Breakdown of Pot să rezolv problema ușor dacă am timp.
a avea
to have
timpul
the time
dacă
if
a putea
to be able to
a rezolva
to solve
problema
the problem
ușor
easily
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Questions & Answers about Pot să rezolv problema ușor dacă am timp.
What does Pot mean in this sentence?
Pot is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb a putea (to be able to). Here it translates as I can or I’m able to.
Why is să used after pot?
In Romanian, when you want to connect a putea with another verb, you have two options:
- Pot + infinitive (Pot rezolva)
- Pot + să + subjunctive (Pot să rezolv)
The version with să uses the subjunctive mood. Both forms are common and interchangeable, though adding să is very frequent in spoken Romanian.
Could I just say Pot rezolva problema ușor dacă am timp without să?
Yes. Pot rezolva… is perfectly correct and often used. Dropping să makes the construction slightly more direct but doesn’t change the meaning.
What form of the verb is rezolv here?
After să, rezolv is the 1st person singular present subjunctive of a rezolva (to solve). It looks identical to the present indicative form but functions as a subjunctive because of să.
Why is problema in the singular definite form?
Problema = the problem. Romanian indicates the definite article by appending a suffix to the noun. Here:
- problemă = a problem
- problema = the problem
Is ușor an adjective or an adverb in this sentence?
It’s an adverb modifying rezolv (to solve). It means easily. As an adjective it would agree with a noun (e.g., o problemă ușoară = an easy problem).
Why is ușor placed after the direct object instead of right after the verb?
Romanian has flexible word order. Placing the adverb after the object emphasizes the manner of solving. You could also say Pot să rezolv ușor problema… without changing the core meaning.
What does dacă mean here?
dacă introduces a conditional clause and means if. So dacă am timp = if I have time.
Why is am used, instead of some other form of “have”?
am is the 1st person singular present tense of a avea (to have). It corresponds to I have in English.
Why don’t we see the pronoun eu (I) in the sentence?
Romanian is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already indicates the subject. Pot (I can) and am (I have) make eu unnecessary.
Can the order of the clauses change?
Yes. You can front the conditional clause:
Dacă am timp, pot să rezolv problema ușor.
The meaning stays the same, though emphasis may shift slightly to the condition.
How would I say more easily instead of just easily?
Add mai before the adverb:
Pot să rezolv problema mai ușor dacă am timp.
This means I can solve the problem more easily if I have time.