Conjunctions că, dacă, când

Pattern

Common subordinating conjunctions: că (that), dacă (if/whether), când (when). They introduce dependent clauses with normal indicative verbs.

Explanation

These three conjunctions connect main clauses to subordinate clauses, expanding what you can express. Că introduces reported statements ("I say that..."): Cred că vine (I think that he's coming). Spune că e obosit (He says that he's tired). Note: don't confuse că (that) with ca (as/like) — different words, different uses.

Dacă means both "if" (conditional) and "whether" (indirect question). Vin dacă pot (I'll come if I can). Nu știu dacă vine (I don't know whether he's coming). Both meanings use the same word; context decides.

Când means "when" — in time clauses, questions, and exclamations. Vin când termin (I'll come when I finish). Când vii? (When are you coming?). Când eram copil... (When I was a child...).

All three take the indicative mood for most uses. Subjunctive (să + verb) appears in some conditional or future contexts but isn't the default. Drop the question intonation when using them as subordinators — Când vii? is a question, but Vin când vii is a statement.

Examples

Common mistakes

• Confusing că and ca: Că = that (subordinating conjunction); ca = like/as.
• Using "if" for "whether": Both translate to dacă; don't search for another word.
• Dropping the conjunction: English allows "I think he's coming"; Romanian needs că: Cred că vine.