sunt

Sunt is a Romanian verb form meaning "to be." It is the present tense form of the verb a fi and is used to express existence, identity, or a state. In standard Romanian, sunt appears in several grammatical contexts, most notably as the first-person singular present indicative for I am (eu sunt) and as the third-person plural present indicative for they are (ei/ele sunt). The subject pronoun is often omitted in Romanian, so sentences such as Sunt fericit suggest “I am happy,” while Ei sunt studenți means “They are students.”

Grammatical details. The present indicative conjugation of a fi is: eu sunt, tu ești, el/ea este, noi suntem, voi sunteți, ei/ele sunt. The form sunt can function in predicative clauses with plural subjects and in existential or predicative constructions, for example Sunt trei oameni în încăpere (There are three people in the room) or Sunt români. Romanian syntax frequently relies on context to clarify the subject when sunt is used without an explicit pronoun.

Etymology and cognates. Sunt derives from the Romanian evolution of the Latin verb esse (to be). It shares cognacy with other Romance languages, such as Spanish son, French sont, and Italian sono, which appear in similar present-tense bindings for they are or you are.

Usage notes. Sunt is a versatile, high-frequency verb essential for basic statements of identity, attributes, or location. It appears in everyday speech and in formal writing, and it interacts with cardinal numbers, adjectives, and nouns to form concise predicates.

See also. A fi (to be) is the broader Romanian verb under which sunt operates, including its full conjugation, usage, and grammatical nuances.