Timpul trece repede.

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun, not before it as English does.

• timp = time
• timpul = the time

So -ul is the masculine/neuter singular definite article here. This is a very common feature of Romanian:

• băiat = boy
• băiatul = the boy

In this sentence, timpul means time in a general but definite sense, similar to English time in Time passes quickly.

Trece is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb a trece, which means to pass.

Here is the present tense:

• eu trec = I pass
• tu treci = you pass
• el/ea trece = he/she/it passes

Since timpul is singular and means time, Romanian uses the 3rd person singular form: trece.

Other forms would mean something else:

• trec = I pass or they pass
• trecea = was passing / used to pass

Here, a trece means to pass in the sense of time going by.

So in this sentence, it means:

• time passes
• time goes by

This verb is very common and can also be used in other contexts, such as:

• trenul trece = the train passes
• trec strada = I cross the street

So its core idea is movement from one side, point, or moment to another.

In this sentence, repede is an adverb, because it describes how time passes.

• trece = passes
• repede = quickly / fast

So repede tells us the manner of the action.

Romanian often uses the same form for adjective and adverb, depending on context. For example, repede can function adverbially without needing a special ending like English -ly.

That is why Romanian says:

• Timpul trece repede.

not something equivalent to quickly-ly.

Because Romanian does not need a separate subject pronoun here. The subject is already expressed by the noun timpul.

English says:

• Time passes quickly.

Romanian also directly uses the noun as the subject:

• Timpul trece repede.

There is no need for an extra pronoun like it. Romanian often leaves out subject pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis or clarity.

Yes, you can, but it changes the emphasis.

The most neutral, standard order is:

• Timpul trece repede.

If you say:

• Trece repede timpul.

it is still understandable and grammatical, but it sounds more marked or stylistic, with more focus on the action or rhythm of the sentence.

Romanian word order is more flexible than English, but the basic subject + verb + adverb order is the safest choice for learners.

Because Romanian normally attaches the to the end of the noun instead of putting it in front.

So:

• English: the time
• Romanian: timpul

This is one of the biggest structural differences between English and Romanian. Instead of learning the as a separate word in these cases, you learn the noun together with its definite ending.

Normally, no. That sounds ungrammatical in standard Romanian.

If you mean time passes quickly as a general statement, Romanian normally says:

• Timpul trece repede.

The noun timp without the definite article usually would not work as the subject in this sentence. Romanian often uses the definite form for general truths of this kind.

So the natural version is:

• Timpul trece repede.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

TEEM-pool TRE-che re-PE-de

A few helpful notes:

• ti in timpul sounds like teem
• ce in trece sounds like che in check, but softer
• repede has three syllables: re-pe-de
• the stress is roughly:
  • TIMpul
  • TREce
  • rePEde

Romanian pronunciation is fairly regular, so once you learn the sound rules, sentences like this become easier to read aloud.

Here it is closest to quickly, because it modifies the verb trece.

So:

• Timpul trece repede. = Time passes quickly.

But in natural English, fast could also work in some contexts, such as Time goes by fast. Romanian repede can often correspond to either quickly or fast, depending on the sentence.

Yes. It is a very natural and common way to express the idea that time goes by quickly.

You may also hear very similar sentences such as:

• Timpul trece. = Time passes.
• Timpul trece foarte repede. = Time passes very quickly.

So this is a useful everyday pattern:

• [subject] + [verb] + repede

For example:

• Ziua trece repede. = The day passes quickly.
• Vacanța trece repede. = The vacation passes quickly.