Pattern
Literary future: voi, vei, va, vom, veți, vor + infinitive. Voi cânta (I will sing), Vom merge (we will go). Used in formal writing, news, and literature. Recognition only — colloquial speech uses o să.
Explanation
The literary future uses auxiliary forms derived from the verb a vrea (to want — in its old usage as "shall"): voi (I), vei (you sg.), va (he/she), vom (we), veți (you pl.), vor (they). Add the infinitive (without a): voi cânta, vei merge, va vorbi, vom mânca, veți pleca, vor veni.
This form appears in newspapers, formal speeches, official announcements, legal text, literature, and elevated speech. Președintele va anunța... (The president will announce...). Vom comemora aniversarea... (We will commemorate the anniversary...). In conversation, it sounds bookish.
For learners, recognize it when you see it but stick with o să for production. The two forms are interchangeable in meaning; only register differs. Voi merge and o să merg both mean "I will go" — first is formal, second is conversational.
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Voi cânta la concert. | I will sing at the concert. (formal) |
| Vom merge la munte vara aceasta. | We will go to the mountains this summer. |
| Președintele va anunța măsurile noi. | The president will announce the new measures. |
| Vor sosi la ora șase. | They will arrive at 6 o'clock. |
| Mâine va ploua. | Tomorrow it will rain. |
Common mistakes
- Mixing literary and colloquial: Don't say voi o să merg; pick one structure.
- Using infinitive with "să": After voi, vei, va, no să — just the bare infinitive.
- Overusing in conversation: In casual chat, o să sounds more natural; voi sounds news-anchor.