A1 Basic Verbs 5 min read Fácil

Irregular 'a vrea' (to want)

Mastering the six irregular forms of a vrea unlocks your ability to express every basic desire in Romanian.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The verb 'a vrea' (to want) is highly irregular and essential for expressing desires, needs, and intentions in daily Romanian conversation.

  • The stem changes significantly: 'vre-' for singular, 'vrem-' for plural.
  • The 3rd person singular and plural use 'vrea' and 'vor' respectively.
  • It is often followed by the subjunctive marker 'să' + verb.
Subject + Vrea-form + (să + Verb)

Overview

Do you want a coffee? Do you want to learn Romanian? You need the verb a vrea.
It is one of the most useful words. It means to want. You will use it constantly. It helps you express your needs and desires.
It is a fundamental building block for any beginner. Without it, you are just pointing at things. With it, you are communicating like a pro.
Think of it as your first superpower in Romanian. It is the engine that drives your daily conversations. You will use it at the bakery.
You will use it when meeting new friends. It is simple but very powerful. Let’s dive into how it works.

How This Grammar Works

In Romanian, verbs change their endings based on who is speaking. This is called conjugation. Most verbs follow a strict, predictable pattern.
However, a vrea is a bit of a rebel. It is an irregular verb. This means it does not follow the usual rules.
It has its own unique personality. You cannot just guess the endings. You need to memorize them.
But do not worry! It is not a long list. There are only six forms to learn.
Once you know them, you can say anything. You can talk about what you want. You can ask others what they want.
It is like learning the secret code to a lock. Once you have it, everything opens up. Even native speakers had to learn this as kids.
You are in good company.

Formation Pattern

1
To master a vrea, follow these simple steps. Think of it like a short ladder.
2
For «I,» use vreau. It ends in a strong u sound.
3
For You (singular), use vrei. It is short and quick.
4
For He or She, use vrea. This is the same as the infinitive.
5
For We, use vrem. It feels solid and collective.
6
For You (plural/formal), use vreți. Notice the special ț sound.
7
For They, use vor. It is short and easy to remember.
8
Notice how the root changes slightly. The vrea- part is mostly there. But the endings are the stars of the show. Practice saying them out loud. Vreau, vrei, vrea, vrem, vreți, vor. It has a nice rhythm, doesn't it? It is like a short song. Memorize this sequence. It will save you a lot of time later.

When To Use It

Use a vrea when you have a clear desire. It works for objects and actions.
You can use it at a restaurant.
I want a pizza
becomes Vreau o pizza.
You can use it for actions.
I want to sleep
becomes Vreau să dorm. Notice the să there? That is a special connector for verbs.
Use it when shopping.
Do you want this shirt?
is Vrei această cămașă?.
Use it for your future plans.
They want to travel
is Ei vor să călătorească.
It is perfect for daily life. It is direct and clear. It shows you know what you want. Use it when asking for directions. Use it when talking to a taxi driver. It is the go-to verb for every beginner.

When Not To Use It

There are times when a vrea might be too direct. Think of it like a grammar traffic light.
Do not use it in very formal settings. If you are talking to a judge, use a dori.
Do not use it if you want to be extra polite. In a fancy hotel, a vrea sounds a bit blunt. It is like saying Give me this instead of
I would like this.
Also, do not use it for things you must do. For obligations, use trebuie.
A vrea is about your heart's desire. It is not about rules or laws. If the situation is casual, a vrea is perfect. If you are with friends, use it freely. If you are at a job interview, maybe switch to a dori occasionally. It shows you have good manners.

