Pattern
Verbs ending in -i in the infinitive (a locui, a vorbi, a citi) follow a regular pattern: stem + -esc, -ești, -ește, -im, -iți, -esc in the present tense.
Explanation
The -i verb class is one of the largest in Romanian. Verbs like a locui (to live), a vorbi (to speak), a citi (to read), a iubi (to love), a sfârși (to finish) all follow this paradigm. The infinitive ends in -i; remove it to find the stem, then add the endings.
Notice the stress shift between singular and plural. In the singular (locuiesc, locuiești, locuiește), stress falls on the -esc/-ești/-ește ending. In the plural (locuim, locuiți, locuiesc), stress moves earlier. This stress shift is automatic for natives but easy to flatten as a learner — say "lo-cu-IM," not "LO-cu-im."
The first-person singular and third-person plural both end in -esc. The 1sg "I" and 3pl "they" share a form, just like a fi (sunt/sunt). Context and pronouns disambiguate. Locuiesc în București could be "I live in Bucharest" or "They live in Bucharest" — speakers usually rely on the surrounding sentence.
Conjugation
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | locuiesc |
| tu (you, informal) | locuiești |
| el/ea (he/she) | locuiește |
| noi (we) | locuim |
| voi (you pl.) | locuiți |
| ei/ele (they) | locuiesc |
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Eu locuiesc în Cluj. | I live in Cluj. |
| Tu vorbești românește. | You speak Romanian. |
| El citește o carte. | He is reading a book. |
| Noi iubim muzica. | We love music. |
| Voi locuiți în România? | Do you (pl.) live in Romania? |
Common mistakes
- Not shifting stress: Locuim is stressed on the last syllable, not the first.
- Adding -esc to plural forms: Locuiescem is wrong; the plural is locuim.
- Confusing -i verbs with -e verbs: A merge (to go) is -e class, not -i. Check the infinitive.