Conditional for Advice

Level 3

The Romanian Present Conditional is the standard way to give advice without sounding bossy. Instead of saying 'Do this!', you say 'I would suggest...' or 'It would be better to...'

How It Works

In Romanian, the Present Conditional acts as a social buffer. While the imperative is direct, the conditional allows the listener to feel they have a choice.

1. Structure:
The pattern uses a specific auxiliary + the bare infinitive (the dictionary form without a):

  • Eu aș + infinitive (I would...)
  • Tu ai + infinitive (You would...)
  • El/Ea ar + infinitive (He/She would...)
  • Noi am + infinitive (We would...)
  • Voi ați + infinitive (You all would...)
  • Ei/Ele ar + infinitive (They would...)

2. Common Phrases for Advice:
Advice is often introduced by specific 'softening' verbs or impersonal expressions. Note that Ar trebui is impersonal and remains in the 3rd person singular regardless of who the advice is for:

  • Ar trebui să... (You/He/We should...)
  • Aș recomanda să... (I would recommend that...)
  • Ar fi bine să... (It would be good to...)
  • Eu aș zice că... (I would say that...)
  • Ai putea să... (You could...)

3. Negation:
To form the negative, place nu before the auxiliary. In speech and writing, nu often contracts to n- before the auxiliary (e.g., N-aș face asta - I wouldn't do that; N-ar trebui să pleci - You shouldn't leave).

4. Placement of Clitics:
If you use reflexive pronouns or object clitics directly with the conditional verb, they are placed before the auxiliary and fused with a hyphen (e.g., Te-aș sfătui). The only exception is the feminine singular clitic -o, which follows the main verb (e.g., Aș vedea-o).

Note: If the clitic belongs to the verb in the să clause (the action being advised), it follows subjunctive placement rules instead (e.g., Ar trebui să-i spui - You should tell him).

Examples (5)

  1. Aș recomanda să plecați mai devreme pentru a evita traficul.

    I would recommend that you leave earlier to avoid traffic.

    Word by Word: I would recommend that (you) leave more early for to avoid traffic.

    Using 'aș recomanda' (conditional) instead of 'recomand' (indicative) makes the suggestion feel less like an order.

  2. Ar trebui să verificăm cifrele încă o dată.

    We should check the figures one more time.

    Word by Word: It would be-necessary that (we) check figures yet one time.

    'Ar trebui să' is the most common way to say 'should' in Romanian, using the conditional form of 'a trebui'.

  3. Eu aș zice că merită să mai așteptăm o săptămână.

    I'd say it's worth waiting one more week.

    Word by Word: I would say that (it) merits that (we) still wait a week.

    Adding 'eu aș zice' (I would say) frames the statement as a personal opinion rather than an absolute fact.

  4. Ai putea să încerci această variantă.

    You could try this version.

    Word by Word: You would can that (you) try this version.

    Using 'ai putea' (you could) is much softer than 'poți' (you can) or 'încearcă' (try!).

  5. Te-aș sfătui să nu cumperi acea mașină.

    I would advise you not to buy that car.

    Word by Word: You-(I) would advise that (you) not buy that car.

    Notice how the clitic 'te' is placed before the auxiliary 'aș' and joined by a hyphen.

Common Mistakes

  • Including the 'a' marker of the infinitive.

    Aș a recomanda să mergem.
    Aș recomanda să mergem.

    The conditional uses the short infinitive without the particle a: aș recomanda. A long-infinitive noun such as recomandare is a different form.

  • Using the same auxiliary for all persons.

    Eu ar zice că e bine.
    Eu aș zice că e bine.

    Unlike English 'would', the Romanian auxiliary must change to match the subject (aș, ai, ar, am, ați).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Conditional for AdviceLevel 3

Learn This First

To give polite advice using the conditional, you must first learn the formation of the present conditional (e.g., 'aș recomanda'). Additionally, since advice usually targets an action, you need to know how to use the subjunctive 'să' construction to link the recommendation to the verb. Understanding polite address is also crucial for maintaining the appropriate social register.

Words in This Pattern