Possession with 'a avea'

01

The Present Forms

• eu am - I have
• tu ai - you have
• el / ea are - he / she has
• noi avem - we have
• voi aveți - you have (plural)
• ei / ele au - they have

• Am o soră.

  I have a sister.

• Ai copii?

  Do you have children?

• Avem timp.

  We have time.

02

States Romanian 'Has'

Where English uses "to be" for certain states, Romanian uses a avea - literally "I have right", "how many years do you have":

• Am dreptate.

  I am right.

• Câți ani ai?

  How old are you? (literally: how many years do you have?)

Hunger, thirst and cold take a third route, with neither "be" nor "have" where English puts them - the state belongs to you:

• Mi-e foame.

  I am hungry. (literally: to me is hunger)

03

'To Need': avea nevoie de

Combined with nevoie (need) and the preposition de, it means "to need":

• Am nevoie de ajutor.

  I need help.

• Ai nevoie de bani?

  Do you need money?

04

The Past-Tense Helper

The short forms am, ai, a, am, ați, au are also the auxiliary that builds the everyday past tense, placed before a fixed verb form: am mâncat (I ate), a plecat (he left). That use is covered in the Perfect Tense topic.