Infinitive and să-Clause Choice
Romanian commonly uses Vreau să merg for “I want to go”. It also uses ordinary infinitives in Pot merge and Voi merge. Choose the construction the governing word permits.
How It Works
Să-clauses
Vreau să citesc and Trebuie să plecăm are standard everyday constructions. The verb after să is conjugated for its subject; the same construction is also normal in formal writing.
Infinitives remain in use
After a putea, both Pot merge and Pot să merg are standard, including in ordinary conversation. The infinitive there has no marker a. The future also uses a bare infinitive: Voi merge.
Prepositions
Pentru a, fără a, and înainte de a introduce infinitival phrases, often in careful writing: A plecat fără a spune nimic. Corresponding să-clauses are common too. Romanian infinitival constructions can in some circumstances have their own explicit subject, so a different subject is not a universal grammatical ban on the infinitive.
Register is construction-specific
Vreau a merge is old-fashioned or literary in current usage; it does not make Pot merge old-fashioned. Bare infinitives after a ști, as in știe citi, are regionally marked; the widely usable form is știe să citească. Learn these patterns separately.
Examples (5)
- Vreau să învăț limba română.
I want to learn the Romanian language.
Word by Word: I-want that I-learn language-the Romanian.
Vreau să învăț is standard in both speech and writing.
- A venit pentru a studia medicina.
He came in order to study medicine.
Word by Word: He-has come for to study medicine-the.
The infinitive 'a studia' is used here after the formal preposition 'pentru a'.
- Nu pot crede așa ceva.
I cannot believe such a thing.
Word by Word: Not I-can believe so something.
Putea permits a bare infinitive. Nu pot crede and Nu pot să cred are both standard in ordinary speech.
- A plecat fără a spune nimic.
He left without saying anything.
Word by Word: He-has left without to say nothing.
A formal construction using the infinitive after the preposition 'fără'.
- Am venit ca să te ajut.
I came (in order) to help you.
Word by Word: I-have come that that you I-help.
Ca să introduces a standard purpose clause, used in both speech and writing. Pentru a provides an infinitival alternative.
Common Mistakes
Keeping a before an infinitive directly selected by putea.
Pot a merge la magazin.Pot merge la magazin.In this construction, putea takes the short infinitive without a. Pot să merg is another standard option.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize the finite subjunctive clause when comparing its register with an infinitive construction. Recognize the infinitive forms used in the comparison.
Related Patterns
- Future With voi
The standard future tense which utilizes the short infinitive, contrasting with the colloquial 'o să' future.
Level 2 - Future With o să
The colloquial future alternative that uses the subjunctive instead of the infinitive.
Level 2 - Clitics and Infinitives
Shows pronoun placement in infinitival constructions, whose register depends on the particular construction.
Level 3 - Clitics After săClitics Before Să-Verbs
Shows pronoun placement in subjunctive clauses, used in both speech and writing.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Infinitive and să-Clause Choice in Bubblegum
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