Copilul arată respect.

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• copil = a child / child
• copilul = the child

So Copilul arată respect. means The child shows respect.

This is very different from English, where the is a separate word.

Here, arată means shows.

The verb is a arăta, which can mean:

• to show
• to indicate
• sometimes to look / appear, depending on context

In this sentence, the meaning is clearly shows:

• Copilul arată respect. = The child shows respect.

Because copilul is he/she/it in grammatical terms: the child is a third-person singular subject.

So the verb a arăta is conjugated like this in the present tense:

• eu arăt = I show
• tu arăți = you show
• el/ea arată = he/she shows

So with copilul (the child), you need arată.

Romanian usually attaches the definite article directly to the noun.

So instead of saying something like the copil, Romanian says:

• copilul = the child

This is one of the most important differences between Romanian and English.

Because here respect is being used in a general sense, not as a specific, identified thing.

• respect = respect in general
• respectul = the respect

In English, we also often say shows respect, not shows the respect.

So:

• arată respect = shows respect
• arată respectul would sound much more specific, like shows the respect—which usually needs more context

This word order is the most neutral and natural:

• Copilul = subject
• arată = verb
• respect = object

So it follows the common subject–verb–object pattern, just like English.

Romanian word order is often more flexible than English, though. For example, other orders can be possible for emphasis, but Copilul arată respect is the standard, straightforward version.

The letter ă is a very common Romanian vowel. It is pronounced like a short, relaxed vowel, similar to the a in English sofa or about.

So arată is roughly pronounced:

• a-RA-tuh

The final ă is not a strong a sound like in father. It is weaker and more central.

No. Romanian often leaves out the subject pronoun when it is already clear from the verb form or from the noun.

Here, copilul already tells us who the subject is:

• Copilul arată respect. = The child shows respect.

You would not normally add el unless you want extra emphasis:

• El arată respect. = He shows respect.
• Copilul already makes that unnecessary here

Yes. In this sentence, respect is the direct object—the thing being shown.

So the structure is:

• Copilul = subject
• arată = verb
• respect = direct object

This is why the sentence is very easy to map onto English:

• The child / shows / respect

No. Copilul means the child and does not itself specify male or female.

If you want to say the boy, Romanian uses:

• băiatul

If you want to say the girl, Romanian uses:

• fata

So:

• Copilul arată respect. = The child shows respect.
• It could refer to either a male child or a female child, depending on context.

The dictionary forms are:

• copil = child
• a arăta = to show
• respect = respect

In the sentence:

• copil becomes copilul = the child
• a arăta becomes arată = shows
• respect stays the same

This is a good example of how Romanian changes words for grammar, especially nouns with the definite article and verbs with person/number endings.