Atacul distruge baza.

In Romanian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun, not written as a separate word like English the.

So:

• atac = attack
• atacul = the attack

and

• bază = base
• baza = the base

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice in Romanian.

The dictionary forms are:

• atac = attack
• a distruge = to destroy
• bază = base

In the sentence, you see inflected forms:

• atacul = the definite form of atac
• distruge = a present-tense form of a distruge
• baza = the definite form of bază

distruge is the 3rd person singular present indicative of a distruge.

That means it is the form used with:

• he
• she
• it
• any singular noun like atacul

So Atacul distruge baza literally matches The attack destroys the base.

Depending on context, Romanian present tense can sometimes also correspond to English is destroying, but the basic form here is simply present tense.

Because bază is a feminine noun, and in the singular definite form Romanian adds the article to the end.

So:

• o bază = a base
• baza = the base

The final ă changes to a in this definite form. This is very common with feminine nouns.

Yes, it matters because gender affects forms like the definite article.

• atac is a neuter noun
• bază is a feminine noun

Romanian neuter nouns behave like:

• masculine in the singular
• feminine in the plural

So in the singular definite form, atac takes -ul:

• atacul = the attack

And bază, being feminine, becomes:

• baza = the base

The main clue is word order.

Romanian commonly uses:

• subject + verb + object

So in Atacul distruge baza:

• Atacul = subject
• distruge = verb
• baza = direct object

Also, the meaning fits naturally: an attack destroys a base.

Technically, Romanian nouns often have the same form for nominative and accusative, so word order and context are important here.

Not as fixed as in English, but this sentence uses the most neutral and standard order:

• Atacul distruge baza.

Romanian can move words around more for emphasis, style, or contrast, but that often changes the focus of the sentence and can make it sound marked rather than neutral.

So for a basic statement, subject + verb + object is the safest pattern.

Romanian sometimes marks direct objects with pe, but mostly with people or highly specific animate beings.

For example, you are much more likely to see pe with a person than with an inanimate thing.

Since baza is an inanimate object, no pe is needed:

• Atacul distruge baza.

That is completely normal.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Atacul = a-TA-kul
• distruge = dis-TRU-je
• baza = BA-za

A few useful notes:

• c in atacul sounds like k
• ge in distruge sounds like the j in judge
• the stress is roughly:
  • aTAkul
  • disTRUje
  • BAza

So the whole sentence is approximately:

a-TA-kul dis-TRU-je BA-za