Împrumutul începe azi.

In Romanian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

So:

• împrumut = loan
• împrumutul = the loan

The ending -ul is the masculine/neuter singular definite article here.

Împrumut is a neuter noun in Romanian.

Romanian neuter nouns behave:

• like masculine in the singular
• like feminine in the plural

In this sentence, the noun is singular, so it takes the definite ending -ul, just like a masculine noun would:

• împrumut = loan
• împrumutul = the loan

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

Since the subject is împrumutul = the loan, which is singular and means it, Romanian uses the 3rd person singular form:

• eu încep = I begin
• tu începi = you begin
• el/ea începe = he/she/it begins

So Împrumutul începe literally means The loan begins.

Yes. Azi and astăzi both mean today.

• azi is very common and slightly shorter/more conversational
• astăzi can sound a bit more formal or emphatic, depending on context

So both are correct:

• Împrumutul începe azi.
• Împrumutul începe astăzi.

Romanian usually does not need a separate subject pronoun when the subject is already stated.

Here, împrumutul is the subject, so there is no need to add a word for it. The sentence already clearly means:

• The loan starts today

Romanian avoids unnecessary pronouns much more often than English does.

Yes, Romanian word order is fairly flexible, although some orders sound more neutral than others.

The most neutral order here is:

• Împrumutul începe azi.

But you may also hear:

• Azi începe împrumutul. = Today the loan begins.
• Începe azi împrumutul. = possible, but more marked or contextual

Changing the order often changes the focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide would be:

• împrumutul ≈ uhm-proo-MOO-tool
• începe ≈ uhn-CHEH-peh
• azi ≈ ahz

A few key sounds:

• î is a Romanian vowel that does not exist in standard English; it is a central, close vowel
• ce in începe sounds like che in check
• z in azi is pronounced like English z

A rough full pronunciation:

• uhm-proo-MOO-tool uhn-CHEH-peh AHZ

Sometimes both can translate as starts/begins, but they are not always identical.

• a începe = to begin, to start
• a porni = to start up, set in motion, set off, begin moving, activate

For something like a loan, contract, course, event, or period, a începe is the more natural choice:

• Împrumutul începe azi.

Using pornește here would usually sound less natural unless the context strongly supports that kind of meaning.

It can refer to more than one kind of loan/borrowing, depending on context.

Împrumut can mean:

• a financial loan
• something borrowed
• borrowing more generally

So without context, Împrumutul începe azi could mean something like:

• the loan period starts today
• the loan agreement starts today
• the borrowing begins today

Context tells you exactly which kind of loan is meant.

Because Romanian, like English, often uses the present tense for something that starts now or today, especially when it is immediate or scheduled.

So:

• Împrumutul începe azi. = The loan starts today.

This is very natural. English does the same thing:

• The course starts today
• The meeting begins now

A future form is possible in other contexts, but it would not be the most natural default here.

Yes. Romanian uses both î and â for the same sound, but there are spelling rules about where each one appears.

A very useful beginner rule is:

• î is used at the beginning and end of words
• â is usually used inside words

That is why you get:

• împrumut
• începe

Both start with î because the sound is at the beginning of the word.

Yes, depending on context, that can be a reasonable interpretation.

Because împrumut can refer either to:

• the loan itself or
• the act/arrangement of borrowing

So if the meaning has already been given to the learner, you should follow that context. But grammatically, the Romanian sentence itself could fit either interpretation in the right situation.