Breakdown of Uneori luăm o gustare mică înainte de cină.
mic
small
o
a
înainte de
before
gustarea
the snack
uneori
sometimes
a lua
to take
cina
the dinner
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Questions & Answers about Uneori luăm o gustare mică înainte de cină.
What part of speech is uneori and how is it pronounced?
“Uneori” is an adverb of frequency meaning sometimes. It’s pronounced [uˈne̯ori] with the stress on the second syllable. You can place it at the beginning of the sentence (“Uneori luăm…”) or right before the verb (“Luăm uneori…”).
What’s the verb luăm and how is it conjugated?
“Luăm” is the 1st person plural present form of a lua (“to take”). Literally “we take,” but here it means “we have” (a snack). Present-tense conjugation of a lua:
• eu iau
• tu iei
• el/ea ia
• noi luăm
• voi luați
• ei/ele iau
Why is there an article o before gustare and why does mică follow the noun?
“Gustare” (snack) is a feminine, singular, countable noun. Romanian uses the indefinite article o for feminine singular, which comes before the noun: o gustare. Adjectives normally follow nouns and agree in gender and number. Hence o gustare mică (“a small snack”).
Can I say o mică gustare instead of o gustare mică?
Yes. Placing the adjective before the noun (“o mică gustare”) is grammatically correct but sounds more poetic or emphatic. The neutral, everyday order is noun + adjective.
Why do we say înainte de cină and not înaintea cinei or înainte de la cină?
The standard pattern is înainte de + [bare noun] for “before + noun,” so înainte de cină means “before dinner.”
- Înaintea cinei exists but is more formal or literary.
- Înainte de la cină is incorrect, because la cină means “at dinner,” not “before dinner.”
Why is there no article before cină in înainte de cină?
When you use de with general time references (like meals), Romanian omits the article. Saying înainte de cină treats “dinner” as a general event. If you want a specific dinner, you’d use a different structure (e.g., înaintea cinei de ieri “before yesterday’s dinner”).
Can I move înainte de cină to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Romanian allows flexibility in adverbial placement.
Example: Înainte de cină, luăm uneori o gustare mică.
This shift emphasizes the time (“before dinner”).
Is gustare masculine or feminine, and how can I tell?
Gustare is feminine. Most Romanian nouns ending in -ă are feminine. The agreement in the sentence confirms this:
• article o (feminine singular) + adjective mică (feminine singular).