# "Eram" and "am fost"



## o303ob

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I have been learning Romaneste for 2 years now, and I'm sure I will have lots of questions...the first being, exactly what is "eram" and why is it different than "am fost"?  Thanks!!


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## farscape

Please refer to dexonline.ro for a complete list of modes and conjugations of the verb "a fi" (to be).

The short answer is same difference as between (I) was and (I) have been. As a side note, after two years of learning Romanian and you have to ask this question perhaps it's the right time to choose another teacher 

On o more serious note, in the Resources look for Liana Cojocaru's Romanian Grammar.

Later,
.


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## o303ob

Oh ok, I thought "eu am să fi fost" was "I have been"..thx


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## irinet

No way, "have been" is "am fost"! 
For instance," învăț română de 2 ani" = "I have been learning Romanian....", but for "I'm learning Romanian"  is the same translation in my language: "învăț limba  română"


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## farscape

"Eu am să fi fost" is not the correct form. Please follow this link to learn the proper conjugation of the verb.

Best,


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## o303ob

I'm sorry but I still don't get it,and the nearest Romanian is 8000 km from me.. I conjugated "fi" on Verbix and it still says that "am fost" and "eram" is "I was"..
Perhaps if you made sentences using both AM FOST and ERAM I could figure it out.
Thx


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## farscape

Trying to understand/learn the Romanian grammar through analogies with the English grammar is not very useful. Please download and read the book I referred to you earlier.

Just to get an idea you can think of the form "eu eram" as Simple Past and "eu am fost" as Present Perfect. But it's not a rule and does not reflect the use of the two tenses when translating from English to Romanian or viceversa.

Examples (which may just confuse you more  ):

Eu eram gata să plec când a venit ea. -> When she arrived I was ready to leave.
Let's go to Rome! I've been there two years ago. -> Hai să mergem la Roma! Am fost acolo acum doi ani.
I was there when it happened -> Eram acolo când s-a întâmplat / Am fost acolo când s-a întâmplat

Later,
.


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