A1 Basic Verbs 5 min read Facile

Verb 'a fi' (to be)

Master a fi to define identity and location, but remember: in Romanian, you 'have' years, not 'are' them.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The verb 'a fi' is the foundation of Romanian, used to describe who you are, where you are, and what you are.

  • Use 'sunt' for 'I am' (Eu sunt student).
  • Use 'ești' for 'you are' (Tu ești aici).
  • Use 'este' or 'e' for 'he/she/it is' (Ea este fericită).
Subject + a fi (conjugated) + Adjective/Noun/Location

Overview

Welcome to your first big step in Romanian! Every language has a superstar verb. In Romanian, that superstar is a fi.
It means to be. You will use it constantly. It is the foundation of almost every conversation. Think of it as the glue of the language.
It holds your sentences together. You use it to introduce yourself. You use it to describe your world.
You use it to say how you feel. It is versatile and powerful. Without it, you cannot say I am. You cannot say It is. It is your most essential tool.
Let’s dive into how it works.

How This Grammar Works

Romanian verbs like to change their shape. We call this conjugation. Most verbs follow a predictable pattern.
However, a fi is a bit of a rebel. It is an irregular verb. This means it does not follow standard rules.
You must memorize its forms for each person. In English, we say I am and You are. Romanian does the same thing. The verb changes based on the subject.
There are six main forms to learn. Do not worry about the complexity yet. Focus on the sounds and the rhythm.
Romanian is a phonetic language. You usually pronounce it exactly how it looks. Think of it like a puzzle.
Once you have the pieces, you can build anything.

Formation Pattern

1
Learning the forms is like learning a song. Here is the present tense breakdown:
2
For I am, use eu sunt. It sounds like the English word soon but shorter.
3
For You are (singular/informal), use tu ești. The ș sounds like sh in shoe.
4
For He/She is, use el/ea este. You can also just say e to be faster.
5
For We are, use noi suntem. This is a longer, rhythmic word.
6
For You are (plural/formal), use voi sunteți. Pay attention to the ț sound like cats.
7
For They are, use ei/ele sunt. Yes, it is the same as the I form!
8
Wait, did you notice that? Eu sunt and ei sunt look identical. Don't panic! Context will always tell you who is being discussed. If you say eu, people know it is you. If you point to others, they know it is they.

When To Use It

Use a fi to define your world. It is perfect for identity. I am Maria becomes Eu sunt Maria.
Use it for your profession.
I am a teacher
is Sunt profesor. It is also the go-to verb for locations.
I am at home
is Sunt acasă. If you are at a café, say Sunt la cafea. Use it for descriptions too.
The coffee is hot
is Cafeaua este fierbinte. It works for nationalities. Sunt român means I am Romanian. It works for temporary states.
Sunt obosit means I am tired. Basically, if you are describing a state of being, a fi is your friend. It is like a camera lens. It focuses on the what and where of life.

When Not To Use It

This is where English speakers often trip. In English, we use to be for age. In Romanian, we do not.
You do not be 20 years old. You have 20 years. Never say Sunt 20 de ani.
That sounds very strange to us! Instead, use the verb a avea. Also, avoid a fi for physical sensations like hunger or thirst.
We do not say I am hungry. We say I have hunger. Am foame is the way to go. Think of a fi as being about identity and location. It is not for things you possess or internal cravings.
If you use a fi for age, people might think you are a time traveler! Keep it for who you are, not how many years you've lived.

Common Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes when starting out. Even native speakers had to learn this once! A very common error is forgetting the i at the end of ești. It is not eșt. It is ești. Make that sh-tee sound clear. Another mistake is mixing up sunt and sunteți. Remember that sunteți is for groups or being polite to one person. Speaking of polite, don't forget dumneavoastră. This is the formal you. It always takes the sunteți form. Another trap is the letter e. In este, the e at the start is often pronounced like ye. It sounds like yeste. It is a subtle trick of the Romanian tongue. Don't let it confuse you!

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Let’s compare Romanian to English logic. In English, to be is very wide. In Romanian, it is more specific.
Consider the sentence I am cold. In English, this means the temperature is low for you. In Romanian, if you say Sunt rece, you are saying your skin is physically cold to the touch, like a piece of ice. If you want to say you feel chilly, you use a different structure.
Also, look at the short forms. English has "I'm or He's." Romanian has e for este. You will hear E frig (It's cold) much more than Este frig.
It makes you sound like a local. Using the full este is like wearing a tuxedo to a grocery store. It's correct, but maybe a bit too formal for daily life.

Quick FAQ

Q

Do I always need to use pronouns like eu or tu?

No! The verb ending usually tells us who you mean. You can just say Sunt instead of Eu sunt.

Q

Is sunt pronounced like sunt or sînt?

Both are technically okay, but sunt is the modern standard. You will hear both in different regions.

Q

How do I make it negative?

Just put nu before the verb. Nu sunt means I am not. Easy, right?

Q

Can I use a fi to talk about the weather?

Yes! Este soare means It is sunny. It works just like English there.

