Nu zgâriem mobilierul.

Nu is the standard Romanian word for not. It normally goes directly before the verb:

Nu zgâriem = we do not scratch / we aren’t scratching

So the basic pattern is:

nu + verb

Zgâriem is the 1st person plural present form of the verb a zgâria, meaning to scratch.

So:

• eu zgârii = I scratch
• tu zgârii = you scratch
• noi zgâriem = we scratch

In this sentence, zgâriem means we scratch or, with nu, we do not scratch.

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

Here, -em in zgâriem tells you the subject is we.

So both of these are possible:

• Nu zgâriem mobilierul.
• Noi nu zgâriem mobilierul.

The version without noi is very natural and common.

Mobilier means furniture.
The ending -ul is the Romanian definite article, attached to the end of the noun.

So:

• mobilier = furniture
• mobilierul = the furniture

Unlike English, Romanian usually puts the at the end of the noun instead of before it.

Romanian normally uses an enclitic definite article, which means the article is attached to the noun.

Compare:

• English: the furniture
• Romanian: mobilierul

This is a very common Romanian pattern:

• băiat = boy
• băiatul = the boy

So mobilierul literally works like furniture-the, but in natural English we translate it as the furniture.

Yes, mobilier is correct and common, but in everyday speech Romanians also very often say mobila.

For example:

• Nu zgâriem mobilierul.
• Nu zgâriem mobila.

Both can mean We do not scratch the furniture.
Mobila often sounds a bit more everyday and conversational.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

zgâriem ≈ zguh-REE-em

A few useful notes:

• zg at the beginning can feel unusual for English speakers; pronounce both sounds, like z
  • g
• â is a central Romanian vowel with no perfect English equivalent
• the stress is on ri: zgâ-RI-em

You do not need to pronounce it perfectly at first; the main challenge is getting comfortable with the cluster zg- and the vowel â.

Grammatically, it is simply We do not scratch the furniture.

But in context, especially in a classroom, household rules, or instructions to children, Romanian can use this kind of present-tense sentence to express a rule or expected behavior, similar to:

• We do not scratch the furniture.
• We don’t scratch the furniture.

So it can sound like a statement of habit, or like a rule.

If you specifically want Let’s not scratch the furniture, Romanian would more naturally say:

Să nu zgâriem mobilierul.

Because mobilierul is an ordinary inanimate direct object.

Romanian uses pe with certain direct objects, especially people or highly specific animate objects. But with something like the furniture, you normally do not use pe.

So:

• Nu zgâriem mobilierul. = correct

Using pe here would sound wrong.

Yes. Romanian present tense often covers both:

• We do not scratch the furniture
• We aren’t scratching the furniture

Which one is meant depends on context.

So Nu zgâriem mobilierul can describe:

• a general habit: We do not scratch the furniture
• something happening now: We aren’t scratching the furniture

Romanian does not need a separate continuous form like English does.

The order is:

Nu + verb + object

So:

• Nu = not
• zgâriem = we scratch
• mobilierul = the furniture

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but this is the most neutral and natural order here:

Nu zgâriem mobilierul.