Dând

Dând is the present gerund form of the Romanian verb a da (to give). It is a non-finite verb form used to express an action that occurs at the same time as the action of the main clause or to indicate a related circumstance. In Romanian, dând typically links two actions within a single sentence, and it is more common in written and literary style than in everyday speech, where the meaning can be conveyed with a subordinate clause such as în timp ce dădea sau cu un enunț complet.

Formation and usage: The form dând is built from the verb stem da with the -nd ending that marks the present gerund. The gerund can take enclitic pronouns attached to it, for example dându-i bani means “giving him money.” It can introduce a short descriptive action that accompanies the main verb, as in Dând bani săracilor, el a câștigat simpatia comunității (“Giving money to the poor, he earned the community’s sympathy”). It can also appear in phrases like Dând din cap, își cere scuze (“Nodding, he apologized”) to convey concurrent, accompanying action.

Etymology and relation to other forms: The Romanian gerund is a non-finite form related to the present participle, both serving to connect actions without asserting subject agreement. The gerund is distinct from a fully conjugated verb form because it does not express tense or person on its own; its function is to describe the manner or timing of the main action.

Style and note: While dând is understood and accepted in standard Romanian, its use is stylistically marked. In many contexts, especially in contemporary speech, speakers replace it with a subordinate clause (e.g., în timp ce dădea) or a simple main-clause construction to improve clarity.

See also: Romanian grammar, gerund, non-finite verb forms.