Правильні дієслова I дієвідміни (-a)

Verbs whose infinitive ends in -a form the largest group in Romanian, and it is the group new verbs join: a posta (to post online), a printa. The dictionary form is the infinitive with a in front, like English "to": a cânta - to sing.

Two patterns: with -ez and without

Some -a verbs slip -ez- (-eaz- before ă) between the stem and the ending in the singular and in the third person plural: lucrez, lucrezi, lucrează. Others take the endings straight on the stem: cânt, cânți, cântă. Nothing in the infinitive tells you which; learn the "I" form with the verb, as Romanian dictionaries list it: a lucra (lucrez), a visa (visez), a studia (studiez), a dansa (dansez), but a cânta (cânt), a lua (iau), a intra (intru).

What the table hides

• He and they look the same. In this group the third person singular and plural share one form: El lucrează la bancă. Ei lucrează la bancă. The subject, or the context, tells them apart.
• Sounds shift before -i. t becomes ț (cânt - cânți), s becomes ș (las - lași, I leave - you leave).
• Stress moves, and vowels move with it. mănânc (ma-NÂNC) but mâncăm (mân-CĂM); a purta gives port but poartă.

One present for two English tenses

Romanian has one present tense where English has "I work" and "I'm working": Lucrez acum. - I'm working now. Lucrez în fiecare zi. - I work every day. Do not look for an "-ing" form to translate. Questions and negatives need no "do" either: Cânți? - Do you sing? Nu mănânc carne. - I don't eat meat.