Copilul vorbește cu părintele.

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

• copil = child
• copilul = the child
• părinte = parent
• părintele = the parent

So both nouns in this sentence are definite.

Because nouns ending in -e often form the singular definite with -le.

So:

• părinte → părintele
• frate → fratele

This is just the normal pattern for many Romanian nouns ending in -e.

It matches a third-person singular subject: copilul = the child.

The verb comes from a vorbi = to speak / to talk. In the present tense:

• eu vorbesc = I speak
• tu vorbești = you speak
• el/ea vorbește = he/she speaks
• noi vorbim = we speak
• voi vorbiți = you all speak
• ei/ele vorbesc = they speak

So copilul vorbește means the child speaks / is speaking.

Cu literally means with.

With the verb a vorbi, Romanian normally says a vorbi cu cineva, literally to speak with someone. In English, that is often translated naturally as to talk to someone.

So vorbește cu părintele can be understood as speaks with the parent or talks to the parent.

Not visibly in this sentence.

After cu, Romanian uses the accusative, but for many masculine singular nouns, the accusative looks the same as the nominative.

So:

• Părintele vorbește. = The parent speaks.
• Copilul vorbește cu părintele. = The child speaks with the parent.

The form părintele stays the same, even though its role in the sentence is different.

It means one parent.

• părinte = parent
• părintele = the parent
• părinți = parents
• părinții = the parents

So this sentence is about the child speaking with one parent, not both.

The given order is the most neutral and natural for learners:

Copilul vorbește cu părintele.

That is basically:

subject + verb + prepositional phrase

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, though, so other orders are possible for emphasis. For example:

Cu părintele vorbește copilul.

That sounds more marked and puts extra focus on cu părintele. The original sentence is the plain, standard version.

These are two important Romanian letters:

• ă = a short central vowel, somewhat like the a in sofa
• ș = sh as in ship

So:

• vorbește sounds roughly like vor-BEH-shte
• părintele sounds roughly like puh-RIN-te-le or pə-RIN-te-le

These rough English-style spellings are only approximations, but they help at the beginning.