Questions & Answers about Vreau să citesc mai mult în weekend.
Why is it să citesc and not just the infinitive a citi after vreau?
In Romanian, after many verbs of wanting, being able, trying, beginning, etc., you usually use să + a finite verb, not the infinitive.
So:
- Vreau să citesc = I want to read
- literally: I want that I read
This is one of the most important differences from English. English often uses to + infinitive, but Romanian very often prefers the subjunctive structure:
- vreau să citesc = I want to read
- pot să citesc = I can read
- încep să citesc = I begin to read
The infinitive a citi exists, but it is not the normal choice here.
Is citesc the subjunctive form here, or just the normal present tense?
Formally, citesc is the same shape as the 1st person singular present form, and after să it functions as the subjunctive.
So in this sentence:
- citesc = I read / I am reading as a form
- but in vreau să citesc, it means that I read / to read
Romanian often uses the same verb form after să as it does in the present indicative, especially in the 1st person singular.
So you do not need a special new ending here; the key marker is să.