Learning this makes you sound like a local quickly.
It is much easier than the formal future tense. You do not need to memorize complex endings here. It is all about one simple, unchanging phrase.
Let's dive into your future plans together.

How This Grammar Works

Think of o să as a fixed LEGO brick. It never changes, no matter who is speaking. You don’t change it for «I,» you, or they. It always stays as o să.
This is a huge relief for learners. You just pair it with the verb. It expresses things you intend to do soon.
It also works for things you are sure about. It bridges the gap between today and tomorrow. Think of it like a grammar traffic light.
It gives you the green light to talk about plans. It is the heartbeat of spoken Romanian.

Formation Pattern

1
Start with the magic phrase o să.
2
Add the verb in its present tense form.
3
For most verbs, the he/she form changes slightly.
4
Use the subjunctive form for the main verb.
5
Eu + o să + mănânc (I am going to eat).
6
Tu + o să + mănânci (You are going to eat).
7
Noi + o să + mâncăm (We are going to eat).
8
It is really that simple and consistent.

When To Use It

Use it when you are ordering food. O să iau o ciorbă, vă rog. Use it when planning a weekend trip. O să mergem la munte sâmbătă. It is perfect for making promises to friends.
O să te sun diseară, promit! Use it for predictions based on evidence. O să plouă, sunt mulți nori. It works great in job interviews for goals. O să învăț repede noile sarcini. Use it for anything that isn't a formal speech.
It is the king of informal communication. Even native speakers use it 90% of the time.

When Not To Use It

Avoid it in very formal legal documents. Do not use it for things happening right now. For immediate actions, use the present tense.
Vin acum! (I'm coming now!) is better. Don't use it for general scientific truths. Apa fierbe la 100 de grade stays in present.
If you are writing a formal book, use voi. But for talking to humans, o să is best. Don't overthink it during a fast conversation.
If you forget, the present tense often works too. Romanian is quite flexible with time.

Common Mistakes

Many people try to conjugate the o part. Never say am să or vei să unless you're a poet. Keep it as o să for everyone. Another mistake is forgetting the entirely. O merg sounds very strange to Romanian ears. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes when tired. Don't mix it with the English will structure. Romanian needs that little to connect the ideas. It is the glue that holds your sentence together. Just keep the o să unit intact.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

The formal future uses voi, vei, va. Voi merge sounds like a politician making a speech. O să merg sounds like a friend planning a trip.
English has will versus going to. Romanian uses o să for almost everything going to covers. The present tense can also mean the future. Plec mâine (I leave tomorrow) is very common.
But o să plec shows more intent and planning. It adds a layer of
this is my plan.

Quick FAQ

Q

Is o să slang?

No, it is perfectly standard but informal.

Q

Can I use it with any verb?

Yes, every single verb works with o să.

Q

Do I need to learn the subjunctive?

Yes, but for most verbs, it's like the present.

Q

Is it okay for business meetings?

Absolutely, it is friendly and professional.

Q

What if I say voi instead?

You will sound a bit like a textbook. No big deal!

Meanings

This construction is the standard way to express future actions or intentions in Romanian.

1

Planned Future

Actions you intend to perform in the future.

“Voi studia româna diseară.”

“Ea va pleca la București.”

Future Tense Conjugation (A Vrea + Infinitive)

Subject Auxiliary Infinitive Example
Eu voi a merge Voi merge
Tu vei a merge Vei merge
El/Ea va a merge Va merge
Noi vom a merge Vom merge
Voi veți a merge Veți merge
Ei/Ele vor a merge Vor merge

Reference Table

Reference table for Future Intentions
Pronoun Future Marker Verb (Subjunctive) English Translation
Eu o să lucrez I am going to work
Tu o să lucrezi You are going to work
El / Ea o să lucreze He / She is going to work
Noi o să lucrăm We are going to work
Voi o să lucrați You (plural) are going to work
Ei / Ele o să lucreze They are going to work

औपचारिकता का स्तर

औपचारिक
Voi merge la magazin.

Voi merge la magazin. (Daily errand)

तटस्थ
Voi merge la magazin.

Voi merge la magazin. (Daily errand)

अनौपचारिक
O să merg la magazin.

O să merg la magazin. (Daily errand)

बोलचाल
Mă duc la magazin.

