Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul citește CV-ul.

It means either ... or ....

So:

• Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul = either the recruiter or the employer

It presents two alternatives, and the idea is that one of the two does the action.

You may also see similar pairs like:

• ori ... ori ... = either ... or ...
• sau = or

Compared with sau, the structure fie ... fie ... feels a bit more clearly balanced: one option or the other.

Because Romanian often uses a correlative pair here:

• fie X, fie Y
• literally something like either X, or Y

The repetition is part of the structure, just like English repeats the pattern in either ... or ....

So you normally say:

• Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul

not just one fie for both nouns.

The ending -ul is the definite article in Romanian, attached to the end of the noun.

So:

• recrutor = a recruiter
• recrutorul = the recruiter
• angajator = an employer
• angajatorul = the employer

Unlike English, Romanian usually puts the at the end of the noun rather than before it.

In this sentence, both nouns are definite because we are talking about the recruiter and the employer, not just any recruiter or employer.

Because the sentence means either one person or the other person reads the CV, not both together.

Both subjects are singular:

• recrutorul = singular
• angajatorul = singular

So the verb is also singular:

• citește = he/she reads

This is natural with either ... or when the idea is that only one of the two does the action.

Citește is the 3rd person singular present tense of a citi (to read).

A quick mini-pattern:

• eu citesc = I read
• tu citești = you read
• el/ea citește = he/she reads
• ei/ele citesc = they read

So in this sentence:

• citește matches a singular subject like recrutorul or angajatorul

Because Romanian often adds the definite article with a hyphen to abbreviations, acronyms, and some borrowed words.

So:

• CV = CV
• CV-ul = the CV

The hyphen makes the form easier to read and pronounce.

You will see the same thing in words like:

• site-ul = the site
• SMS-ul = the text message / the SMS
• VIP-ul = the VIP

Because the sentence is talking about the CV, meaning a specific CV that both speaker and listener can identify from context.

In Romanian, just like in English, that definite meaning is marked:

• un CV = a CV
• CV-ul = the CV

So the full sentence is about a specific document: the CV.

Yes, but the nuance changes a little.

For example:

• Recrutorul sau angajatorul citește CV-ul.

This can work, but fie ... fie ... is a more explicit either ... or structure. It clearly sets up two alternatives.

So:

• fie ... fie ... = more structured, balanced, often a bit more formal or deliberate
• sau = plain or

A very close alternative would be:

• Ori recrutorul, ori angajatorul citește CV-ul.

The given word order is the most straightforward and natural:

• Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul citește CV-ul.

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but not every possible arrangement sounds equally natural.

This sentence works well because it presents:

1. the two alternatives
2. then the verb
3. then the object

That is a clear, standard way to say it.

Usually, no comma is needed here in a short sentence like this.

So the normal version is:

• Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul citește CV-ul.

Because fie ... fie ... functions as one linked structure, Romanian normally does not separate the two parts with a comma in a simple sentence like this.

Historically, it is related, and you may sometimes feel a literal sense like be it ... be it ..., but in this sentence you should treat fie ... fie ... as a fixed conjunction meaning either ... or ....

So for a learner, the safest approach is:

• learn fie ... fie ... as one expression
• do not analyze it here as an ordinary verb form

Then you would not use fie ... fie ..., because that structure means one or the other.

You would use și (and) and a plural verb:

• Recrutorul și angajatorul citesc CV-ul.
• The recruiter and the employer read the CV.

Compare:

• Fie recrutorul, fie angajatorul citește CV-ul. = one of them reads it
• Recrutorul și angajatorul citesc CV-ul. = both read it

Roughly:

• ci- sounds like chee
• -teș- has ș, which sounds like English sh
• -te is a short final syllable

So citește is approximately chee-TEH-shte, with the stress on the middle syllable.

Also:

• ș = sh
• ț = ts
• ă = a short central vowel, somewhat like the a in sofa

You do not need a perfect English equivalent, but recognizing ș = sh is especially useful here.