A deschide means to open — a door, a window, a bottle, a bank account, a shop, a conversation. It is a third-conjugation verb (the -e class), and it carries two features that trip learners up. First, it shows the d → z stem alternation before the 2nd-person -i: deschid but deschizi, and the same z surfaces in the gerund deschizând. Second, its participle is the irregular -s type: deschis (not deschidut), which also serves as the supine and feeds the pluperfect. The participle doubles as a very common adjective — ușa e deschisă, "the door is open."
When you talk about a shop, a museum, or a season opening (rather than someone opening something), Romanian uses the reflexive a se deschide: magazinul se deschide la nouă, "the shop opens at nine." This is the same se-construction Romanian uses for many intransitive "happens by itself" events.
Prezent indicativ
Stem deschid-, third-conjugation endings. The 2nd singular shows the d → z change: deschizi. The 1st singular and 3rd plural are bare and identical (deschid).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | deschid |
| tu | deschizi |
| el / ea | deschide |
| noi | deschidem |
| voi | deschideți |
| ei / ele | deschid |
Deschide ușa, te rog, am mâinile ocupate.
Open the door, please, my hands are full.
De ce nu deschizi geamul? E o căldură insuportabilă aici.
Why don't you open the window? It's unbearably hot in here.
Imperfect
Third-conjugation imperfect: stem deschid- plus the -eam endings. The d stays here — no z before these endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | deschideam |
| tu | deschideai |
| el / ea | deschidea |
| noi | deschideam |
| voi | deschideați |
| ei / ele | deschideau |
În fiecare dimineață deschideam toate ferestrele să aerisesc.
Every morning I used to open all the windows to air the place out.
Perfect compus
The everyday past tense: the auxiliary a avea plus the irregular -s participle deschis.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am deschis |
| tu | ai deschis |
| el / ea | a deschis |
| noi | am deschis |
| voi | ați deschis |
| ei / ele | au deschis |
Am deschis un cont la o bancă nouă săptămâna trecută.
I opened an account at a new bank last week.
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul
The pluperfect is a single synthetic word, built on the participle stem deschise-.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | deschisesem |
| tu | deschiseseși |
| el / ea | deschisese |
| noi | deschiseserăm |
| voi | deschiseserăți |
| ei / ele | deschiseseră |
Când am ajuns, casierul deschisese deja ghișeul.
When I arrived, the cashier had already opened the window.
Viitor
Romanian has a formal future with voi + infinitive and a colloquial everyday future with o să + conjunctiv.
| Person | Viitor (voi-form, formal) | Colloquial (o să) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi deschide | o să deschid |
| tu | vei deschide | o să deschizi |
| el / ea | va deschide | o să deschidă |
| noi | vom deschide | o să deschidem |
| voi | veți deschide | o să deschideți |
| ei / ele | vor deschide | o să deschidă |
O să deschidem magazinul mai devreme de Crăciun.
We're going to open the shop earlier around Christmas.
Conjunctiv prezent
Identical to the indicative except in the 3rd person, where deschide becomes să deschidă (the -e flips to -ă).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să deschid |
| tu | să deschizi |
| el / ea | să deschidă |
| noi | să deschidem |
| voi | să deschideți |
| ei / ele | să deschidă |
Vrei să deschid eu sticla de vin?
Do you want me to open the bottle of wine?
Condițional prezent
Formed with the conditional auxiliary (aș, ai, ar, am, ați, ar) plus the short infinitive deschide.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș deschide |
| tu | ai deschide |
| el / ea | ar deschide |
| noi | am deschide |
| voi | ați deschide |
| ei / ele | ar deschide |
Aș deschide fereastra, dar afară plouă cu găleata.
I'd open the window, but it's pouring outside.
Imperativ
The singular imperative is deschide! (identical to the 3sg present); the plural is deschideți! The negative singular uses the bare infinitive: nu deschide!
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| tu (sg.) | deschide! | nu deschide! |
| voi (pl.) | deschideți! | nu deschideți! |
Deschideți manualele la pagina patruzeci.
Open your textbooks to page forty.
Nu deschide ușa nimănui până nu mă întorc.
Don't open the door to anyone until I get back.
Forme nepersonale
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitiv | (a) deschide |
| Gerunziu | deschizând |
| Participiu | deschis |
| Supin | de deschis |
Usage
Transitively, a deschide takes a plain direct object: deschid ușa, geamul, cartea, un cont, o discuție. With shops, exhibitions, seasons, or anything that "opens" without a named agent, use the reflexive se deschide. The participle deschis is also one of the most common Romanian adjectives, agreeing in gender and number: deschis, deschisă, deschiși, deschise — and it even extends to colors (albastru deschis, "light blue") and temperament (o persoană deschisă, "an open person").
Magazinul se deschide la nouă și se închide la nouă seara.
The shop opens at nine and closes at nine in the evening.
Aș vrea să deschid un cont de economii, dacă se poate.
I'd like to open a savings account, if possible.
Hai să deschidem o discuție serioasă despre buget.
Let's open up a serious discussion about the budget.
Geamul era deschis și sufla un curent rece prin cameră.
The window was open and a cold draft was blowing through the room.
Common Mistakes
Don't keep the d in the 2nd-person singular — it changes to z:
❌ De ce nu deschidi geamul?
Incorrect — the 2nd singular shows the d→z change: deschizi.
✅ De ce nu deschizi geamul?
Why don't you open the window?
Don't build a regular participle — it's the irregular -s form:
❌ Am deschidut un cont nou.
Incorrect — the participle is deschis, not deschidut.
✅ Am deschis un cont nou.
I opened a new account.
Don't drop the se when a shop opens by itself:
❌ Magazinul deschide la nouă.
Incorrect — for a shop opening on its own, use the reflexive: se deschide.
✅ Magazinul se deschide la nouă.
The shop opens at nine.
Don't use the z in the 3rd-person subjunctive — it stays d:
❌ Vrei să deschizdă ea ușa?
Incorrect — the 3rd-person subjunctive is să deschidă.
✅ Vrei să deschidă ea ușa?
Do you want her to open the door?
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