Present-tense patterns for -ea verbs

Romanian verbs whose infinitive ends in -ea often use the present endings of the second conjugation, but their stems can change. Start with complete forms rather than assuming that every verb behaves alike: Văd trenul. (I see the train.)

How do you form the present of an -ea verb?

Use the present indicative — the ordinary present for facts, habits, and actions happening now — with the ending that agrees with the person and number, while checking the verb's stem changes.

Here -Ø means that no extra ending is added. The noi and voi endings are always stressed: vedem and vedeți. Romanian spelling also keeps the stem change in the model: văd but vezi, vede, vedem, vedeți. The endings help you recognize the pattern, but they do not predict every spelling change.

Which complete paradigms should you learn?

Learn the full six-form set for each common verb. The first-person singular and third-person plural are identical in these examples, so context can be important when the subject pronoun is omitted.

The forms show three useful kinds of variation. A vedea changes between văd, vez-, and ved-. A cădea has cad-, caz-, and căd-. A putea is more irregular: its present set is pot, poți, poate, putem, puteți, pot. Treat these as forms to learn separately, even though all three infinitives end in -ea.

Do you need the subject pronoun?

Usually no. Romanian often omits a subject pronoun when the verb and context make the subject clear, so Văd. can mean I see and Pot să vin. can mean I can come. Use the pronoun for contrast or clarification: Eu văd, dar ei nu văd. (I see, but they do not.) See Romanian subject pronouns for when keeping the pronoun is useful.

How do you make a negative or a question?

Put nu directly before the finite verb — the verb form that carries the present tense and agrees with the subject. A yes-or-no question normally keeps the same word order and uses question intonation in speech or a question mark in writing.

For a putea, a second verb commonly follows with să: Pot să ajut. (I can help.) This article only needs the present form of a putea; the separate present subjunctive article explains the verb after să. For the wider placement of nu, see Romanian negation with nu.

Which -ea verbs are irregular enough to memorize?

Memorize frequent verbs with strong stem changes or a special set instead of forcing them into one formula. In addition to a vedea, a cădea, and a putea, pay special attention to a avea (am, ai, are, avem, aveți, au), a vrea (vreau, vrei, vrea, vrem, vreți, vor), and a bea (beau, bei, bea, bem, beți, beau). The present of a avea is taught separately. Other verbs such as a apărea, a dispărea, a părea, a prevedea, a revedea, a scădea, and a tăcea are listed with the a vedea pattern in the checked grammar, but each still deserves a quick dictionary check when you first meet it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not use the infinitive after the subject: say Noi vedem filmul, not Noi vedea filmul.
• Do not copy the a vedea stem into another verb: Tu poți, not Tu vezi when you mean you can; Noi cădem, not Noi vedem when we mean we fall.
• Keep the plural endings and their spelling: cădem, cădeți and putem, puteți. These forms need their Romanian diacritics in careful standard writing.
• Keep nu before the finite form: Nu pot să vin, not Pot nu să vin for the ordinary negative.
• Remember that a cădea (to fall) and a se cădea (to be proper or fitting) are different verbs; this article teaches the first one.