The verb a avea means to have. It is irregular in the present, so learn its six forms as a set: Am o carte. (I have a book.)
How do you conjugate a avea in the present?
Choose the form that agrees with the subject: am, ai, are, avem, aveți, or au.
| Person | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| eu (I) | am | Am o întrebare. (I have a question.) |
| tu (you, singular) | ai | Ai un bilet. (You have a ticket.) |
| el / ea (he / she) | are | Ea are o soră. (She has a sister.) |
| noi (we) | avem | Avem timp. (We have time.) |
| voi (you, plural) / dumneavoastră (polite you) | aveți | Aveți o rezervare. (You have a reservation.) |
| ei / ele (they) | au | Au doi copii. (They have two children.) |
Can you leave out the subject pronoun?
Yes. Romanian often omits a subject pronoun when the verb form and context already show who the subject is; this is normal neutral usage.
- Am o întrebare. (I have a question.) The form am identifies eu from the context.
- Ai timp? (Do you have time?) The form ai identifies singular tu.
- Keep the pronoun for contrast: Eu am cheia, iar ea are harta. (I have the key, while she has the map.) See Romanian subject pronouns for when pronouns are useful.
- For polite or formal you, use dumneavoastră with aveți: Dumneavoastră aveți timp? (Do you have time?) This is the same plural verb pairing used with polite address; see polite pronouns.
What can a avea express?
Use a avea for possession and availability, for age, and in a few common patterns that English expresses with another verb.
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | a avea + noun | Are un apartament. (He or she has an apartment.) |
| Time or availability | a avea timp | Avem timp astăzi. (We have time today.) |
| Age | a avea + number + ani | Am douăzeci și doi de ani. (I am twenty-two years old.) |
| Need | a avea nevoie de + noun | Ai nevoie de ajutor? (Do you need help?) |
For age, Romanian says that someone has a number of years: Câți ani ai? (How old are you?) — Am douăzeci și doi de ani. (I am twenty-two years old.) With numbers from twenty upward, keep de before ani: douăzeci de ani.
How do you negate a avea?
Put nu directly before the finite verb — the form that carries tense and agrees with the subject.
| Positive | Negative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Am timp. | Nu am timp. | I have time / I do not have time. |
| Are nevoie de ajutor. | Nu are nevoie de ajutor. | He or she needs help / does not need help. |
| Aveți o rezervare. | Nu aveți o rezervare. | You have a reservation / do not have a reservation. |
This is the same basic placement as in other Romanian present-tense clauses: nu comes before the verb. See Romanian negation with nu for the wider pattern.
How do you ask basic questions?
For a basic yes-or-no question, keep the normal word order and use question intonation in speech or a question mark in writing.
- Ai un bilet? (Do you have a ticket?)
- Aveți timp? (Do you have time?) This can address several people or one person politely.
- Câți ani are Ana? (How old is Ana?) The third-person singular form is are.
- Nu ai nevoie de ajutor? (Do you not need help?) A negative question still puts nu before ai or another finite form.
What is the difference between the main verb and the auxiliary?
In this article, a avea is the main verb meaning to have: Are timp. (He or she has time.) The same verb also supplies an auxiliary form in the compound past before a past participle, as in Am citit. (I read / I have read.) That is a different job and belongs to the compound-past topic; do not use are as that auxiliary.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use a fi for age: say Am douăzeci și doi de ani. (I am twenty-two years old.), not Sunt douăzeci și doi de ani.
- Do not match eu with ai or tu with am: Eu am timp. (I have time.) and Tu ai timp. (You have time.).
- Do not put nu after the verb: use Nu avem timp. (We do not have time.), not Avem nu timp.
- Do not extend a avea to every English phrase with “have”: hunger and thirst use a fi in the pattern Mi-e foame (I am hungry) and Mi-e sete (I am thirsty).
Complete: Eu ___ o carte.
- am
- ai
- are
- avem
The first-person singular form with eu is am: Eu am o carte.
Which sentence means “They have time”?
- Ei are timp.
- Ei avem timp.
- Ei au timp.
- Ei ai timp.
The third-person plural form with ei or ele is au.
How do you say “I am twenty-two years old” in Romanian?
- Sunt douăzeci și doi ani.
- Am douăzeci și doi de ani.
- Am douăzeci și doi ani.
- Are douăzeci și doi de ani.
Romanian uses a avea for age. With a number from twenty upward, use de before ani: Am douăzeci și doi de ani.
Make Avem nevoie de ajutor negative.
- Avem nu nevoie de ajutor.
- Nu nevoie avem de ajutor.
- Avem nevoie nu de ajutor.
- Nu avem nevoie de ajutor.
Place nu directly before the finite verb avem: Nu avem nevoie de ajutor.
Which sentence uses a avea as the present main verb meaning “have,” rather than as a compound-past auxiliary?
- Am citit cartea.
- Avem nevoie de ajutor.
- Ai plecat devreme.
- Au venit ieri.
In Avem nevoie de ajutor, avem is the present main verb in the pattern a avea nevoie de. The other sentences use a form of a avea with a past participle to build a compound past.