Pattern
A bea (to drink) is irregular in the present tense. Singular: beau, bei, bea. Plural: bem, beți, beau.
Explanation
A bea is one of a handful of common verbs that don't follow the standard -a, -e, -ea, -i paradigms. The stem alternates between bea- and be-, with the first-person singular and third-person plural sharing the form beau. This pattern (1sg = 3pl) is common in Romanian irregular verbs.
Don't confuse beau with bea. Beau (with -u) is "I drink" or "they drink." Bea (without -u) is "he/she drinks." Spelling them carefully matters because they're heard in similar contexts: Eu beau apă (I drink water) vs. El bea apă (He drinks water).
This verb is extremely common — coffee, water, wine, juice, beer all use it. Learn the full paradigm cold; you'll use it daily.
Conjugation
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | beau |
| tu (you, informal) | bei |
| el/ea (he/she) | bea |
| noi (we) | bem |
| voi (you pl.) | beți |
| ei/ele (they) | beau |
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Eu beau cafea în fiecare dimineață. | I drink coffee every morning. |
| Tu bei vin sau bere? | Do you drink wine or beer? |
| El bea apă rece. | He drinks cold water. |
| Noi bem ceai după cină. | We drink tea after dinner. |
| Copiii beau suc. | The children drink juice. |
Common mistakes
- Confusing beau (1sg/3pl) with bea (3sg): One letter changes the meaning.
- Adding -esc: A bea is not an -i verb; it does not take bei-esc. Just beau, bei, bea.
- Pronouncing "bei" as two syllables: It's one — "bay."