Recunosc vocea.

In Romanian, the subject pronoun is often left out because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• recunosc = I recognize
• the dictionary form is a recunoaște = to recognize

You can say Eu recunosc vocea, but eu is usually added only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

• Recunosc vocea. = neutral
• Eu recunosc vocea. = I recognize the voice / I’m the one who recognizes it

Recunosc is the 1st person singular present tense form of a recunoaște.

So:

• eu recunosc = I recognize
• tu recunoști = you recognize
• el/ea recunoaște = he/she recognizes

In this sentence, recunosc tells you that the speaker is I and that the action is in the present.

Because vocea is the definite form of the noun.

• voce = voice / a voice
• vocea = the voice

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

So:

• Recunosc voce. would be incorrect here
• Recunosc vocea. = I recognize the voice

Romanian has a postposed definite article, which means the article is attached to the noun.

Here:

• base noun: voce
• definite form: vocea

This is very normal in Romanian. Compare:

• băiat = boy

• băiatul = the boy

• fată = girl

• fata = the girl

• voce = voice
• vocea = the voice

So instead of saying something like the voice, Romanian builds the into the noun itself.

Because vocea is a direct object, but it is not a person.

Romanian often uses pe before a specific human direct object:

• Văd fata. / O văd pe fată.
• Recunosc pe Maria. = I recognize Maria

But with things, Romanian usually does not use pe:

• Recunosc vocea. = correct
• Recunosc pe vocea. = incorrect

So here, no pe is needed.

This is the most neutral and natural word order for this sentence: verb + object.

• Recunosc vocea. = neutral

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, though changing it often changes the emphasis.

For example:

• Vocea o recunosc. = The voice, I recognize.
• Eu recunosc vocea. = I recognize the voice.

So the original sentence is the straightforward, unmarked version.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• Recunosc ≈ reh-koo-NOSK
• vocea ≈ VO-chea

A few useful points:

• In vocea, the c before e sounds like ch in church
• The stress is:
  • recunosc
  • vocea

So the whole sentence is roughly:

reh-koo-NOSK VO-chea

Usually, yes. Romanian present tense often covers both the simple present and the progressive idea, depending on context.

So Recunosc vocea can mean:

• I recognize the voice
• I’m recognizing the voice

In practice, the most natural English translation is usually I recognize the voice.

By itself, vocea literally means the voice.

If the context already makes it clear whose voice it is, Romanian may leave that unstated, just like English sometimes does.

If you want to be explicit, you can add a possessive phrase:

• vocea ei = her voice
• vocea lui = his voice
• vocea ta = your voice

So:

• Recunosc vocea. = I recognize the voice.
• Recunosc vocea ei. = I recognize her voice.

The dictionary form is a recunoaște, meaning to recognize.

In Romanian, verbs are normally listed with a plus the infinitive:

• a recunoaște = to recognize
• a vedea = to see
• a auzi = to hear

So if you look up recunosc, you should look for a recunoaște.