În ciuda liftului de marfă închis, demontăm mobilierul și cărăm fotoliul.

În ciuda means despite or in spite of.

It is a fixed expression that normally takes the genitive in Romanian. That is why the next noun appears as liftului, not liftul.

A few similar examples:

• în ciuda ploii = despite the rain
• în ciuda problemelor = despite the problems
• în ciuda liftului de marfă închis = despite the closed freight elevator

Romanian also has a longer pattern:

• în ciuda faptului că... = despite the fact that...

Because liftului is the definite singular genitive/dative form of liftul.

Here is the basic pattern:

• lift = elevator
• liftul = the elevator
• liftului = of the elevator / to the elevator

Since în ciuda requires the genitive, Romanian uses liftului.

So:

• liftul de marfă = the freight elevator
• în ciuda liftului de marfă = despite the freight elevator

De marfă literally means for cargo/goods.

So lift de marfă is a standard way to say freight elevator or cargo lift.

This is a very common Romanian structure:

• mașină de spălat = washing machine
• sală de clasă = classroom
• vagon de marfă = freight wagon
• lift de marfă = freight elevator

Notice that only liftul / liftului changes for definiteness and case here. Marfă stays the same because it is part of the fixed modifier phrase de marfă.

It is the past participle of a închide = to close, but in this sentence it functions like an adjective meaning closed.

So:

• a închide = to close
• închis = closed

In liftului de marfă închis, închis describes the elevator.

This is very common in Romanian:

• ușa închisă = the closed door
• magazinul deschis = the open shop
• fereastra spartă = the broken window

So even though închis comes from a verb, here you should understand it as an adjective-like form.

Because the adjective comes after the noun.

In Romanian, when an adjective follows a definite noun, the noun usually carries the definite/case marking, and the adjective often stays in its normal agreeing form.

So:

• liftul închis = the closed elevator
• liftului închis = of/to the closed elevator

The noun liftului shows the genitive. The adjective închis agrees with a masculine singular noun, and that form is simply închis.

A form like închisului would belong to a different structure, typically when the adjective comes before the noun in a more literary or marked style.

Because Romanian usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

Both demontăm and cărăm end in -ăm, which marks 1st person plural:

• demontăm = we dismantle / we are dismantling
• cărăm = we carry / we are carrying

So noi is understood automatically.

You could say:

• Noi demontăm mobilierul...

but that would add emphasis, something like we are the ones doing it.

Yes. Romanian present tense often covers both:

• simple present: we dismantle / we carry
• present progressive: we are dismantling / we are carrying

The exact English translation depends on context.

So:

• demontăm can mean we dismantle or we are dismantling
• cărăm can mean we carry or we are carrying

Romanian does not need a separate continuous form like English are carrying in most cases.

Because mobilier is a collective singular noun in Romanian, just like furniture behaves as a mass noun in English.

So:

• mobilier = furniture
• mobilierul = the furniture

Even if it refers to several pieces, the noun itself is singular.

If you want to talk about individual items, Romanian may use expressions like:

• piese de mobilier = pieces of furniture
• mobile = furniture items / furnishings

But in your sentence, mobilierul is perfectly normal.

Not exactly.

A căra usually suggests carrying something physically, often with effort, by hand, up/down stairs, or from one place to another.

So cărăm fotoliul sounds like:

• we are physically carrying the armchair
• there is effort involved
• this fits well with the idea that the freight elevator is unavailable

Compare:

• a duce = to take, bring, carry
• a transporta = to transport
• a căra = to haul/carry physically

So cărăm is a very natural choice in this context.

Because fotoliu means armchair or easy chair, while scaun is a more general word for chair.

So:

• scaun = chair
• fotoliu = armchair

A fotoliu is typically larger, padded, and heavier than an ordinary chair, which also fits well with the verb cărăm.

Because În ciuda liftului de marfă închis is an introductory phrase placed before the main clause.

The comma helps separate:

• the context/concession: În ciuda liftului de marfă închis
• from the main action: demontăm mobilierul și cărăm fotoliul

In English, you often do the same:

• Despite the closed freight elevator, we dismantle the furniture...

In Romanian, this comma is natural and helpful, especially with a longer opening phrase like this one.