When talking about events that are on the verge of happening, Romanian uses two highly frequent periphrastic constructions built around the verb a fi (to be). Both require you to conjugate a fi to match the subject, but they connect to the upcoming action using different verb moods.
A fi pe cale să (To be about to)
The expression a fi pe cale să translates to "to be about to" (literally "to be on the path to"). Because it ends with the conjunction să, the verb that follows must always be conjugated in the subjunctive mood.
| The bear is about to lose its polar ecosystem. | Ursul este pe cale să își piardă ecosistemul polar. |
| The hurricane is about to hit the coast. | Uraganul este pe cale să lovească coasta. |
A fi pe punctul de a (To be on the verge of)
For an event that is extremely close to occurring, you can use a fi pe punctul de a ("to be on the point of" or "on the verge of"). Unlike the previous construction, the preposition de a must be followed directly by a verb in the infinitive mood.
| This massive glacier is on the verge of collapsing into the sea. | Acest ghețar masiv este pe punctul de a se prăbuși în mare. |
| The journalist warns us that the ocean is on the verge of flooding the coast. | Jurnalista ne avertizează că oceanul este pe punctul de a inunda coasta. |
Discussing Urgent Threats
These expressions of imminence are particularly useful when outlining urgent scenarios, such as an impending threat (amenințarea) or a devastating disaster (un dezastru devastator).
| The documentary shows how the planet is about to suffer an extremely serious disaster. | Documentarul arată cum planeta este pe cale să sufere un dezastru extrem de grav. |
Notice how the grammar holds steady even in compound sentences: conjugate a fi for the entity facing the threat, and follow the fixed rule for the mood (să + subjunctive, or de a + infinitive).
| The threat is clear; the ecosystem is on the verge of giving way. | Amenințarea este clară; ecosistemul este pe punctul de a ceda. |