Cifrul folosește simbolul.

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

So:

• cifru = cipher / code
• cifrul = the cipher / the code
• simbol = symbol
• simbolul = the symbol

This is one of the biggest differences from English. Instead of the symbol, Romanian often says simbolul, with the attached to the noun.

They are closely related patterns, but the spelling depends on how the noun ends.

• simbol ends in a consonant, so the definite form is simbolul
• cifru already ends in -u, so Romanian adds only -l in writing: cifrul

So:

• simbol → simbolul
• cifru → cifrul

A learner often notices -ul as the article, but after some nouns ending in -u, you will often see just -l added.

Folosește is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb a folosi, meaning to use.

Here it matches cifrul, which is a singular subject:

• a folosi = to use
• el/ea folosește = he/she uses
• cifrul folosește = the cipher/code uses

In English, this can often be translated as either:

• uses
• or, depending on context, is using

But the basic form here is simple present.

In this sentence, the normal Romanian word order helps you:

• cifrul = subject
• folosește = verb
• simbolul = direct object

So the structure is:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is the same basic order as normal English:

• The cipher uses the symbol

This matters because Romanian nouns like these often have the same form for subject and direct object, so word order is an important clue.

The most neutral, standard order here is:

Cifrul folosește simbolul.

Romanian can sometimes change word order for emphasis, style, or contrast, but this version is the natural default.

With this sentence, changing the order could sound marked or even create ambiguity, because both nouns are definite singular nouns. So for a learner, the best takeaway is:

• Subject + Verb + Object is the safest normal pattern here.

Because simbolul is a direct object.

Romanian, like English, usually does not use a preposition before a normal direct object:

• uses the symbol
• folosește simbolul

So nothing extra is needed before simbolul.

Romanian sometimes uses pe with certain direct objects, especially people or strongly specific animate objects, but that does not apply here.

The letter ș is pronounced like English sh.

So folosește is pronounced roughly like:

fo-lo-SESH-te

A rough pronunciation of the whole sentence is:

CHEE-frul fo-lo-SESH-te sim-BO-lul

A few helpful sound notes:

• ci in cifrul sounds roughly like chee
• ș in folosește sounds like sh
• Romanian vowels are usually clear and short, not reduced as much as in English

The main stress is:

• CIfrul
• foloSEȘte
• simBOlul

The dictionary forms are:

• cifru
• a folosi
• simbol

A few useful points:

• nouns are usually looked up without the attached definite article
• verbs are usually looked up in the infinitive form with a

So if you want to find these in a dictionary, do not look up cifrul or simbolul first; look up:

• cifru
• simbol
• a folosi