Questions in the Past

Level 2

Romanian uses the compound perfect (auxiliary + participle) for questions about completed past events. Unlike English, there is no 'did' auxiliary; the tense itself and your intonation do the work.

How It Works

The compound perfect is the most common way to talk about the past in Romanian. When asking questions:

  • Intonation: In yes/no questions, the word order usually stays the same as a statement, and a common neutral contour rises at the end; other contours are possible. In information questions (Wh-questions), the pitch typically falls at the end.
  • Question Words: When using words like unde (where) or când (when), the verb usually follows the question word immediately.
  • Clitic Pronouns: Most direct object clitics attach to the auxiliary verb with a hyphen (e.g., Te-ai...). However, the feminine singular clitic -o (her/it) is an exception and attaches to the end of the past participle (e.g., Ai văzut-o?).
  • No 'Do-Support': Never try to translate the English word 'did'. 'Did you eat?' simply becomes 'Have you eaten?' (Ai mâncat?).

Note that the past participle remains invariable; it does not change based on who you are talking to.

Examples (6)

  1. Ai mâncat deja?

    Have you eaten already? / Did you eat already?

    Word by Word: Have you eaten already?

    A simple yes/no question using the second person singular auxiliary 'ai'.

  2. Unde ați fost în vacanță?

    Where did you (plural) go on vacation?

    Word by Word: Where have you been in vacation?

    An information question where the verb follows the question word 'unde'.

  3. Te-ai uitat la film?

    Did you watch the movie?

    Word by Word: Yourself-have you looked at film?

    Shows how a reflexive pronoun 'te' attaches to the auxiliary 'ai' with a hyphen.

  4. Ai văzut-o pe Maria?

    Did you see Maria?

    Word by Word: Have you seen-her on Maria?

    The feminine singular clitic '-o' is an exception; it attaches to the end of the past participle, not the auxiliary.

  5. Când a plecat Maria?

    When did Maria leave?

    Word by Word: When has left Maria?

    In information questions, the subject (Maria) often moves after the verb.

  6. V-ați terminat temele?

    Did you (plural) finish your homework?

    Word by Word: To yourselves-have you finished themes?

    Uses the plural auxiliary 'ați' with a dative clitic 'v-'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a Romanian equivalent of 'did' to form questions.

    Făcut ai mâncat?
    Ai mâncat?

    Romanian does not use an auxiliary like 'do/did'. The compound perfect auxiliary 'ai' is sufficient.

  • Making the participle agree with a female subject.

    A plecată Maria?
    A plecat Maria?

    In the compound perfect, the past participle (plecat) never changes its ending for gender or number.

  • Placing the pronoun after the auxiliary.

    Ai mă văzut?
    M-ai văzut?

    Mă precedes the auxiliary and contracts to m-: M-ai văzut? The feminine singular o follows the participle instead, as in Ai văzut-o?

How It Connects

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

Questions in the PastLevel 2

Learn This First

To form questions in the compound perfect, you must first be comfortable with the basic affirmative structure (auxiliary 'a avea' + past participle). You then apply standard Romanian questioning techniques: either using rising intonation for yes/no questions or placing a question word at the beginning of the sentence.