A auzi means to hear. It belongs to the fourth conjugation (the -i class), but it is one of the plain members of that class — it conjugates without the -esc- infix that so many fourth-conjugation verbs carry (compare a vorbi → vorbesc). So while many learners reflexively add -esc, a auzi simply takes the bare endings: aud, auzi, aude. Its one twist is the same d → z alternation we saw in a vedea: aud (I hear) but auzi (you hear). Like to hear in English, a auzi is the involuntary perception verb — sound reaching your ears — as opposed to the voluntary, focused a asculta (to listen).
Prezent indicativ
The root ends in d, which surfaces in aud and aude but palatalizes to z before front vowels (auzi, auzim, auziți). Crucially, there is no -esc anywhere.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aud |
| tu | auzi |
| el / ea | aude |
| noi | auzim |
| voi | auziți |
| ei / ele | aud |
Te aud foarte bine, vorbește normal.
I can hear you just fine, talk normally.
Auzi muzica de la vecini? E trei dimineața.
Do you hear the music from the neighbors? It's three in the morning.
Imperfect
Built on the auze- stem with regular -eam endings. Note the z of the stem stays throughout.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | auzeam |
| tu | auzeai |
| el / ea | auzea |
| noi | auzeam |
| voi | auzeați |
| ei / ele | auzeau |
De afară se auzea cum cântă cineva la pian.
From outside you could hear someone playing the piano.
Perfect compus
Auxiliary a avea plus the regular participle auzit.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am auzit |
| tu | ai auzit |
| el / ea | a auzit |
| noi | am auzit |
| voi | ați auzit |
| ei / ele | au auzit |
Am auzit că te muți în alt oraș — e adevărat?
I heard you're moving to another city — is it true?
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul
Synthetic pluperfect on the participle stem auzise-.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | auzisem |
| tu | auziseși |
| el / ea | auzise |
| noi | auziserăm |
| voi | auziserăți |
| ei / ele | auziseră |
Nu m-a surprins vestea, o auzisem deja de la altcineva.
The news didn't surprise me; I had already heard it from someone else.
Viitor
| Person | Viitor (voi-form, formal) | Colloquial (o să) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi auzi | o să aud |
| tu | vei auzi | o să auzi |
| el / ea | va auzi | o să audă |
| noi | vom auzi | o să auzim |
| voi | veți auzi | o să auziți |
| ei / ele | vor auzi | o să audă |
Dacă strigi mai tare, o să te audă și de la etaj.
If you shout louder, they'll hear you even from upstairs.
Conjunctiv prezent
The 3rd person is (să) audă — the d returns and the ending is -ă.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să aud |
| tu | să auzi |
| el / ea | să audă |
| noi | să auzim |
| voi | să auziți |
| ei / ele | să audă |
Vorbește mai încet, nu vreau să audă toată lumea.
Talk more quietly, I don't want everyone to hear.
Condițional prezent
Conditional auxiliary plus the short infinitive auzi.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș auzi |
| tu | ai auzi |
| el / ea | ar auzi |
| noi | am auzi |
| voi | ați auzi |
| ei / ele | ar auzi |
Fără căști, ai auzi cât e de gălăgios pe stradă.
Without headphones, you'd hear how noisy it is on the street.
Imperativ
The singular auzi! doubles as a strong attention-grabber ("listen here! / hey!"); the plural is auziți! Negative singular uses the infinitive: nu auzi!
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| tu (sg.) | auzi! | nu auzi! |
| voi (pl.) | auziți! | nu auziți! |
Auzi, nu cumva ai văzut tu cheile mele?
Hey, you didn't happen to see my keys, did you?
Forme nepersonale
The gerund auzind and participle/supine auzit keep the z (since they have front vowels following), while the infinitive shows z too in spelling because the -i follows the root.
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitiv | (a) auzi |
| Gerunziu | auzind |
| Participiu | auzit |
| Supin | de auzit |
Usage
The most important usage point is the contrast with a asculta. A auzi is passive, involuntary reception of sound; a asculta is active, deliberate listening. You hear a noise you didn't choose to (aud un zgomot) but you listen to music on purpose (ascult muzică). A auzi is also the standard verb for hearing news or rumors — am auzit că... ("I heard that...").
N-aud nimic, e prea multă gălăgie aici.
I can't hear anything, there's too much noise here.
Am auzit că s-au logodit — felicitări lor!
I heard they got engaged — congratulations to them!
Aud un zgomot ciudat la motor de câteva zile.
I've been hearing a strange noise in the engine for a few days.
Auzind vestea, a izbucnit în lacrimi.
On hearing the news, she burst into tears.
Source-language note for English speakers
The hear/listen distinction maps cleanly onto English, so that part is easy. The real trap for English speakers comes from over-applying a half-learned Romanian rule: having met vorbesc, citesc, lucrez, learners assume every verb in this neighborhood needs an infix and produce auzesc. It doesn't exist. A auzi is plain, and its 1sg is simply aud. Second, English speakers under-use the d → z alternation, writing audi for "you hear." Just as with a vedea, the d of the root turns into z before a front vowel, giving auzi. Lock in the anchor pair aud / auzi and the alternation will feel automatic.
Common Mistakes
❌ Eu auzesc muzica de la vecini.
Incorrect — a auzi is plain, no -esc infix: aud, not auzesc.
✅ Aud muzica de la vecini.
I hear the music from the neighbors.
❌ Tu audi ce spun?
Incorrect — the 2sg palatalizes d to z: auzi, not audi.
✅ Tu auzi ce spun?
Do you hear what I'm saying?
❌ Ascult un zgomot ciudat, dar nu știu ce e.
Incorrect — an involuntary noise is heard (aud), not deliberately listened to.
✅ Aud un zgomot ciudat, dar nu știu ce e.
I hear a strange noise, but I don't know what it is.
❌ Vreau să aude el adevărul.
Incorrect — the 3rd person conjunctiv is audă, not aude.
✅ Vreau să audă el adevărul.
I want him to hear the truth.
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- Perception Verbs (a vedea, a auzi, a simți)B1 — Romanian verbs of perceiving — how they take a că-clause, a direct object, or a 'pe X + gerund / cum-clause', and the involuntary vs voluntary split (a vedea vs a se uita, a auzi vs a asculta).
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