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Chapter 11 of 16 · Explore the Romanian path

Verbs and stories · Chapter 11 of 16

Have, want, must — and the little word să

Say what you have, where you are going, and what you want or must do. Where English says “to” before a second verb, Romanian says să.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • am, ai, are are I have, you have, he or she has.
  • Being hungry is neither being nor having: Mi-e foame is “to-me is hunger”.
  • Where English says “to”, Romanian says să: vreau să merg.
  • la, în, într-o place a story; acasă is “home” on its own.

One word carries the doing and the who

Each of these is one word doing what English needs two for. The last row is the small words that place a story.

amahm · aieye · areAH-reh
I have · you have · he or she has
mergmehrg · mergimehrj(y) · mergeMEHR-jeh
I go · you go · he or she goes
The g softens before that i and e — the ce/ci rule, one letter along.
vinveen · vineVEE-neh · vinoVEE-noh
I come · he or she comes · come!
Vino cu mine.VEE-noh koo MEE-neh“Come with me.”
lalah · înihn · într-oIHN-troh · acasăah-KAH-suh
to · in · in a · home
Merg acasă.mehrg ah-KAH-suh“I am going home.” — one word, homeward, and it takes no la. Masculine takes într-unIHN-troon: într-un copac“in a tree”.

I want to see the fox.

Vreau să văd vulpea.

vryow suh vuhd VOOL-pyah

vreau“I want” carries the “I”; să văd is the second verb with săsuh in front. Where English says “to”, Romanian says să.

Three words that open a door for a second one

Want, can and must are followed by a second doing word with să in front of it. Read each pair as one idea.

vreauvryow
Vreau să merg.vryow suh mehrg“I want to go.”
potpot
Pot să văd copacul.pot suh vuhd koh-PAH-kool“I can see the tree.”
trebuieTREH-boo-yeh
Trebuie să merg.TREH-boo-yeh suh mehrg“I must go.”
The verb after să keeps its familiar shape. Only one shape shifts: vede → să vadăsuh VAH-duh, merge → să meargăsuh MYAHR-guh.

Have, want, or need

  1. Nu am apă.

    nu still comes first.

    Show answer +
    Nu am apă.noo ahm AH-puh“I do not have water”
  2. Am un prieten.
    Show answer +
    Am un prieten.ahm oon PRYEH-ten“I have a friend”
  3. Vreau să văd pădurea.

    The last word has a “the” welded on.

    Show answer +
    Vreau să văd pădurea.vryow suh vuhd puh-DOO-ryah“I want to see the wood”
  4. Mi-e foame.

    Learned whole, not built.

    Show answer +
    Mi-e foame.myeh FWAH-meh“I am hungry”
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