A1 Basic Verbs 7 min read Easy

High-frequency Irregulars

Mastering 'a fi', 'a avea', and 'a vrea' allows you to handle most basic Romanian daily interactions.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Irregular verbs like 'a fi' (to be) and 'a avea' (to have) don't follow standard patterns; you must memorize their specific forms.

  • A fi (to be) changes completely: Eu sunt, tu ești, el/ea este.
  • A avea (to have) uses 'am' for 'I have', not 'aveu'.
  • Irregular verbs are the foundation of Romanian; learn these first to build basic sentences.
Subject + Irregular Verb Form + Object/Complement

Overview

Welcome to the wild world of Romanian verbs! Most Romanian verbs are quite polite. They follow predictable patterns based on their endings. But then, we have the rebels. These are the high-frequency irregular verbs. They are the rule-breakers of the language. You will use these verbs more than any others. They are the backbone of every sentence you speak. We are talking about heavy hitters like a fi (to be), a avea (to have), and a vrea (to want). They don't care about your standard conjugation rules. They have their own unique personalities. Think of them as the celebrities of the Romanian language. They are a bit high-maintenance, but you can't have a party without them. If you master these few rebels, you unlock the door to basic communication. You will be able to introduce yourself, express needs, and describe your world. Yes, they require some memorization. No, there is no secret shortcut. But don't worry! Once you get the rhythm, they become second nature. Even native speakers had to learn these one by one as kids. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Most verbs are green and go straight. These irregulars are the flashing yellow lights that make you stop and think. Let's dive in and meet the crew.

How This Grammar Works

In Romanian, regular verbs change their endings in a predictable way. You usually take the root and add a standard suffix. Irregular verbs laugh at this concept. Their roots might change completely. Sometimes, the entire word looks different from one person to the next. For example, eu sunt (I am) looks nothing like el este (he is). This happens because these verbs are very old. They have been worn down by centuries of constant use. It is like a favorite pair of old boots. They don't look like the new ones in the store anymore. They have their own shape now. In this guide, we focus on the Present Tense. This is where the irregularities are most visible. You need to learn the specific form for each person: I, You, He/She, We, You (plural), and They. The good news is that Romanian is phonetic. Once you know how to spell the irregular form, you know how to say it. There are no hidden sounds here. Just pure, rebellious spelling.

Formation Pattern

1
Since these are irregular, we cannot give you one single formula. Instead, we look at them individually. Let's break down the three most important ones step-by-step.
2
The Verb a fi (To Be):
3
Eu sunt (I am)
4
Tu ești (You are)
5
El/Ea este (He/She is)
6
Noi suntem (We are)
7
Voi sunteți (You all are)
8
Ei/Ele sunt (They are)
9
*Notice how 'I' and 'They' actually use the same word! That is a lucky break for you.*
10
The Verb a avea (To Have):
11
Eu am (I have)
12
Tu ai (You have)
13
El/Ea are (He/She has)
14
Noi avem (We have)
15
Voi aveți (You all are)
16
Ei/Ele au (They have)
17
*This one is almost regular, but the 'He/She' form are is the surprise guest.*
18
The Verb a vrea (To Want):
19
Eu vreau (I want)
20
Tu vrei (You want)
21
El/Ea vrea (He/She wants)
22
Noi vrem (We want)
23
Voi vreți (You all want)
24
Ei/Ele vor (They want)
25
*Watch out for the 'They' form. It changes from 'vrea' to 'vor' entirely.*

When To Use It

These verbs are your daily survival tools. You will use a fi every time you introduce yourself. "I am Alex" becomes Eu sunt Alex. Use it to describe your feelings. "I am tired" is Sunt obosit. It is the foundation of identity. Use a avea for possession and age. In Romanian, you don't "be" an age; you "have" years. "I am 20" is Am 20 de ani. Use it when ordering food too. "I have a hunger" or Am o foame (though usually, we say Mi-e foame). Use a vrea whenever you need something. "I want a coffee" is Vreau o cafea. It is perfect for shopping or at a restaurant. Use a face (to do/make) for activities. "I am doing my homework" is Fac temele. These verbs appear in almost every sentence. Whether you are at a job interview or asking for directions, they are there. They are the glue of the Romanian language.

