Subjunctive vs. Infinitive in Romanian
Subjunctive vs. Infinitive Preference
Unlike other Romance languages, Romanian strongly prefers the finite subjunctive (vreau să citesc) over the infinitive (vreau a citi), an areal Balkan feature.
One of the most striking typological hallmarks separating Romanian from Spanish, Italian, and French is the *near-total replacement of the Infinitive by the Subjunctive (înlocuirea infinitivului cu conjunctivul)*—a classic defining feature of the Balkan Linguistic Sprachbund (shared with Modern Greek, Bulgarian, and Albanian).
Cross-Romance Contrast: - Spanish: Quiero leer* (Infinitive) - Italian: Voglio leggere (Infinitive) - French: Je veux lire (Infinitive) - Romanian: Vreau să citesc (Subjunctive: să + 1st person conjugated verb). An archaic infinitive construction like Vreau a citi* sounds obsolete, affected, or hyper-literary.
When is the Infinitive Still Used in Modern Romanian?: 1. Following the modal verb a putea (can/to be able to): Pot merge (alongside Pot să merg). 2. As the head of purposive adverbial clauses introduced by pentru a (in order to): Am venit pentru a vorbi cu tine (I came in order to speak with you). 3. In dictionary citations and verbal noun derivations (citire, lucrare).
Learners coming from Spanish or French must overcome the instinct to use a face / a merge after verbs of motion, preference, and modal volition.
Examples
Am venit la bibliotecă pentru a studia documentele istorice rare.
I came to the library in order to study the rare historical documents.
Noi încercăm să găsim cea mai eficientă soluție pentru această problemă.
We are trying to find the most efficient solution for this problem.
Mihai poate rezolva acest exercițiu dificil fără niciun ajutor.
Mihai can solve this difficult exercise without any help.
Doresc să vorbesc direct cu directorul general al companiei.
I wish to speak directly with the general director of the company.
Related terms
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