Tu iei lingura, iar eu iau furculița.

You take the spoon, and I take the fork.

Breakdown of Tu iei lingura, iar eu iau furculița.

• eu: I
• tu: you
• a lua: to take
• iar: and

Questions & Answers about Tu iei lingura, iar eu iau furculița.

Why are tu and eu used if the verb already shows who is doing the action?

Romanian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you the person:

• iei = you take
• iau = I take

So the sentence could often leave out at least tu. Here, though, tu and eu are included for emphasis and contrast:

• Tu iei lingura, iar eu iau furculița.

That gives a clear you ... I ... contrast, which fits the meaning very well.

What verb are iei and iau from?

They come from the verb a lua, meaning to take.

In the present tense, the most important forms are:

• eu iau = I take
• tu iei = you take
• el/ea ia = he/she takes
• noi luăm = we take
• voi luați = you all / you formal take
• ei/ele iau = they take

So in your sentence:

• tu iei = you take
• eu iau = I take

Why do the forms iei and iau look so different from a lua?