When Not To Use It

Don't use these irregular forms when you are trying to be overly formal with regular verbs. Some learners get so used to irregulars that they start changing regular verbs too. Stick to the memorized forms for these specific rebels only. Also, be careful with a fi when describing temporary weather. We don't say "The weather is cold" using a fi as often as we say "It is cold" using e. Actually, that's a bad example because e is just a short version of este. Let's try this: don't use a avea for being hungry or thirsty in the same way English does. While you "have" an age, you "feel" hunger. Most importantly, don't try to apply "logic" to these. If you find yourself asking "Why does 'they want' become 'vor'?", just stop. There is no why. Only because. Accept the chaos and move on.

Common Mistakes

One huge mistake is confusing ești and este. Ești is always "you", and este is always "he/she". It sounds simple, but in the heat of a conversation, they swap places easily. Another classic is the u in au (they have). Beginners often forget it and say ei am. That sounds like "they I have" to a Romanian. Don't forget the pronunciation of este. Even though it starts with 'E', we pronounce it like it has a tiny 'Y' at the start: "Yeste". If you say it with a hard 'E', people will understand, but you will sound like a robot. Also, watch the verb a vrea. Many people say eu vrei by mistake. Remember: eu vreau. Think of the 'u' at the end as you pointing at yourself. Finally, don't mix up sunt (I am) and suntem (we are). Adding that em at the end changes the whole group size!

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Let's compare these to regular verbs. A regular verb like a lucra (to work) is predictable. Eu lucrez, tu lucrezi, el lucrează. You see the pattern? The endings change, but the root stays mostly the same. Now look at a fi. Eu sunt, tu ești. The root vanished! It went on vacation. Regular verbs are like a pre-set menu at a restaurant. You know what is coming. Irregular verbs are like a potluck dinner. You never know what you are going to get. However, once you know the 5-6 main irregulars, the rest of the language feels much easier. Most other verbs will follow the rules. These irregulars are the only major hurdles in your way. Think of them as the boss levels in a video game. Once you beat them, the rest of the map opens up.

Quick FAQ

Q

Is e the same as este?

Yes, e is just the short, lazy version of este. Use it in casual talk.

Q

Why is sunt used for both 'I' and 'They'?

It's just a quirk of history. Context will tell people who you are talking about.

Q

Do I always need to say eu, tu, el?

No! The verb ending usually tells us who it is. You can just say Sunt american instead of Eu sunt american.

Q

Is a vrea the only way to say "want"?

It is the most common. There is also a dori, which is more formal, like "to desire".

Q

Are there many more irregulars?

There are a few more, like a da (to give) or a sta (to stay), but these three are the most vital.

Conjugation of 'A Fi' (To Be)

Person Singular Plural
1st (Eu/Noi)
sunt
suntem
2nd (Tu/Voi)
ești
sunteți
3rd (El/Ei)
este
sunt

Common Contractions

Full Form Contraction
nu am
n-am
nu este
nu-i
nu vrea
nu vrea

Meanings

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard conjugation patterns of the four main Romanian verb groups.

1

Existence and Possession

Using 'to be' and 'to have' as auxiliary or main verbs.

“Eu sunt aici.”

“Tu ai o mașină.”

2

Desire and Will

Expressing wants or future intentions.

“Eu vreau o cafea.”

“Vrei să mergem?”

Reference Table

Reference table for High-frequency Irregulars
Infinitive Eu (I) Tu (You) El/Ea (He/She) Ei/Ele (They)
a fi (to be)
sunt
ești
este / e
sunt
a avea (to have)
am
ai
are
au
a vrea (to want)
vreau
vrei
vrea
vor
a face (to do)
fac
faci
face
fac
a merge (to go)
merg
mergi
merge
merg
a bea (to drink)
beau
bei
bea
beau

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Doresc o cafea.

