A râde means to laugh. It is a third-conjugation verb (short infinitive a râde) with two features that demand attention. First, the stem vowel is â throughout the entire paradigm — written â medially (râd, râde, râdem) and, where the stem ends a word, still â with the gerund landing on râzând. Second, the stem-final d alternates with z before the front vowel -i: the tu form is râzi, not râdi. This d → z palatalization is the same one you meet in a vedea (văd / vezi) and a auzi (aud / auzi); once you expect it, râzi stops looking strange.
The third thing to know is its grammar: a râde de means to laugh at someone or something. English uses the preposition at, but Romanian uses de ("of/from"). The participle is the short -s form râs, which doubles as the noun râsul ("laughter") — so râs is both "laughed" and "the laugh."
Prezent indicativ
The stem is râd-, with the d → z swap only in the tu form (râzi). The 1st singular is bare (râd), and 3sg = 3pl (râde / râd).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | râd |
| tu | râzi |
| el / ea | râde |
| noi | râdem |
| voi | râdeți |
| ei / ele | râd |
De ce râzi, am spus ceva amuzant?
Why are you laughing, did I say something funny?
Râdem mult împreună, asta îmi place la ea.
We laugh a lot together — that's what I like about her.
Imperfect
Class III imperfect: stem râd- plus the -eam endings. No d → z here, since no form ends in -i.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | râdeam |
| tu | râdeai |
| el / ea | râdea |
| noi | râdeam |
| voi | râdeați |
| ei / ele | râdeau |
Râdeam cu lacrimi de glumele lui.
We were laughing till we cried at his jokes.
Perfect compus
Auxiliary a avea plus the short -s participle râs.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am râs |
| tu | ai râs |
| el / ea | a râs |
| noi | am râs |
| voi | ați râs |
| ei / ele | au râs |
Am râs atât de tare că m-a durut burta.
We laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul
Built on the participle stem râse-.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | râsesem |
| tu | râseseși |
| el / ea | râsese |
| noi | râseserăm |
| voi | râseserăți |
| ei / ele | râseseră |
Toți râseseră deja când mi-au explicat și mie gluma.
Everyone had already laughed by the time they explained the joke to me too.
Viitor
The formal voi + infinitive future and the colloquial o să + conjunctiv.
| Person | Viitor (voi-form, formal) | Colloquial (o să) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi râde | o să râd |
| tu | vei râde | o să râzi |
| el / ea | va râde | o să râdă |
| noi | vom râde | o să râdem |
| voi | veți râde | o să râdeți |
| ei / ele | vor râde | o să râdă |
O să râzi când îți spun ce mi s-a întâmplat azi.
You'll laugh when I tell you what happened to me today.
Conjunctiv prezent
The 3rd person is irregular: să râdă (not să râde). Everywhere else it matches the indicative, tu included (să râzi).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să râd |
| tu | să râzi |
| el / ea | să râdă |
| noi | să râdem |
| voi | să râdeți |
| ei / ele | să râdă |
Nu vreau să râdă nimeni de el din cauza accentului.
I don't want anyone to laugh at him because of his accent.
Condițional prezent
The conditional auxiliary (aș, ai, ar, am, ați, ar) plus the short infinitive râde.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș râde |
| tu | ai râde |
| el / ea | ar râde |
| noi | am râde |
| voi | ați râde |
| ei / ele | ar râde |
Aș râde, dar chiar nu e nimic amuzant aici.
I'd laugh, but there really is nothing funny here.
Imperativ
The singular imperative is râzi! (with the d → z swap, matching the tu present), the plural râdeți!
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| tu (sg.) | râzi! | nu râde! |
| voi (pl.) | râdeți! | nu râdeți! |
Nu râde de mine, vorbesc serios!
Don't laugh at me, I'm being serious!
Forme nepersonale
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitiv (scurt / lung) | (a) râde / râdere |
| Gerunziu | râzând |
| Participiu | râs |
| Supin | de râs |
Usage
The key idiomatic frame is a râde de — "to laugh at." Where English says at, Romanian says de. This is a pure transfer trap for English speakers, so internalize the collocation as a unit.
Toată clasa a râs de gluma profesorului.
The whole class laughed at the teacher's joke.
Nu e frumos să râzi de cei care greșesc.
It's not nice to laugh at those who make mistakes.
The fixed expression a izbucni în râs means "to burst out laughing" — here râs is the noun:
Când a văzut costumul, a izbucnit în râs.
When she saw the costume, she burst out laughing.
And the vivid a râde cu lacrimi — "to laugh till you cry":
Am râs cu lacrimi la spectacolul de stand-up.
We laughed till we cried at the stand-up show.
The supine de râs also means "ridiculous / laughable" as a fixed phrase:
Prețurile de la restaurantul ăla sunt de râs.
The prices at that restaurant are a joke.
Common Mistakes
The participle is the trap learners hit first — they regularize it:
❌ Am râdut toată seara.
Incorrect — the participle is the short râs (-s type), not *râdut.
✅ Am râs toată seara.
We laughed all evening.
Forgetting the d → z swap in the tu form:
❌ De ce râdi?
Incorrect — before -i, the d alternates with z: râzi.
✅ De ce râzi?
Why are you laughing?
Calquing the English preposition at with the Romanian la:
❌ Nu râde la mine!
Incorrect — a râde takes de, not la: a râde DE cineva = to laugh AT someone.
✅ Nu râde de mine!
Don't laugh at me!
And carrying the indicative ending into the subjunctive 3rd person:
❌ Nu vreau să râde nimeni.
Incorrect — the 3rd-person subjunctive is râdă.
✅ Nu vreau să râdă nimeni.
I don't want anyone to laugh.
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