Salvăm câinele.

Romanian often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

Here, salvăm is the we form, so Salvăm câinele already means we save / we are saving the dog.

If you want extra emphasis, you can add noi: Noi salvăm câinele.

Salvăm is the 1st person plural present tense of a salva.

So it means:

• we save
• we are saving

The exact English translation depends on context.

Yes. Romanian present tense often covers both meanings.

So Salvăm câinele can mean either:

• a general present: We save the dog
• an action happening now: We are saving the dog

Context usually makes it clear.

Not normally by itself.

As a plain sentence, Salvăm câinele. is a statement: We save / are saving the dog.

For Let’s save the dog, Romanian usually says: Să salvăm câinele!

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word before it.

So:

• câine = dog
• câinele = the dog

This is a major difference from English.

In this word, -le is part of the definite article. It shows that the noun is definite: the dog rather than just a dog or dog.

So:

• câine = dog
• câinele = the dog

It is singular: the dog.

The plural forms are different:

• câini = dogs
• câinii = the dogs

So câinele definitely refers to one dog.

It is the direct object.

The subject is understood from the verb: we.

So the structure is:

• salvăm = we save / are saving
• câinele = the dog

In other words: [We] save the dog.

Because pe is not required here.

In Romanian, pe is often used before certain direct objects, especially people and very specific animate objects. With animals, usage can vary depending on context and how personal or individual the animal is felt to be.

In a simple sentence like Salvăm câinele, leaving out pe is perfectly normal.

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

sahl-VUHM KUH-ee-neh-leh

A more accurate IPA pronunciation is:

/salˈvəm ˈkɨj.ne.le/

A few notes:

• ă in salvăm is like the weak vowel in sofa
• â in câinele is a Romanian sound that English does not really have
• the stress is on -văm in salvăm and on the first syllable of câinele

Yes, in correct Romanian writing they do matter.

The standard spelling is: Salvăm câinele.

Without diacritics, you might see: Salvam cainele.

People may still understand it in informal typing, but it is not the proper written form. Diacritics are important in Romanian because they are part of the spelling system and can sometimes help distinguish words.

The dictionary forms are:

• a salva = to save
• câine = dog

So:

• salvăm is a conjugated verb form from a salva
• câinele is the definite form of câine

Salvăm câinele. is a normal, neutral word order.

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, though. You can also say: Noi salvăm câinele

That adds the explicit subject noi and can give extra emphasis to we.

So the original sentence is the most straightforward version, but not the only possible one.