Criminalul fuge.

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

So:

• criminal = a criminal / criminal
• criminalul = the criminal

The ending -ul is the masculine/neuter singular definite article here.

This is one of the most noticeable differences from English:

• English: the criminal
• Romanian: criminalul

Fuge is a verb form from the infinitive a fugi, meaning to run away / to flee.

In this sentence, fuge is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense

So it matches:

• el fuge = he runs away / he is running away
• ea fuge = she runs away / she is running away
• criminalul fuge = the criminal runs away / is running away

Romanian often omits subject pronouns when the subject is already clear.

Here, the subject is explicitly stated as criminalul, so there is no need to add el.

Romanian prefers:

• Criminalul fuge.

rather than:

• Criminalul el fuge. ❌

Because the noun itself already tells you who is doing the action.

It can cover more than one English possibility depending on context.

The verb a fugi most often means:

• to flee
• to run away
• sometimes simply to run

So Criminalul fuge could mean:

• The criminal runs away
• The criminal is running away
• The criminal flees

Romanian present tense often overlaps with both:

• English simple present
• English present progressive

Context tells you which is most natural.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide would be:

• criminalul ≈ kree-mee-NA-lul
• fuge ≈ FOO-jeh

A few helpful notes:

• Romanian c before r stays a hard k sound: cri-
• g before e sounds like the g in gem
• The final -e in fuge is pronounced, not silent

So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:

kree-mee-NA-lul FOO-jeh

The basic forms are:

• noun: criminal
• verb: a fugi

When you look words up in a dictionary, that is usually how you will find them.

In the sentence:

• criminalul is the noun with the definite article attached
• fuge is the conjugated present-tense verb form

Yes, Romanian word order is somewhat flexible, although Criminalul fuge is the most neutral and natural order.

This sentence follows the common pattern:

• Subject + Verb

You may also encounter:

• Fuge criminalul.

That can sound more marked, literary, or context-driven, as if emphasizing the action first:

• The criminal is running away!

So:

• Criminalul fuge. = neutral
• Fuge criminalul. = possible, but more stylistically marked

Yes, criminal is normally a masculine noun in Romanian, and criminalul is the masculine singular definite form.

That is why the article is -ul.

For example:

• un criminal = a criminal
• criminalul = the criminal

If you needed a feminine form referring specifically to a female criminal, Romanian can use:

• criminală = female criminal
• criminala = the female criminal

The present tense of a fugi is:

• eu fug = I run away / I flee
• tu fugi = you run away
• el/ea fuge = he/she runs away
• noi fugim = we run away
• voi fugiți = you all run away
• ei/ele fug = they run away

So in Criminalul fuge, the verb is using the 3rd person singular form.

You would remove the definite ending -ul and usually add un:

• Un criminal fuge. = A criminal is running away / A criminal runs away

Compare:

• Criminalul fuge. = The criminal is running away
• Un criminal fuge. = A criminal is running away

So the difference is mainly:

• un criminal = indefinite
• criminalul = definite

The plural would be:

• criminalii = the criminals
• fug = run away / are running away

So the sentence is:

• Criminalii fug.

Breakdown:

• criminali = criminals
• criminalii = the criminals
• fug = they run away

This is useful because it shows both the noun and the verb changing:

• singular: Criminalul fuge.
• plural: Criminalii fug.