Ștergătorul este pe parbriz.

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

• ștergător = a wiper / wiper
• ștergătorul = the wiper

Here, -ul is the masculine/neuter singular definite article.

Romanian normally does not use a separate word like English the. Instead, it attaches the definite article to the noun itself.

So:

• ștergătorul = the wiper
• not something like the ștergător

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice in Romanian.

In Romanian, after prepositions like pe (on), it is very common to use the noun without the definite article when talking about location in a general or natural way.

So pe parbriz is a normal way to say on the windshield.

English often requires the where Romanian does not. If you want to make it more specifically identified, Romanian can use a definite form, often with more detail, for example:

• pe parbrizul mașinii = on the car's windshield

Here, pe means on.

So:

• este pe parbriz = is on the windshield

Be aware that pe can also have other uses in Romanian, including marking certain direct objects, but in this sentence it is just the ordinary preposition on.

It means the wiper is physically on the windshield.

English on can sometimes mean switched on, but Romanian does not use pe that way here. If you wanted to say a device is switched on, Romanian would usually use something like:

• pornit(ă) = turned on
• aprins(ă) = lit / switched on for lights

So Ștergătorul este pe parbriz describes location, not operation.

The basic dictionary form is ștergător.

It comes from the verb a șterge, which means to wipe or to erase. Depending on context, ștergător can mean different kinds of things used for wiping, but with parbriz it clearly means a windshield wiper.

• ștergător is masculine
• parbriz is neuter

A useful thing to know: Romanian neuter nouns behave like masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural.

So in this sentence, parbriz looks masculine-like because it is singular.

Yes. In everyday Romanian, e is very common.

So these both work:

• Ștergătorul este pe parbriz.
• Ștergătorul e pe parbriz.

The version with este is a little fuller or more formal; e is more natural in casual speech.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

• Ștergătorul ≈ shter-guh-TOR-ul
• este ≈ ES-te
• pe ≈ peh
• parbriz ≈ par-BREEZ or more exactly par-BRIZ

A few sound notes:

• ș = sh
• ă = a short neutral vowel, like uh
• Romanian r is usually tapped or lightly rolled
• Stress in ștergătorul falls on -tor-
• Stress in parbriz falls on the last syllable

The neutral, most natural word order is:

Ștergătorul + este + pe parbriz
subject + verb + location

Romanian word order is somewhat flexible, but changing it usually adds emphasis. For example:

• Pe parbriz este ștergătorul sounds marked and would only be used in a special context.

So for a basic statement, the original order is the best one to learn first.

After the preposition pe, the noun is in the accusative.

However, in many Romanian nouns, especially in the singular, the nominative and accusative forms look the same. So you see:

• parbriz in the basic form
• parbriz again after pe

So the case is different grammatically, even though the form does not change visibly here.