Learn Hardcore Romanian: Pot să rezolv problema rapid dacă am timp. - I can solve the problem quickly if I have time.

Romanian uses să to introduce the subjunctive mood. With verbs like a putea (to be able), you form pot să + subjunctive: so rezolv (I solve) is the subjunctive of a rezolva. You could also say pot rezolva, but pot să rezolv is more common in spoken Romanian.

Why is the verb rezolv conjugated instead of using the infinitive rezolva?

When you use să, you must conjugate the following verb in the subjunctive for the subject. Here, eu pot să rezolv uses rezolv (1st person singular subjunctive), not the infinitive form.

What is the difference between rapid and repede for “quickly”?

Repede is the standard adverb meaning “quickly.” Rapid is originally an adjective (“fast”) but can also function as an adverb in more formal or written contexts. Both are correct: rezolv problema repede or rezolv problema rapid.

Why is it problema and not problemă?

Romanian marks the definite article as a suffix. problemă (indefinite) = “a problem,” while problema (definite) = “the problem.” Here it’s “the problem,” so you use problema.

What does dacă mean and how is it used?

dacă means “if” and introduces a condition. In this sentence, dacă am timp = “if I have time.” It’s not the same as când (“when”), which would make it a temporal clause rather than a conditional one.

Could I say când am timp instead of dacă am timp?

Only if you mean “whenever I have time” (a repeated or definite time). Când am timp = “when I have time,” implying you do have time at certain points. Dacă am timp = “if I happen to have time,” implying it might or might not happen.

What tense and person is am in am timp?

Am is the present indicative, 1st person singular of a avea (to have). So am timp simply means “I have time.”