Mă duc la magazin. (Daily errand)

Daily Future Intentions

O SĂ

Travel

  • O să plec I'm going to leave
  • O să vizitez I'm going to visit

Food

  • O să gătesc I'm going to cook
  • O să mănânc I'm going to eat

Informal vs. Formal Future

Informal (Daily Life)
o să vin I'll come (friend)
o să sune it will ring
Formal (Books/News)
voi veni I shall come (official)
va suna it shall ring

How to build the Future

1

Is it a plan or intention?

YES ↓
NO
Use Present Tense
2

Is it a formal speech?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'O să' + Subjunctive

Future Scenarios

☁️

Predictions

  • O să ningă
  • O să fie bine
🤝

Promises

  • O să te ajut
  • O să vin la timp

Examples by Level

1

Voi mânca.

I will eat.

2

Vei pleca.

You will leave.

3

Va veni.

He/she will come.

4

Vom lucra.

We will work.

1

Nu voi întârzia.

I will not be late.

2

Veți citi cartea?

Will you read the book?

3

Ei vor cumpăra pâine.

They will buy bread.

4

Voi scrie un email.

I will write an email.

1

Vom discuta despre proiect mâine.

We will discuss the project tomorrow.

2

Ea va termina studiile în vară.

She will finish her studies in the summer.

3

Nu veți regreta această decizie.

You will not regret this decision.

4

Vor sosi la aeroport la ora zece.

They will arrive at the airport at ten.

1

Voi fi prezent la conferință.

I will be present at the conference.

2

Va trebui să luăm o hotărâre.

We will have to make a decision.

3

Nu vor accepta condițiile propuse.

They will not accept the proposed conditions.

4

Vom analiza situația în detaliu.

We will analyze the situation in detail.

1

Voi întreprinde toate măsurile necesare.

I will undertake all necessary measures.

2

Va fi o onoare să vă asist.

It will be an honor to assist you.

3

Nu vor putea ignora aceste dovezi.

They will not be able to ignore this evidence.

4

Vom implementa strategia imediat.

We will implement the strategy immediately.

1

Voi consimți la termenii contractului.

I will consent to the terms of the contract.

2

Va surveni o schimbare radicală.

A radical change will occur.

3

Nu vor pregeta să intervină.

They will not hesitate to intervene.

4

Vom elucida acest mister curând.

We will elucidate this mystery soon.

Easily Confused

Future Intentions बनाम Future vs. Present

Learners use present for future.

Future Intentions बनाम Future vs. Subjunctive

Mixing 'o să' with 'voi'.

Future Intentions बनाम Future vs. Imperfect

Ending confusion.

सामान्य गलतियाँ

Voi merg

Voi merge

Must use infinitive.

Eu voi a merge

Voi merge

Don't include the 'a' particle in the infinitive after the auxiliary.

Voi merge mâine

Voi merge mâine

Correct, but ensure auxiliary is right.

Voi mergea

Voi merge

Wrong tense ending.

Nu voi a merge

Nu voi merge

Remove 'a'.

Vei merge?

Vei merge?

Correct, but check subject.

Ei vor merg

Ei vor merge

Infinitive required.

O să voi merge

Voi merge

Don't mix future forms.

Voi fi merge

Voi merge

No auxiliary 'fi' needed.

Va mergea

Va merge

Wrong conjugation.

Voi a fi mers

Voi fi mers

Future perfect requires 'fi'.

Va să meargă

Va merge

Stick to standard future.

Vom fi mers

Vom merge

Check aspect.

Sentence Patterns

Voi ___ mâine.

Nu voi ___ la petrecere.

Vom ___ proiectul săptămâna viitoare.

Ei vor ___ decizia finală.

Real World Usage

Texting very common

Ne vom vedea la 8?

Job Interview common

Voi aduce valoare echipei.

Travel common

Vom vizita muzeul.

Food Delivery occasional

Voi comanda pizza.

Email common

Voi trimite documentul.

Social Media common

Voi posta pozele mâine.

💡

The 'O' is your Anchor

Don't try to change the 'o' to 'eu' or 'tu'. It's a static particle. It stays 'o' forever and ever.
⚠️

Subjunctive Sneakiness

For 'el/ea' (he/she), the verb ending often changes to -e or -ască. For example: 'el o să lucreze'.
🎯

Sound Like a Local

In fast speech, 'o să' sometimes sounds like 'o s-'. For example: 'o s-ajung' instead of 'o să ajung'.
💬

Politeness and Future

When ordering in a restaurant, 'o să iau' (I'm going to take) is very polite and common in Romania.