Doresc o cafea. (Ordering at a cafe)

Neutral
Vreau o cafea.

Vreau o cafea. (Ordering at a cafe)

Informal
Vreau o cafea.

Vreau o cafea. (Ordering at a cafe)

Slang
Bagă o cafea.

Bagă o cafea. (Ordering at a cafe)

The Big Three Irregulars

Irregular Verbs

Identity (a fi)

  • sunt I am
  • ești you are

Possession (a avea)

  • am I have
  • are he/she has

Desire (a vrea)

  • vreau I want
  • vor they want

Regular vs. Irregular (Present Tense)

Regular (a lucra)
lucrez I work
lucrează they work
Irregular (a fi)
sunt I am
sunt they are

Choosing the right 'a avea' form

1

Is the subject 'I' (Eu)?

YES ↓
NO
Check next person...
2

Is it 'He/She' (El/Ea)?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'au' for they.

Usage Scenarios

☕

Coffee Shop

  • • Vreau o cafea
  • • Aveți lapte?
👋

Introductions

  • • Sunt Maria
  • • Ești din SUA?
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Examples by Level

1

Eu sunt student.

I am a student.

2

Tu ai o carte.

You have a book.

3

Noi suntem aici.

We are here.

4

Ei au o mașină.

They have a car.

1

Nu sunt obosit.

I am not tired.

2

Vrei să mănânci?

Do you want to eat?

3

Ea are nevoie de ajutor.

She needs help.

4

Sunteți gata de plecare?

Are you ready to leave?

1

Am avut o zi lungă.

I have had a long day.

2

Dacă aș fi bogat, aș călători.

If I were rich, I would travel.

3

Ei vor să viziteze orașul.

They want to visit the city.

4

Nu am știut că ești aici.

I didn't know you were here.

1

Este esențial să fii punctual.

It is essential to be punctual.

2

Deși are experiență, este modest.

Although he has experience, he is modest.

3

Voi fi acolo la timp.

I will be there on time.

4

Ar fi fost mai bine așa.

It would have been better this way.

1

Fie ce-o fi, vom reuși.

Whatever happens, we will succeed.

2

A avea de-a face cu el este dificil.

Dealing with him is difficult.

3

Nu vor să admită adevărul.

They don't want to admit the truth.

4

Ești ceea ce gândești.

You are what you think.

1

Să fii sau să nu fii, aceasta-i întrebarea.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

2

Oricât ar avea, tot nu este mulțumit.

No matter how much he has, he is still not satisfied.

3

Ar fi fost de preferat o altă abordare.

Another approach would have been preferable.

4

N-au vrut să asculte sfatul meu.

They didn't want to listen to my advice.

Easily Confused

High-frequency Irregulars vs A fi vs A avea

Learners mix up 'to be' and 'to have' when expressing age or needs.

High-frequency Irregulars vs Sunt (1st person) vs Sunt (3rd person plural)

They look the same.

High-frequency Irregulars vs Vreau vs Voi

Both start with V.

Common Mistakes

✗

Eu amez

✓

Eu am

Learners try to add regular endings to irregular verbs.
✗

Ei suntem

✓

Ei sunt

Confusing the plural form.
✗

Tu este

✓

Tu ești

Using the 3rd person for 2nd person.
✗

Nu sunt nu

✓

Nu sunt

Incorrect word order.
✗

Vreai

✓

Vrei

Adding an extra vowel.
✗

Suntem la magazin

✓

Suntem la magazin

Correct, but often confused with 'avem'.
✗

Aș fi fost

✓

Aș fi fost

Often confused with simple past.

Sentence Patterns

Eu ___ student.

Tu ___ o carte.

Noi ___ să plecăm.

Ei ___ fericiți.

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Sunt la mare!

Texting constant

N-am timp.

Job Interview very common

Sunt pregătit.

Ordering Food very common

Vreau o pizza.

Travel common

Unde este gara?

Email common

Vă sunt recunoscător.

