Eu iau trenul la ora opt.

I take the train at eight o’clock.

Breakdown of Eu iau trenul la ora opt.

• eu: I
• la: at
• ora: the hour
• opt: eight
• trenul: the train
• a lua: to take

Questions & Answers about Eu iau trenul la ora opt.

Do I need the pronoun eu in the sentence?

No, you don’t strictly need eu because Romanian verbs are conjugated to show the subject. Saying Iau trenul la ora opt is perfectly grammatical. You include eu only if you want to add emphasis or contrast (e.g. Eu iau trenul, dar el merge cu mașina).

What’s the verb iau, and what is its infinitive?

Iau is the 1st person singular present tense of the irregular verb a lua, which means “to take.” Conjugation in the present is:
eu iau
tu iei
el/ea ia
noi luăm
voi luați
ei/ele iau

Why is trenul used instead of tren?

Romanian expresses the definite article by attaching it to the end of the noun.
tren = “a train” (indefinite)
trenul = “the train” (definite)
Since tren is a masculine noun, its singular definite article is -ul.

Why do we use la before the time expression ora opt?

In Romanian, to say “at [a certain hour],” you use the preposition la plus ora (“the hour”) and a cardinal number. So:
la ora opt = “at eight o’clock.”

Why is it ora opt and not ora a opta?

When telling time, Romanian uses the cardinal number (opt = 8) rather than the ordinal (a opta = “the eighth”). Saying ora opt is standard in everyday speech. Using ora a opta is more formal or literary, but unusual in normal conversation.

Can I omit ora and just say la opt?

Yes. In informal contexts you often drop ora:
Iau trenul la opt.
The meaning remains “I take the train at eight.”

How would I ask “When do you take the train?” in Romanian?

You have two common ways:

1. Când iei trenul? (“When do you take the train?” general “when”)
2. La ce oră iei trenul? (“At what time do you take the train?” specifically asking for the hour)

What’s the difference between iau trenul and prind trenul?

• a lua trenul = “to take the train” (neutral, just means you travel by train)
• a prinde trenul = “to catch the train” (emphasizes arriving in time for departure)
They’re often interchangeable when talking about your usual travel routine.

Is the word trenul singular or plural, and how would the plural look?

Trenul is singular (“the train”). The plural indefinite is trenuri (“trains”) and the plural definite is trenurile (“the trains”). For example:
Eu iau trenurile la ora opt would mean “I take the trains (multiple) at eight.”