Smart Tips

Use 'voi + infinitive' instead of 'o să'.

O să fac asta. Voi face asta.

Just use the infinitive form.

Voi merg. Voi merge.

Use the auxiliary once, then list verbs.

Voi merge. Voi mânca. Voi merge și mânca.

Always put 'nu' first.

Voi nu merge. Nu voi merge.

उच्चारण

/voj/

Voi

Sounds like 'voy' in Spanish.

/vej/

Vei

Sounds like 'vey'.

Question

Vei merge? ↗

Rising intonation at the end.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'Voi' (I will) sounds like 'Voy' (I go in Spanish), but it's Romanian!

Visual Association

Imagine a calendar on the wall. You point at a future date and say 'Voi' (I will) while holding a pen to write your plan.

Rhyme

Voi, vei, va, vom, veți, vor, / Future plans are at the door!

Story

I look at my calendar. 'Voi merge' (I will go) to the beach. My friend asks, 'Vei merge?' (Will you go?). I say 'Da, voi merge!' (Yes, I will go!).

Word Web

voiveivavomvețivorviitor

चैलेंज

Write 3 things you will do tomorrow using the 'voi + infinitive' structure.

सांस्कृतिक नोट्स

The 'a vrea' + infinitive is the prestige form used in all formal writing.

Often uses the same structure but with a slightly different cadence.

Similar to standard, but colloquial 'o să' is very common.

Derived from Latin 'volere' (to want) + infinitive.

Conversation Starters

Ce vei face mâine?

Vei vizita România anul acesta?

Cum vei aborda această problemă?

Ce obiective vei urmări în carieră?

Journal Prompts

Write about your plans for the weekend.
Describe your dream vacation.
Write a letter to your future self.
Discuss your professional goals for the next year.

Test Yourself

Complete the sentence to say 'I am going to travel' next week.

Săptămâna viitoare ___ să călătoresc în Spania.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: o
In spoken Romanian, we use the fixed particle 'o' before 'să' for future intentions.
Choose the correct form for 'They are going to buy a car'.

Ei ___ să cumpere o mașină nouă.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: o să
The full phrase 'o să' is required before the verb 'cumpere'.
Pick the right verb form to follow 'o să' for 'We are going to drink'.

Diseară o să ___ o bere cu prietenii.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bem
The verb must match the subject 'Noi' (we), so 'bem' is the correct present/subjunctive form.

Score: /3

अभ्यास प्रश्न

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Eu ___ merge la școală.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: voi
First person singular.
Choose the correct form. बहुविकल्पी

Noi ___ citi cartea.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vom
First person plural.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Tu voi merge.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tu vei merge
Subject-verb agreement.
Make negative. Sentence Transformation

Voi merge.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu voi merge
Negative placement.
Match subject to auxiliary. Match Pairs

Ei -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vor
Third person plural.
Conjugate. Conjugation Drill

Ea (a veni) -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: va veni
Third person singular.
Order the words. Sentence Building

mâine / voi / merge / la / piață

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Voi merge la piață mâine
Correct word order.
True or False? True False Rule

The main verb is conjugated in the future tense.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It remains in the infinitive.

Score: /8

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (8)

Grammatically, they both express the future. 'Voi merge' is the standard, formal form, while 'o să merg' is very common in speech.

No, the main verb stays in the infinitive form (e.g., 'a merge').

Yes, it is the preferred form for professional settings.

You will be misunderstood. Always use the auxiliary.

Yes, Romanian is unique in using 'a vrea' (to want) as the future auxiliary.

No, because the main verb is always in the infinitive.

Simply add 'nu' before the auxiliary verb.

No, this is strictly for future intentions.

In Other Languages

Spanish partial

Ir a + infinitive

Auxiliary verb choice.

French partial

Aller + infinitive

Auxiliary verb choice.

German moderate

Werden + infinitive

Auxiliary verb choice.

Japanese low

Verb + tsumori

Grammatical structure.

Arabic low

Sa- + verb

Morphology.

Chinese moderate

Yào + verb

No conjugation.

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