Present of -î Verbs
Romanian 4th conjugation verbs ending in -î often take the suffix -ăsc in the singular and 3rd person plural forms of the present indicative.
How It Works
In Romanian, the 4th conjugation is divided into verbs ending in -i and those ending in -î. Within the -î group, many verbs are 'suffixed,' meaning they add a specific ending to the root to form the present tense.
1. The Suffix Pattern
The suffix used is -ăsc. This is phonologically related to the -esc suffix found in -i verbs, but the vowel changes to ă because of the preceding sounds in the verb root.
2. Conjugation Table (Example: a hotărî - to decide)
- Eu hotărăsc (I decide)
- Tu hotărăști (You decide)
- El/Ea hotărăște (He/She decides)
- Noi hotărâm (We decide)
- Voi hotărâți (You all decide)
- Ei/Ele hotărăsc (They decide)
3. The â/î Spelling Rule
Notice the change in the 1st and 2nd person plural (noi/voi). According to the spelling rules for the sound /ɨ/, we use î at the end of the word (a hotărî) but change it to â when it appears in the middle of the word (hotărâm).
4. Usage
These verbs are used for current actions, habits, and sometimes future intentions in casual speech, just like other present tense verbs.
Plain -î Verbs: Not every -î verb takes -ăsc. A coborî has cobor, cobori, coboară, coborâm, coborâți, coboară. Learn whether a verb follows this plain pattern or the suffixed hotărî pattern.
Examples (4)
- Eu hotărăsc ce mâncăm la cină.
I decide what we eat for dinner.
Word by Word: I decide what we eat at dinner.
Shows the 1st person singular suffix -ăsc attached to the root 'hotăr-'.
- Ea urăște să întârzie la întâlniri.
She hates being late to meetings.
Word by Word: She hates to late at meetings.
The verb 'a urî' (to hate) uses the 3rd person singular suffix -ăște.
- Noi hotărâm destinația mâine.
We decide the destination tomorrow.
Word by Word: We decide destination-the tomorrow.
In the 1st person plural, the suffix is -âm. Note the spelling change from î to â inside the word.
- Ei hotărăsc rezultatul final.
They decide the final result.
Word by Word: They decide result-the final.
For verbs like 'a hotărî', the 3rd person plural ending is the same as the 1st person singular: -ăsc.
Common Mistakes
Using the -esc suffix instead of -ăsc.
Eu hotăresc.Eu hotărăsc.Learners often confuse -î verbs with the more common -i verbs. The suffixed verb hotărî uses -ăsc. Other -î verbs, such as coborî, have no -ăsc suffix.
Spelling the 1st person plural with 'î' instead of 'â'.
Noi hotărîm.Noi hotărâm.In modern Romanian orthography, the sound /ɨ/ is written as 'â' inside a word and 'î' at word edges, with internal î retained in some prefixed words, compounds, and names.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the present tense of -î verbs, you need to be familiar with Romanian subject pronouns and the specific pronunciation of the vowel 'î'. Having a foundation in other regular verb conjugations, particularly the -i group, will help you recognize the suffix patterns used here.
- â / îThe Sound Â/î
This pattern focuses on verbs ending in -î, so knowing how to pronounce and recognize this specific vowel is necessary.
Level 1 - Present of -i Verbs
The -î conjugation group is closely related to the -i group, often sharing similar suffix patterns and the use of the -esc/-ăsc suffix.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- ăThe Sound Ă
The suffix -ăsc relies on the correct pronunciation and recognition of the vowel ă.
Level 1 - Present of -a Verbs
The most common present tense conjugation group in Romanian.
Level 1 - Third-Person Subjunctive
Suffixed verbs have a specific vowel change (ă to a) in the subjunctive mood (să hotărască).
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Present of -î Verbs in Bubblegum
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