Punem busola și pelerina de ploaie în rucsac.

Punem is the 1st person plural present form of a pune = to put.

So grammatically it means we put. Depending on context, Romanian present tense can also sound like:

• we put
• we are putting

In instructions or step-by-step descriptions, punem can sound a bit like we put now..., but the clearest way to say let’s put is usually să punem.

Romanian often drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• punem = we put

So Noi punem busola... is possible, but noi is usually only added for emphasis or contrast.

Here, the -a is the definite article attached to the end of the noun.

Romanian usually puts the at the end of the noun, not before it.

• busolă = a compass

• busola = the compass

• pelerină = a raincoat/cape
• pelerina = the raincoat

So busola și pelerina de ploaie means the compass and the raincoat.

This is a very common Romanian structure: noun + de + noun.

Here:

• pelerină = raincoat/cape
• ploaie = rain
• de ploaie literally means something like for rain or of rain

So pelerină de ploaie is the normal way to say raincoat.

It is not an adjective like in English; Romanian often uses this de + noun pattern instead.

Because pe is generally used with specific animate direct objects, especially people.

For example:

• Văd fata.
• Îl văd pe băiat.

But here the objects are things:

• busola
• pelerina de ploaie

So no pe is needed.

În means in / into, and it is the normal preposition for putting something inside something.

So:

• în rucsac = in/into the backpack

With verbs of movement like a pune, English often prefers into, but Romanian still commonly uses în.

Because Romanian very often uses a bare noun after a preposition in expressions like this, especially for places, containers, and locations.

So în rucsac is the normal natural wording here.

English often uses the where Romanian does not:

• în rucsac = in the backpack / in a backpack, depending on context

If you want to make the backpack more specifically identified, Romanian often adds something after the noun:

• în rucsacul meu = in my backpack
• în rucsacul mare = in the big backpack

Also, if you want to make it clearly indefinite, you can say:

• într-un rucsac = in a backpack

• busola and pelerina de ploaie are direct objects, so they are in the accusative
• rucsac comes after în, which also normally takes the accusative

In this sentence, though, you do not see any special change in form. Romanian often has the same form for nominative and accusative, especially with nouns like these.

Yes. Romanian word order is fairly flexible.

The given sentence is the most neutral:

• Punem busola și pelerina de ploaie în rucsac.

But you could also say:

• Punem în rucsac busola și pelerina de ploaie.

That version puts a little more focus on where the items are going.

So the meaning stays basically the same; the difference is mostly about emphasis and flow.

Because each noun refers to one item:

• busola = one compass
• pelerina de ploaie = one raincoat

They are linked by și = and, so together they form a plural idea, but each individual noun stays singular.

If there were more than one of each, you would use plurals:

• busolele = the compasses
• pelerinele de ploaie = the raincoats

It can mean either, depending on context.

Romanian present tense often covers both:

• we put
• we are putting

So if this is a checklist, instruction, or narration of actions, punem can naturally correspond to either English form. Romanian usually does not need a separate progressive form the way English does.