Breakdown of Luăm câte două greble.
două
two (f./n.)
lua
to take
câte
each / at a time (distributive)
grebla
the rake
Questions & Answers about Luăm câte două greble.
How does câte work in this sentence to mean "each"?
In Romanian, placing the word câte before a number shows distribution or grouping. While English puts "each" at the end of the phrase ("two rakes each"), Romanian puts câte right before the number (câte două greble).
Why do we use două here instead of doi?
Could I translate "We take two rakes at a time" the exact same way?
Yes! The phrase câte două can mean either "two each" (distributing them among people) or "two at a time" (distributing the action over time or trips). The context of your conversation will make it clear which one you mean.
I know luăm means "we take," but what is the dictionary form of this verb?
The dictionary form (infinitive) is a lua (to take). It is a highly irregular verb that is very common, but its "we" form drops the subject pronoun noi because the -ăm ending already tells you who is doing the taking.