Sharing Opinions with "Se pare că"
When discussing urban legends or expressing a personal belief, Romanian frequently uses the impersonal reflexive phrase se pare că (it seems that). To specify who holds the opinion, place a dative unstressed pronoun right before it.
Use mi for "to me", ți for "to you", or i for "to him/her".
| It seems to me that the legend is false. | Mi se pare că legenda este falsă. |
| Does it seem to you that the myth is true? | Ți se pare că mitul este adevărat? |
| It seems to him that that castle is haunted. | I se pare că acel castel este bântuit. |
"It seems strange to me..."
You can also insert an adjective directly after se pare to describe how a situation feels to you, before introducing the rest of your thought with că. When discussing myths and rumors, a highly useful adjective is straniu (strange).
| It seems strange to me that this rumor is circulating. | Mi se pare straniu că acest zvon circulă. |
| Does it seem strange to you that the local believes the story? | Ți se pare straniu că localnicul crede povestea? |
Connecting Thoughts and Actions
Most of the time, că is followed by a standard indicative verb stating a fact or belief (like este or circulă). However, if your opinion evaluates whether an action is a good or bad idea—such as saying "it is good to..."—the verb describing that action will use the subjunctive marker să.
| It seems to me that it's good not to enter the tunnel. | Mi se pare că e bine să nu intrăm în tunel. |
| It seems to me that it's good not to look for the creature in the forest. | Mi se pare că e bine să nu căutăm creatura în pădure. |
Contrasting Myths and Reality
As you investigate ghosts and creatures in the local woods, you might need to weigh different pieces of evidence. You can easily state your opinion on two conflicting ideas by linking your clauses with însă (however).
| It seems to me that the ghost does not exist, however the legend is true. | Mi se pare că fantoma nu există, însă legenda este adevărată. |
| It seems to me that the legend is false, however it scares me. | Mi se pare că legenda este falsă, însă pe mine mă sperie. |