Înainte de a elibera autorizația de funcționare, primăria verifică spațiul comercial.

Înainte de a is a very common Romanian structure meaning before doing something or before someone does something.

So:

• înainte = before
• de a = a fixed linker used before the infinitive

In this sentence:

• Înainte de a elibera... = Before issuing...

This is one standard way to express before + verb in Romanian.

A learner may also meet înainte să + subjunctive, for example:

• Înainte să elibereze autorizația...

That is also possible in many contexts, but înainte de a + infinitive is especially common in formal and administrative language, which fits this sentence well.

Because after de a, Romanian normally uses the infinitive.

So:

• a elibera = to issue / to release
• de a elibera = to issue, after the preposition-like structure de a

In other words, elibera is not a conjugated verb here. It is the dictionary form without the a that usually introduces the infinitive.

Compare:

• a elibera = to issue
• primăria eliberează = the city hall issues
• înainte de a elibera = before issuing

Literally, a elibera can mean to free, to release, or to issue, depending on context.

In administrative language, it very often means:

• to issue
• to grant
• to release officially

So in this sentence, a elibera autorizația means to issue the permit/license, not to free it.

This is very normal official Romanian usage.

Because autorizația is the definite form: the authorization / the permit / the license.

Romanian usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun.

So:

• autorizație = an authorization / a permit
• autorizația = the authorization / the permit

This attached ending is one of the big differences from English.

For feminine singular nouns like autorizație, the definite article often appears as -a in the written form:

• autorizație → autorizația

De funcționare means something like:

• for operation
• for functioning
• to operate

So autorizația de funcționare is a fixed administrative expression meaning:

• operating permit
• license to operate
• business operating authorization

Here:

• funcționare is a noun, not a verb
• it comes from a funcționa = to function / to operate

This noun + de + noun pattern is extremely common in Romanian:

• permis de conducere = driving license
• sală de clasă = classroom
• autorizație de funcționare = operating permit

Because primăria means the city hall / the town hall / the municipality, while primărie means a city hall / a town hall.

Again, Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end:

• primărie = a city hall
• primăria = the city hall

In this sentence, we are talking about the specific local authority involved, so the definite form is natural.

Also, primăria usually refers not only to the building, but to the municipal authority as an institution.

Verifică is the present tense, 3rd person singular, from a verifica = to check / to inspect / to verify.

• eu verific = I check
• tu verifici = you check
• el/ea verifică = he/she/it checks
• primăria verifică = the city hall checks

Romanian often uses the present tense for:

• general procedures
• habitual actions
• official instructions
• administrative facts

So here it means something like:

• the municipality checks the commercial space before issuing the permit
• in other words, this is the standard procedure

It does not have to mean only right now at this moment.

Spațiul comercial means the commercial space / the business premises, while un spațiu comercial would mean a commercial space.

So:

• spațiu comercial = commercial space
• un spațiu comercial = a commercial space
• spațiul comercial = the commercial space

The definite form is used because the sentence refers to the specific premises connected with the permit application.

Romanian often uses the definite form where English might also use the, especially when the referent is understood from context.

Yes, literally it is commercial space, but in real usage it usually means:

• business premises
• commercial premises
• retail unit
• shop space

Depending on context, it can refer to a store, office used for business, rented retail location, or other premises intended for commercial activity.

So it is broader than just a physical space in the abstract sense.

The structure is:

• Înainte de a elibera autorizația de funcționare = time clause
• primăria = subject
• verifică = verb
• spațiul comercial = direct object

So the core clause is:

• primăria verifică spațiul comercial
• the municipality checks the commercial premises

The first part is placed at the beginning to give the time/background condition:

• Before issuing the operating permit, the municipality checks the commercial premises.

This is a very natural word order in Romanian.

Yes. Romanian word order is fairly flexible, especially with adverbial phrases.

For example, you could also say:

• Primăria verifică spațiul comercial înainte de a elibera autorizația de funcționare.

This means the same thing.

The version with Înainte de a... at the beginning sounds slightly more formal and gives stronger emphasis to the sequence of actions:

1. first the check
2. then the permit is issued

That fronting is very common in administrative and explanatory language.

Not exactly. These words overlap, but they are not always interchangeable.

• autorizație = authorization / permit, often official administrative approval
• permis = permit, often used for specific permissions, such as permis de conducere = driving license
• licență = license, often in business, software, legal, or professional contexts

In autorizație de funcționare, autorizație is the standard official term. Using licență or permis here would usually sound less precise or simply not be the established expression.

This sentence is a good example of how Romanian uses the postposed definite article:

• autorizația = the authorization
• primăria = the city hall / municipality
• spațiul = the space / premises

Instead of putting a separate word like the before the noun, Romanian usually adds the article to the end of the noun.

That is why several nouns here look longer than their basic dictionary forms:

• autorizație → autorizația
• primărie → primăria
• spațiu → spațiul

This is one of the most important grammar patterns to get used to in Romanian.