A lua means to take — in every sense English uses it: to take an object, take the bus, take a seat, take medicine, take a meal. It is among the most frequent verbs in the language, and it is also the most notoriously irregular present paradigm a beginner meets. The reason is a two-stem split: the verb alternates between a strong stem ia- (stressed) and a weak stem lu- (unstressed), and you have to know which person takes which.
The pattern is worth committing to memory as a single block, because it recurs (with the same logic) in the subjunctive and imperative. Once you see it, it is regular within its own irregularity.
The ia- / lu- split
The rule is positional and tied to stress. The strong stem ia- appears wherever the stem itself is stressed — that is, in the three singular persons and the 3rd person plural. The weak stem lu- appears where the ending is stressed — the 1st and 2nd person plural, and throughout the imperfect, past, infinitive, gerund, and participle.
| Strong stem ia- (stem stressed) | Weak stem lu- (ending stressed) |
|---|---|
| eu iau, tu iei, el ia, ei iau | noi luăm, voi luați |
Prezent indicativ
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | iau |
| tu | iei |
| el / ea | ia |
| noi | luăm |
| voi | luați |
| ei / ele | iau |
Eu iau autobuzul, tu iei tramvaiul, ne vedem acolo.
I'll take the bus, you take the tram, we'll meet there.
Ce iei la micul dejun de obicei?
What do you usually have for breakfast?
Imperfect
Built entirely on the weak stem lu- — no ia- anywhere in the imperfect.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | luam |
| tu | luai |
| el / ea | lua |
| noi | luam |
| voi | luați |
| ei / ele | luau |
În studenție luam mereu cel mai ieftin tren.
In my student days I always took the cheapest train.
Perfect compus
Auxiliary a avea plus participle luat.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am luat |
| tu | ai luat |
| el / ea | a luat |
| noi | am luat |
| voi | ați luat |
| ei / ele | au luat |
Cine mi-a luat telefonul de pe masă?
Who took my phone off the table?
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul
Synthetic pluperfect on the stem luas-.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | luasem |
| tu | luaseși |
| el / ea | luase |
| noi | luaserăm |
| voi | luaserăți |
| ei / ele | luaseră |
Luasem deja medicamentul când doctorul m-a sunat.
I had already taken the medicine when the doctor called me.
Viitor
| Person | Viitor (voi-form, formal) | Colloquial (o să) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi lua | o să iau |
| tu | vei lua | o să iei |
| el / ea | va lua | o să ia |
| noi | vom lua | o să luăm |
| voi | veți lua | o să luați |
| ei / ele | vor lua | o să ia |
O să iau un taxi, e prea târziu pentru metrou.
I'll take a taxi; it's too late for the subway.
Conjunctiv prezent
The split survives: strong ia- in the singular and 3pl, weak lu- in 1/2pl. The 3rd person is the irregular (să) ia.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să iau |
| tu | să iei |
| el / ea | să ia |
| noi | să luăm |
| voi | să luați |
| ei / ele | să ia |
Trebuie să iei o decizie până mâine.
You have to make a decision by tomorrow.
Condițional prezent
Conditional auxiliary plus the short infinitive lua (weak stem).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș lua |
| tu | ai lua |
| el / ea | ar lua |
| noi | am lua |
| voi | ați lua |
| ei / ele | ar lua |
În locul tău, aș lua-o pe scurtătură.
If I were you, I'd take the shortcut.
Imperativ
The singular imperative uses the strong stem: ia! The plural uses the weak stem: luați! Negative singular uses the infinitive: nu lua! Clitics attach: Ia-o! (take it/her), Ia-l! (take it/him).
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| tu (sg.) | ia! | nu lua! |
| voi (pl.) | luați! | nu luați! |
Ia loc, te rog, vin imediat.
Have a seat, please; I'll be right there.
Ia-o pe aici, e mai aproape.
Go this way, it's closer.
Forme nepersonale
The gerunziu luând keeps the circumflex â and the weak stem.
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitiv | (a) lua |
| Gerunziu | luând |
| Participiu | luat |
| Supin | de luat |
Usage
Hai să luăm micul dejun împreună mâine.
Let's have breakfast together tomorrow.
A luat-o razna de când a pierdut slujba.
He's gone off the rails since he lost his job.
Nu lua lucrurile personal, te rog.
Please don't take things personally.
Ne-am luat o casă la țară.
We've bought ourselves a house in the countryside.
Common Mistakes
❌ Noi iauăm autobuzul dimineața.
Incorrect — the plural uses the weak stem: luăm, not iauăm.
✅ Noi luăm autobuzul dimineața.
We take the bus in the morning.
❌ Tu lui o decizie grea.
Incorrect — the 2sg present is iei (strong stem), not a lu- form.
✅ Tu iei o decizie grea.
You're making a hard decision.
❌ Vreau să ie un taxi.
Incorrect — the 3rd person subjunctive is ia, not ie.
✅ Vreau să ia un taxi.
I want him/her to take a taxi.
Now practice Romanian
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Start learning Romanian→Related Topics
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