Atelierul de ceramică începe azi.

Because -ul is the Romanian definite article attached to the end of the noun.

• atelier = workshop / studio
• atelierul = the workshop / the studio

Romanian usually puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English does.

Literally, de ceramică means of ceramics or for ceramics, but in natural English it usually corresponds to something like ceramics, pottery, or ceramic workshop depending on context.

So:

• atelier de ceramică = ceramics workshop / pottery workshop

The preposition de is very commonly used in Romanian to link a noun to its type, material, field, or purpose.

Because in atelierul de ceramică, only atelierul is the main noun being made definite.

The phrase works like this:

• atelierul = the workshop
• de ceramică = for ceramics / of ceramics

So the whole expression means the ceramics workshop, not the workshop of the ceramics.

After de, Romanian often uses the second noun without the definite article in this kind of classification phrase.

Începe is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb a începe, meaning to begin / to start.

So:

• a începe = to begin
• începe = begins / starts

In this sentence, the subject is atelierul, which is singular, so începe is the correct verb form.

Romanian often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.

English says:

• It starts today.

Romanian normally just says:

• Începe azi.

The verb form and the context already show what is doing the action, so a separate pronoun is usually unnecessary. Here, the subject is explicitly given anyway: Atelierul de ceramică.

Usually starts today.

Romanian present tense often covers meanings that English may express with either:

• starts today
• is starting today

In this sentence, the most natural English translation is usually starts today or begins today.

Yes. Azi and astăzi both mean today.

• azi = shorter, very common
• astăzi = slightly fuller form, also very common

In everyday Romanian, azi is extremely natural.

The normal word order here is:

• Atelierul de ceramică = subject
• începe = verb
• azi = time expression

So it follows a basic Subject–Verb–Time pattern.

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but this version sounds neutral and natural.

For example, Azi începe atelierul de ceramică is also possible, but it puts more focus on today.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

a-te-LYE-rul de che-RA-mi-cuh in-CHE-pe AH-zee

A few important sounds:

• ă in ceramică is a short, central vowel, something like the a in sofa
• î in începe is a close central sound that English does not really have
• ce in începe sounds like che in check
• zi in azi sounds like zee

If you want to sound more natural, the main stress is roughly on:

• ateliERul
• cerAmică
• înCEpe
• Azi

Not always exactly.

In Romanian, atelier can mean:

• a workshop
• a studio
• sometimes a class/session, depending on context

So atelierul de ceramică could refer to:

• the pottery workshop
• the ceramics class
• the ceramics studio session

The best translation depends on the situation.

Romanian often uses a noun phrase with de where English might use a noun or adjective before another noun.

English can say:

• ceramics workshop
• ceramic workshop
• pottery workshop

Romanian commonly says:

• atelier de ceramică

That is a very normal Romanian structure. It is not awkward or unusually literal.

Here are the basic dictionary forms:

• atelierul → atelier = workshop / studio
• de = of / for
• ceramică = ceramics / pottery / ceramic
• începe → a începe = to begin / to start
• azi = today

This is useful because Romanian dictionary entries for verbs are usually given with a:

• a începe = to start

And nouns are usually listed without the attached definite article:

• atelier, not atelierul