Conjugation of 'a fi' (Present Indicative)

Person Pronoun Form English
1st Sing
Eu
sunt
I am
2nd Sing
Tu
ești
you are
3rd Sing
El/Ea
este/e
he/she is
1st Plur
Noi
suntem
we are
2nd Plur
Voi
sunteți
you all are
3rd Plur
Ei/Ele
sunt
they are

Common Spoken Contractions

Full Form Spoken Form Context
este
e
Informal/Daily
nu este
nu-i
Very informal

Meanings

The verb 'a fi' functions as the primary copula in Romanian, linking a subject to a predicate nominative or adjective.

1

Identity

Defining who or what someone is.

“Eu sunt profesor.”

“Tu ești prietenul meu.”

2

Location

Describing where someone or something is located.

“Ea este la școală.”

“Ei sunt în parc.”

3

State of Being

Describing a condition or quality.

“Apa este rece.”

“Suntem obosiți.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Verb 'a fi' (to be)
Pronoun Romanian Form English Translation
Eu
sunt
I am
Tu
ești
You are (singular)
El / Ea
este (e)
He / She is
Noi
suntem
We are
Voi / Dumneavoastră
sunteți
You are (plural / formal)
Ei / Ele
sunt
They are

Spectre de formalité

Formel
El este prietenul meu.

El este prietenul meu. (Social introduction)

Neutre
E prietenul meu.

E prietenul meu. (Social introduction)

Informel
E amicul meu.

E amicul meu. (Social introduction)

Argot
E tovarășul meu.

E tovarășul meu. (Social introduction)

The World of 'A Fi'

a fi

Identity

  • Nume Name
  • Profesie Job

Location

  • Acasă At home
  • La lucru At work

Age Logic: English vs Romanian

English (To Be)
I am 25 State of being
Romanian (To Have)
Am 25 de ani Possession of years

Which Verb Should I Use?

1

Are you talking about age?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'a avea' (Am 20 ani)
2

Are you talking about identity/location?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'a fi' (Sunt student)

Quick Conjugation Grid

👤

Singular

  • • Eu sunt
  • • Tu ești
  • • El/Ea este
👥

Plural

  • • Noi suntem
  • • Voi sunteți
  • • Ei/Ele sunt

Exemples par niveau

1

Eu sunt student.

I am a student.

2

Tu ești fericit.

You are happy.

3

Ea este acasă.

She is at home.

4

Noi suntem prieteni.

We are friends.

1

Nu sunt obosit astăzi.

I am not tired today.

2

Ești gata de plecare?

Are you ready to leave?

3

Ei sunt la restaurant.

They are at the restaurant.

4

Voi sunteți foarte amabili.

You all are very kind.

1

Este important să fii punctual.

It is important to be punctual.

2

Ea e mereu ocupată cu munca.

She is always busy with work.

3

Dacă aș fi bogat, aș călători.

If I were rich, I would travel.

4

Suntem convinși de succesul vostru.

We are convinced of your success.

1

Este de necrezut ce s-a întâmplat.

It is unbelievable what happened.

2

Ar fi fost mai bine să ne vedem ieri.

It would have been better to meet yesterday.

3

Aceasta este o decizie dificilă.

This is a difficult decision.

4

Suntem cu toții de acord cu propunerea.

We are all in agreement with the proposal.

1

Ea este considerată o expertă în domeniu.

She is considered an expert in the field.

2

Ar fi trebuit să fim mai prudenți.

We should have been more cautious.

3

Este esențial ca ei să fie prezenți.

It is essential that they be present.

4

Suntem martorii unei schimbări majore.

We are witnesses to a major change.

1

A fi sau a nu fi, aceasta este întrebarea.

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

2

Oricât de greu ar fi, vom reuși.

However hard it may be, we will succeed.

3

Suntem cu toții supuși legilor naturii.

We are all subject to the laws of nature.

4

Este de la sine înțeles că vom participa.

It goes without saying that we will participate.

Facile à confondre

Verb 'a fi' (to be) vs A fi vs A avea

Learners use 'a fi' for age.

Verb 'a fi' (to be) vs Este vs E

Learners think they are different verbs.

Verb 'a fi' (to be) vs Sunt (1st sing) vs Sunt (3rd plur)

Same form for different persons.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Eu sunt obosită (for a man)

✓

Eu sunt obosit

Gender agreement is mandatory.
✗

Suntem sunt

✓

Suntem

Don't repeat the verb.
✗

El ești

✓

El este

Wrong person conjugation.
✗

Eu sunt acasă la

✓

Eu sunt acasă

Preposition error.
✗

Nu suntem suntem

✓

Nu suntem

Redundant negation.
✗

Ești tu?

✓

Ești?