Common Mistakes

Many people confuse vrem with other similar words. Some beginners say vreau for everyone. That will confuse people! Remember, each person has their own form.
Another mistake is forgetting the să. If you follow a vrea with another verb, you need să. You cannot say Vreau dorm. You must say Vreau să dorm.
Some learners mix up vor and vrea. Vor is only for they. Vrea is for he or she.
Don't worry if you mess up the ț in vreți. It sounds like the ts in cats.
Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes when they are tired. Just keep practicing. If you say the wrong form, people will still understand you. They will appreciate your effort. Just take a breath and try again.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Let’s look at a vrea versus a dori. A vrea is like a t-shirt. It is comfortable and common. A dori is like a tuxedo. It is for special, formal occasions.
Both mean to want. But a dori is much softer.
Another contrast is with a plăcea (to like). Vreau is about wanting to have something. Îmi place is about enjoying something.
Don't confuse vrea with va. Va is for the future tense. Vrea is for the present desire.
Think of a vrea as the most energetic verb. It is active. It is about moving toward something. Other verbs might be more passive. A vrea is the verb of action and intent.

Quick FAQ

Q

Is a vrea used for the future?

Yes, it helps form the future tense in Romanian.

Q

Can I use it for I would like?

Usually, aș vrea is used for I would like.

Q

Is it okay to use vreau at a cafe?

Yes, it is very common and totally okay.

Q

What is the most common mistake?

Forgetting the word să before a second verb.

Q

Does the form change for men and women?

No, the verb stays the same for all genders.

Present Tense of 'A Vrea'

Person Romanian English
Eu
vreau
I want
Tu
vrei
You want
El/Ea
vrea
He/She wants
Noi
vrem
We want
Voi
vreți
You all want
Ei/Ele
vor
They want

Meanings

Used to express desire, wish, or intent. It is the primary way to say 'I want' in Romanian.

1

Expressing desire

To have a wish for something or to do something.

“Vreau apă.”

“Vrei să mergem?”

2

Polite request

Used to ask for something in a slightly more formal or polite way.

“Aș vrea o cafea, vă rog.”

“Vreți să ne ajutați?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Irregular 'a vrea' (to want)
Person Romanian Form English Translation
Eu (I)
vreau
I want
Tu (You)
vrei
You want
El/Ea (He/She)
vrea
He/She wants
Noi (We)
vrem
We want
Voi (You all)
vreți
You all want
Ei/Ele (They)
vor
They want

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
Aș dori o cafea, vă rog.

Aș dori o cafea, vă rog. (Ordering)

Neutro
Vreau o cafea.

Vreau o cafea. (Ordering)

Informal
Vreau o cafea.

Vreau o cafea. (Ordering)

Gíria
Bagă o cafea.

Bagă o cafea. (Ordering)

What Can You Want?

a vrea

Objects (Nouns)

  • cafea coffee
  • bani money

Actions (Verbs)

  • să dormi to sleep
  • să pleci to leave

A Vrea vs. A Dori

A Vrea (Casual)
Vreau pizza. I want pizza.
Vrei apă? Want water?
A Dori (Formal)
Doresc un bilet. I wish for a ticket.
Ce doriți? What do you desire?

Using A Vrea with Verbs

1

Are you following 'vrea' with a verb?

YES ↓
NO
Just add the noun: Vreau + cafea.
2

Did you add 'să'?

YES ↓
NO
Stop! Add 'să' first.
3

Is the second verb conjugated?

YES ↓
NO
Change the verb to match 'să'.

Conjugation Quick-View

👤

Singular

  • • Vreau (I)
  • • Vrei (You)
  • • Vrea (He/She)
👥

Plural

  • • Vrem (We)
  • • Vreți (You all)
  • • Vor (They)
Cadastre-se grátis para ler a explicação completa

Exemplos por nível

1

Eu vreau o cafea.

I want a coffee.

2

Vrei să mergem?

Do you want to go?

3

Ea vrea un măr.

She wants an apple.

4

Noi vrem acasă.

We want home.

1

Nu vreau să plec acum.

I don't want to leave now.

2

Vreți să vedeți filmul?

Do you all want to see the movie?

3

Ei vor să învețe română.

They want to learn Romanian.

4

Aș vrea un ceai, vă rog.

I would like a tea, please.

1

Nu cred că vor să vină.

I don't think they want to come.

2

Aș vrea să te întreb ceva.

I would like to ask you something.

3

Vrei nu vrei, trebuie să mergi.

Whether you want to or not, you must go.

4

Ei vor merge la mare.

They will go to the sea.

1

Ar vrea să știe adevărul.

He would like to know the truth.

