Legitimația de bibliotecă este gata.

Here, legitimația means the card/pass/ID, and in the full phrase legitimația de bibliotecă, it means the library card.

Romanian legitimație is a fairly broad word. Depending on context, it can mean:

• an ID card
• a membership card
• a pass

In this sentence, the de bibliotecă part makes it specifically a library card.

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

So:

• legitimație = a card / an ID / a pass
• legitimația = the card / the ID / the pass

This is one of the biggest differences from English. Instead of a separate word like the, Romanian often adds it as an ending.

Because de + noun is a very common Romanian way to show type, purpose, or category.

So:

• legitimație de bibliotecă = library card
• literally, something like card of library or card for library use, but the natural English translation is simply library card

This is not really showing possession. It is showing what kind of card it is.

Compare:

• sală de sport = gym / sports hall
• carte de istorie = history book
• bilet de avion = plane ticket

Because legitimația bibliotecii would mean something more like the library’s card — a card belonging to the library.

But legitimația de bibliotecă means a library card, meaning the kind of card you use for the library.

So the difference is:

• de bibliotecă = type/category
• bibliotecii = possession/genitive, of the library

For this sentence, de bibliotecă is the natural choice.

Because after de in this kind of expression, Romanian usually uses the noun in a bare, general form.

So:

• de bibliotecă = library as a category
• not of the library in a specific possessive sense

This is similar to how English says:

• library card
• school bus
• coffee cup

English also often uses a noun in a general way before another noun. Romanian often does something similar with de.

Este means is.

It is the 3rd person singular form of a fi = to be.

So:

• Legitimația de bibliotecă este gata. = The library card is ready.

You will also often hear the shorter form e:

• Legitimația de bibliotecă e gata.

Both are correct. Este is a little more formal or explicit; e is very common in everyday speech.

Here, gata means ready.

In Romanian, este gata is very commonly used when something has been completed and is now ready to be picked up, used, or received.

So in this sentence, it means the library card has been prepared and is now ready.

Depending on context, gata can also mean:

• done
• finished
• all set

Usually, in this kind of use, gata stays the same. It is commonly treated as invariable.

Examples:

• Cartea este gata. = The book is ready.
• Băiatul este gata. = The boy is ready.
• Fetele sunt gata. = The girls are ready.

So you do not normally change gata to match masculine, feminine, or plural in this everyday pattern.

Yes, Romanian word order is somewhat flexible.

The most neutral order here is:

• Legitimația de bibliotecă este gata.

You could also say:

• Este gata legitimația de bibliotecă.

That version can sound more marked or a bit more like an announcement, with extra focus on ready.

For a learner, the original sentence is the safest and most standard pattern.

Two useful ones here are:

• ț = ts as in cats
• ă = a short neutral vowel, like the a in sofa

So:

• bibliotecă ends with that ă sound
• legitimația contains ț, so you get a ts sound there

Also, in legi-, the g is soft, like English j before i.

Yes, absolutely.

Many speakers would say:

• Cardul de bibliotecă este gata.

That sounds natural too, especially in modern everyday Romanian.

The difference is mostly style:

• legitimația de bibliotecă = a bit more formal or administrative
• cardul de bibliotecă = very common and everyday

Both can mean the library card is ready.