The Gerund with Verbs of Perception
When you see, hear, or feel an ongoing action, you can use a verb of perception—such as a vedea (to see), a auzi (to hear), or a simți (to feel)—followed by the direct object and the gerund form of the action verb. The gerund in Romanian ends in -ând or -ind, which perfectly matches the English "-ing" form in this context.
| I feel the phone vibrating in my pocket. | Simt telefonul vibrând în buzunar. |
| I hear the cars honking on the street. | Aud mașinile claxonând pe stradă. |
Perception with "Că" Clauses
Alternatively, you can describe an observation using a full clause introduced by că (that), followed by a verb in the indicative mood (standard present, past, or future tenses). This structure is often used when noticing a completed fact or a general situation, rather than just directly witnessing an action in progress.
| Did you feel that the floor was vibrating? | Ai simțit că podeaua vibrează? |
| He heard that the ambulance turned on the siren. | A auzit că ambulanța a pornit sirena. |
Observing Specific People
When the object you are witnessing is a specific person, you must use the personal preposition pe along with the matching direct object pronoun, just as you would in any other sentence. The pronoun goes before the perception verb.
| I see the beggar sleeping on the sidewalk. | Îl văd pe cerșetor dormind pe trotuar. |
| I noticed the students whispering. | I-am remarcat pe studenți șoptind. |
Combining with Relative Clauses
When you want to describe a person or object that you saw doing something, you can use the relative pronoun pe care (whom/which) to link the ideas. The relationship between the perception verb and the gerund remains exactly the same.
| I saw the musician playing the violin. | L-am văzut pe muzicant cântând la vioară. |
| The musician whom I saw playing the violin is famous. | Muzicantul pe care l-am văzut cântând la vioară este faimos. |