2

Dacă vrei, putem amâna întâlnirea.

If you want, we can postpone the meeting.

3

Nu vor să accepte condițiile.

They don't want to accept the conditions.

4

Aș vrea să fi fost acolo.

I wish I had been there.

1

Oricât ar vrea, nu poate schimba trecutul.

No matter how much he wants, he cannot change the past.

2

Vor să se asigure că totul e în regulă.

They want to ensure everything is in order.

3

Nu vrea cu niciun chip să plece.

He doesn't want to leave at any cost.

4

Ar vrea să-i fie mai bine.

He would like to feel better.

1

Voia să spună că totul a fost o greșeală.

He meant to say that everything was a mistake.

2

Nici nu vor să audă de așa ceva.

They don't even want to hear about such a thing.

3

Ar vrea el să știe ce se întâmplă.

He wishes he knew what is happening.

4

Vrei, nu vrei, bea Grigore agheasmă.

Like it or not, you have to do it.

Fácil de confundir

Irregular 'a vrea' (to want) vs A vrea vs A dori

Both mean 'to want', but have different formality levels.

Irregular 'a vrea' (to want) vs Vor (want) vs Vor (future)

The form 'vor' is used for both.

Irregular 'a vrea' (to want) vs Vreau vs Vrea

Mixing up 1st and 3rd person singular.

Erros comuns

✗

Vreai

✓

Vrei

Learners often add an 'a' to the 2nd person singular.
✗

Vreau să mănânc

✓

Vreau să mănânc

Wait, this is correct. The mistake is 'Vreau mănânc'.
✗

Vrețiți

✓

Vreți

Adding extra syllables to the 2nd person plural.
✗

Vor să

✓

Vor să

Confusing 'vor' with 'vrea' in the 3rd person.
✗

Vreați

✓

Vreți

Incorrect stem for 2nd person plural.
✗

Nu vrea

✓

Nu vrea

Using 'nu' with the wrong person.
✗

Vrei să mergi?

✓

Vrei să mergi?

Correct. Mistake: 'Vrei mergi?'.
✗

Aș vrea să aș

✓

Aș vrea să

Redundant conditional usage.
✗

Ei vor să merge

✓

Ei vor să meargă

Incorrect subjunctive conjugation.
✗

Vreau ca tu să...

✓

Vreau să...

Unnecessary 'ca' usage.
✗

Vrea să fi fost

✓

Ar vrea să fi fost

Incorrect mood for past regret.
✗

Vor să se ducă

✓

Vor să se ducă

Correct. Mistake: 'Vor să ducă'.
✗

Vrea să-l văd

✓

Vrea să-l văd

Correct. Mistake: 'Vrea să văd el'.

Padrões de frases

Vreau să ___.

Aș vrea să ___.

Ei vor să ___.

Nu vreau să ___.

Real World Usage

Restaurant constant

Vreau meniul, vă rog.

Texting very common

Vrei să ieșim?

Job Interview common

Aș vrea să aflu mai multe.

Travel common

Vreau un bilet la tren.

Food Delivery very common

Vreau să comand pizza.

Social Media common

Vreau să văd asta!

Cadastre-se grátis para ver todos os exemplos
💡

The 'Vor' Memory Trick

Think of 'Vor' as 'Voices'. They (many people) have voices and they 'vor' (want) something. It helps you remember it's plural!
⚠️

Don't Forget the 'Să'!

In English, we say 'I want TO eat'. In Romanian, 'să' acts like that 'to'. Without it, your sentence sounds like broken robot speech.
🎯

Politeness Hack

If you're unsure, add 'vă rog' (please) after any form of 'a vrea'. It instantly makes the direct 'vreau' sound much friendlier.
💬

Directness in Romania

Romanians are often more direct than English speakers. Saying 'Vreau o cafea' is perfectly normal in a shop. You don't always need 'I would like'.

Smart Tips

Use 'Aș vrea' to sound polite.

Vreau o pizza. → Aș vrea o pizza, vă rog.

Use 'Vrei să...' for invitations.

Vrei mergem? → Vrei să mergem?

Use 'Vreți' for 'you all'.