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💡

The 'Sunt' Double-Up

Remember that 'sunt' works for both 'I' and 'They'. It's like a buy-one-get-one-free deal in grammar!
⚠️

The Silent 'I' Sound

In 'ești' and 'vrei', the final 'i' is very short, almost like a whisper. Don't pronounce it like a long 'ee'.
🎯

Age is a Possession

Think of age like a collection of stickers. You 'have' 20 stickers, so you 'have' 20 years (am 20 de ani).
💬

Politeness Counts

When asking for something, use 'aș dori' (I would like) to sound extra polite, though 'vreau' is fine with friends.

Smart Tips

Check if it's irregular before conjugating.

Conjugating 'a fi' like 'a lucra'. → Looking up 'a fi' and learning 'sunt'.

Focus on the most common forms first.

Trying to learn all forms at once. → Learning 'sunt' and 'am' first.

Use a verb table.

Guessing the spelling. → Checking the table.

Listen for the root.

Trying to hear the ending. → Listening for the whole word.

Pronunciation

/sunt/

Sunt

Pronounced like 'soont'.

Question

Ești gata? ↑

Rising pitch at the end indicates a question.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'S.A.V.' — Sunt, Am, Vreau. These are your three keys to Romanian survival.

Visual Association

Imagine a person standing (Sunt) holding a bag (Am) and pointing at a cake they want (Vreau).

Rhyme

Sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt, / A fi e verb de mare importanță în acest pământ.

Story

Ion is a student (El este student). He has a big dream (El are un vis). He wants to travel the world (El vrea să călătorească).

Word Web

sunteștiesteamaiarevreauvrei

Challenge

Write 5 sentences about yourself using 'sunt', 'am', and 'vreau' in 5 minutes.

Cultural Notes

Using 'a vrea' directly can sound blunt; adding 'vă rog' is essential.

Most of these verbs come directly from Latin.

Conversation Starters

“

Ești student?

“

Ai o mașină?

“

Vrei să ieșim?

“

Ești obosit?

Journal Prompts

Describe yourself using 'sunt'.
List 5 things you have.
What do you want to do this weekend?
Reflect on a past experience.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Choose the correct form of the verb 'a fi' (to be).

Noi ___ în București acum.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: suntem
For 'noi' (we), the correct form of 'a fi' is 'suntem'.
Choose the correct form of the verb 'a avea' (to have).

Tu ___ o mașină nouă?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ai
For 'tu' (you), the correct form of 'a avea' is 'ai'.
Choose the correct form of the verb 'a vrea' (to want).

Ei ___ să mănânce acum.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vor
The 'they' (ei/ele) form of 'a vrea' is uniquely 'vor'.

Score: /3

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Eu ___ student.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
1st person singular of 'a fi'.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Tu ___ o mașină.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ai
2nd person singular of 'a avea'.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu amez o cafea.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu vreau o cafea.
Vreau is the correct form.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

student / sunt / eu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu sunt student.
Standard SVO order.
Conjugate 'a fi'. Conjugation Drill

Ei ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
3rd person plural.
Match the verb to its meaning. Match Pairs

a fi

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: to be
A fi means to be.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Vrei cafea? B: ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Da, vreau.
1st person response.
Is this true? True False Rule

Irregular verbs follow standard rules.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
They are irregular.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

Because they don't follow standard conjugation rules.

There are many, but only a few are high-frequency.

No, that will make you sound incorrect.

Start with 'a fi' and 'a avea'.

Yes, they are used everywhere.

Yes, they have irregular past forms too.

They are similar, but 'a vrea' is more common.

Use them in daily sentences.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

ser/tener

Romanian has more complex stem changes.

French high

être/avoir

Romanian conjugation is more phonetic.

German moderate

sein/haben

German uses different case systems.

Japanese low

desu/aru

Japanese does not conjugate for person.

Arabic low

kana/indahu

Arabic has a completely different root system.

Chinese low

shi/you

Chinese verbs never change form.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Irregular 'a vrea' (to want)
Next
Memorization Techniques

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