Present speculation (o fi)

Speculating in the Present

When you want to guess or speculate about what someone is doing right now—like wondering why a colleague is missing or what the boss is up to behind closed doors—you use the presumptive mood (prezumtivul). In English, this usually translates to "might be doing" or "must be doing."

For the third person (he, she, or they), this mood is formed using three parts: the auxiliary particle o, the invariable word fi (to be), and the gerund of the main verb (which ends in -când, -ind, or -ând).

Reflexive Verbs in the Presumptive

If the verb you are speculating about is reflexive, the reflexive pronoun goes at the very beginning. For the third-person pronoun se, it merges with the auxiliary o to form s-o.

Speculating About States

You are not limited to actions. If you want to speculate about a characteristic or a state of being, you simply replace the gerund with an adjective or noun. The structure is still o fi, followed by the descriptor.

Notice how the next example uses both an action (o fi șușotind) and a state (o fi confidențială) side-by-side:

Office Drama and Gossip

Whether someone is hiding a secret or reading a confidential file, the structure remains consistent. As you read the following examples, pay attention to how the gerund forms tell you that the suspected action is happening right now.