Pronoun is usually dropped.
✗

Este bunul

✓

Este bun

Article usage error.
✗

Aș fi fost fost

✓

Aș fi fost

Repetition of auxiliary.
✗

Este de a fi

✓

Este

Literal translation of 'it is to be'.
✗

Suntem fiind

✓

Suntem

Gerund misuse.
✗

Ar fi să fie

✓

Ar fi

Redundant subjunctive.
✗

Este a fi

✓

Este

Syntactic error.
✗

Suntem a fi

✓

Suntem

Archaic/incorrect usage.

Structures de phrases

Eu sunt ___.

Tu ești ___?

Ea este ___ la școală.

Noi suntem ___ astăzi.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Ești acasă?

Job Interview very common

Sunt foarte motivat.

Ordering Food common

Este foarte gustos.

Social Media very common

Sunt în vacanță!

Travel common

Unde este hotelul?

Email common

Sunt disponibil pentru o întâlnire.

💡

Skip the Pronoun

Romanian is a 'pro-drop' language. You don't need to say eu or tu every time. Just say Sunt gata (I'm ready). It sounds more natural!
⚠️

The Age Trap

Using a fi for age is the #1 beginner mistake. Think of years like coins in your pocket—you *have* them, you aren't them.
🎯

The 'E' Shortcut

In casual speech, almost everyone uses e instead of este. Use it to sound like you've lived in Bucharest for years.
💬

Being Polite

When meeting someone older or a boss, use Dumneavoastră sunteți. It shows great respect and will be highly appreciated.

Smart Tips

Drop the 'Eu'.

Eu sunt obosit. → Sunt obosit.

Use 'e' instead of 'este'.

Este bine. → E bine.

Stop using 'a fi'.

Sunt 20 de ani. → Am 20 de ani.

Check the gender.

Sunt obosit (if female). → Sunt obosită (if female).

Prononciation

/sunt/

Sunt

Pronounced like 'soont'.

/jeʃt/

Ești

Pronounced like 'yesht'.

Question

Ești gata? ↗

Rising pitch at the end.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Remember the 'S' sounds: Sunt, Ești, Este, Suntem, Sunteți, Sunt. Most start with S!

Association visuelle

Imagine a mirror. When you look at it, you say 'Eu sunt' (I am). When you point to a friend, you say 'Tu ești' (You are).

Rhyme

Eu sunt, tu ești, el este, Noi suntem, voi sunteți, ei sunt, ce veste!

Story

I am (Eu sunt) at the park. You are (Tu ești) there too. He is (El este) eating an apple. We are (Noi suntem) happy.

Word Web

sunteștiesteesuntemsunteți

Défi

Write 5 sentences about yourself using 'sunt' and post them in a comment.

Notes culturelles

Dropping pronouns is a sign of fluency.

Often use 'îs' instead of 'sunt'.

Slightly different intonation.

Comes from Latin 'esse'.

Amorces de conversation

“

Cine ești tu?

“

Unde ești acum?

“

Ești mulțumit de viața ta?

“

Cum este vremea astăzi?

Sujets d'écriture

Describe yourself in 5 sentences.
Where are your friends right now?
How are you feeling today and why?
Describe your ideal job.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Test Yourself

Choose the correct form of 'a fi' for the first person singular.

Eu ___ din România.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
'Eu sunt' is the correct form for 'I am'.
Complete the sentence to ask someone how they are (informal).

Tu cum ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ești
'Tu ești' is the informal singular form of 'to be'.
Identify the correct plural form for 'they'.

Ei ___ prietenii mei.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
'Ei sunt' is the correct form for 'They are'.

Score: /3

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Fill in the correct form of 'a fi'.

Eu ___ student.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
1st person singular is 'sunt'.
Choose the correct sentence. Choix multiple

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tu ești fericit.
2nd person singular is 'ești'.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

El sunt obosit.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: El este obosit.
3rd person singular is 'este'.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

acasă / sunt / Eu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu sunt acasă.
Standard order is Subject-Verb-Predicate.
Translate to Romanian. Traduction

We are happy.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Noi suntem fericiți.
1st person plural is 'suntem'.
What is the 2nd person plural? Conjugation Drill

Voi ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunteți
2nd person plural is 'sunteți'.
Match the pronoun to the verb. Match Pairs

Eu -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
Eu goes with sunt.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Ești gata? B: Da, ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
Answering for oneself uses 'sunt'.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

It is just an irregular feature of the language. Context will always clarify who you are talking about.

Yes, in 95% of cases. It sounds more natural.

No, 'e' is informal. Use 'este' for formal writing.

Just add 'nu' before the verb: 'Nu sunt'.

No, use 'a avea'.

Yes, but 'a fi' is the most irregular.

The verb doesn't change, but the adjective does (e.g., 'obosită').

No, use 'a avea'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish partial

ser/estar

Romanian has one verb for both permanent and temporary states.

French high

être

Romanian drops pronouns more frequently.

German moderate

sein

German word order is more rigid.

Japanese low

desu/iru/aru

Romanian 'a fi' is universal.

Arabic low

nominal sentence

Romanian always requires the verb.

Chinese partial

shì

Romanian 'a fi' covers both identity and location.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Personal Pronouns (Pronumele personal)
Next
Adjective Agreement

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