Vrei voi să veniți? → Vreți să veniți?

Keep 'nu' right before the verb.

Vreau nu să plec. → Nu vreau să plec.

Pronúncia

v-r-eau

Vreau

The 'eau' is pronounced as a diphthong /o̯au/.

v-re-tsi

Vreți

The 'ți' is a sharp 'ts' sound.

Question

Vrei să mergi? ↑

Rising intonation at the end for yes/no questions.

Memorize

Mnemônico

Vreau, vrei, vrea — the singular trio. Vrem, vreți, vor — the plural flow.

Associação visual

Imagine a hungry person reaching for a plate. They say 'Vreau!' (I want). Then a group of people joins, and they all shout 'Vor!' (They want).

Rhyme

I want is vreau, you want is vrei, he wants is vrea, that's the way!

Story

Ana is at a cafe. She says 'Vreau o cafea'. The waiter asks 'Vrei și zahăr?'. Ana says 'Nu, mulțumesc'. They both want a good day.

Word Web

VreauVreiVreaVremVrețiVorSăAș vrea

Desafio

Write 5 sentences using 'a vrea' about things you want to do this weekend.

Notas culturais

Using 'a vrea' directly is common, but 'aș vrea' is preferred in service settings to maintain politeness.

Similar usage, though sometimes 'a dori' is more frequent in formal speech.

Often uses 'a vrea' with specific regional intonations.

Comes from the Latin 'volere'.

Iniciadores de conversa

“

Ce vrei să faci azi?

“

Vrei să mergem la film?

“

Ce ai vrea să mănânci?

“

Vreți să ne vedem mai târziu?

Temas para diário

Scrie 3 lucruri pe care vrei să le faci în weekend.
Ce ai vrea să schimbi la viața ta?
Descrie ce vor prietenii tăi să facă vara aceasta.
Dacă ai putea, ce ai vrea să înveți?

Erros comuns

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Choose the correct form of 'a vrea' for the person 'Eu'.

Eu ___ o înghețată de ciocolată.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vreau
For the first person singular (I), the correct form is 'vreau'.
Fill in the missing connector word between the verbs.

Noi vrem ___ mergem la plajă.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: să
In Romanian, 'a vrea' requires the connector 'să' before a second verb.
Identify the correct form for 'They' (Ei).

Ei ___ să învețe limba română.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vor
'Vor' is the specific irregular form for the third person plural (They).

Score: /3

Exercicios praticos

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

Eu ___ o cafea.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vreau
1st person singular is 'vreau'.
Choose the correct sentence. Múltipla escolha

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vreau să mănânc
Requires 'să' and matching person.
Find the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Tu vrea o mașină.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tu vrei
2nd person singular is 'vrei'.
Make it negative. Sentence Transformation

Vreau să plec.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu vreau să plec
Negation goes before the verb.
Match the person to the form. Match Pairs

Noi -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vrem
1st person plural is 'vrem'.
What is the 3rd person plural? Conjugation Drill

Ei ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vor
3rd person plural is 'vor'.
Order the words. Sentence Building

să / vreau / plec / eu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu vreau să plec
Standard SVO order.
Is this true? True False Rule

'A vrea' is a regular verb.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is highly irregular.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

No, it is highly irregular and must be memorized.

Use 'să' whenever you follow 'a vrea' with another verb.

Use the conditional 'aș vrea'.

It's an irregular stem change from Latin.

Yes, 'vor' is used as an auxiliary for the 3rd person plural future.

'Vreau' is direct; 'doresc' is formal.

No, 'vrei' is only for 'tu' (you singular).

Add 'nu' before the verb.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Cadastre-se grátis para praticar

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Querer

Spanish 'querer' is more versatile.

French high

Vouloir

French uses 'vouloir' as a modal verb.

German moderate

Wollen

German 'wollen' doesn't take 'să'.

Japanese low

Hoshii

Grammatical category is different.

Arabic moderate

Yurid

Arabic root system is different.

Chinese low

Yào

No conjugation in Chinese.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Irregular 'a avea' (to have)
Next
High-frequency Irregulars

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