Copilul vrea să trăiască.

to want

Breakdown of Copilul vrea să trăiască.

• copilul: the child
• a trăi: to live; be alive

Questions & Answers about Copilul vrea să trăiască.

What does the -ul in copilul mean?

The -ul is the definite article attached to the end of the noun. So:

• copil = child / a child
• copilul = the child

Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun, unlike English, which puts the before it.

Why is it vrea să trăiască and not just vrea trăi?

After many Romanian verbs, especially verbs of wanting, ordering, or possibility, Romanian often uses să + subjunctive instead of an infinitive.

So:

• vrea să trăiască = wants to live

Literally, it is closer to wants that he/she live, but in normal English we translate it as wants to live.

Romanian does have an infinitive form, a trăi, but after a vrea, the normal pattern is să + subjunctive.

Why is the verb trăiască and not trăiește?

Because trăiască is the subjunctive form, while trăiește is the indicative present form.

Compare:

• Copilul trăiește. = The child lives / is alive.
• Copilul vrea să trăiască. = The child wants to live.

After să, Romanian usually uses the subjunctive form, not the regular present indicative.