A permite ("to allow, to permit") is the standard verb for granting permission, and it carries two features that English speakers consistently get wrong. First, the person who is allowed something appears in the dative, not the accusative: you don't "allow someone," you "permit to someone." So Îmi permiteți? means "May I?" (literally "do you permit to me?"), and a permite cuiva să is "to allow someone to." Second, in its reflexive form a-și permite — literally "to permit oneself" — the verb means "to afford," which is one of the most useful everyday constructions in the language: Nu-mi permit = "I can't afford it."
Morphologically it is a regular class III verb (short infinitive in -e) with a t-stem that palatalizes to ț before -i (permit but permiți, gerund permițând) and a short, irregular -s participle: permis, never permitut. That participle is worth flagging on its own: it has become a high-frequency adjective and noun in its own right — intrare permisă ("entry allowed"), viteza permisă ("the permitted speed"), and the everyday document permis de conducere ("driver's license," literally "permit of driving"). So learning the participle pays off well beyond the verb itself.
Prezent indicativ
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | permit |
| tu | permiți |
| el / ea | permite |
| noi | permitem |
| voi | permiteți |
| ei / ele | permit |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | permiteam |
| tu | permiteai |
| el / ea | permitea |
| noi | permiteam |
| voi | permiteați |
| ei / ele | permiteau |
Perfect compus
Auxiliary a avea plus the short participle permis.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am permis |
| tu | ai permis |
| el / ea | a permis |
| noi | am permis |
| voi | ați permis |
| ei / ele | au permis |
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul (pluperfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | permisesem |
| tu | permiseseși |
| el / ea | permisese |
| noi | permiseserăm |
| voi | permiseserăți |
| ei / ele | permiseseră |
Viitor (future)
| Person | voi-future (formal) | o să-future (informal) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi permite | o să permit |
| tu | vei permite | o să permiți |
| el / ea | va permite | o să permită |
| noi | vom permite | o să permitem |
| voi | veți permite | o să permiteți |
| ei / ele | vor permite | o să permită |
Conjunctiv prezent
The 3rd-person form is să permită — final -ă.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să permit |
| tu | să permiți |
| el / ea | să permită |
| noi | să permitem |
| voi | să permiteți |
| ei / ele | să permită |
Condițional prezent
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș permite |
| tu | ai permite |
| el / ea | ar permite |
| noi | am permite |
| voi | ați permite |
| ei / ele | ar permite |
Imperativ
The singular is permite! (identical to the 3rd-person present), the plural permiteți! The negative singular uses the infinitive: nu permite!
| Type | Singular (tu) | Plural (voi) |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | permite! | permiteți! |
| Negative | nu permite! | nu permiteți! |
Non-finite forms
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitive (short / long) | (a) permite / permitere |
| Gerunziu | permițând |
| Participiu | permis |
| Supin | de permis |
Usage
Asking permission politely — Îmi permiteți să... (literally "do you permit to me to...?"):
Îmi permiteți să intru? Ușa era deschisă.
May I come in? The door was open.
Granting permission to someone, with the dative person and a să-clause:
Profesorul ne-a permis să folosim dicționarul la examen.
The teacher allowed us to use the dictionary on the exam.
The reflexive a-și permite = "to afford" — note the dative reflexive clitic agreeing with the subject:
Nu-mi permit mașina asta, e mult prea scumpă.
I can't afford this car, it's far too expensive.
The same "afford" sense with a să-clause:
Anul ăsta ne putem permite o vacanță mai lungă.
This year we can afford a longer vacation.
A polite social formula — Dacă îmi permiți / permiteți... ("if you'll allow me..."):
Dacă îmi permiteți, aș dori să adaug ceva.
If you'll allow me, I'd like to add something.
The figurative "to allow oneself" (to take a liberty) — also a-și permite:
Nu-ți permite să-mi vorbești pe tonul ăsta!
Don't you dare speak to me in that tone!
The impersonal nu se permite ("it is not permitted"), common on signs and in rules — note the reflexive se and the dative-less, generic reading:
Aici nu se permite fumatul.
Smoking is not permitted here.
A formal "permit / authorize" with an abstract subject, as in regulations or official notices:
Regulamentul permite contestația în termen de cinci zile.
The regulations allow an appeal within five days.
Common Mistakes
❌ Mă permiteți să intru?
Incorrect — the person allowed is dative, not accusative: îmi, not mă.
✅ Îmi permiteți să intru?
May I come in?
❌ Nu pot permite mașina asta.
Incorrect — 'to afford' is the reflexive a-și permite, with a dative clitic: nu-mi permit.
✅ Nu-mi permit mașina asta.
I can't afford this car.
❌ Mi-a permitut să plec mai devreme.
Incorrect — the participle is the short -s form permis, not *permitut.
✅ Mi-a permis să plec mai devreme.
He let me leave early.
❌ Tu permiti prea multe copilului.
Incorrect — the 2sg palatalizes t→ț: permiți.
✅ Tu permiți prea multe copilului.
You allow the child too much.
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