Sifonăm substratul.

Sifonăm is 1st person plural, present tense, indicative.

So it corresponds to we siphon or we are siphoning, depending on context.

A quick mini-paradigm:

• eu sifonez = I siphon
• tu sifonezi = you siphon
• el/ea sifonează = he/she siphons
• noi sifonăm = we siphon
• voi sifonați = you all siphon
• ei/ele sifonează = they siphon

Because -ăm is the 1st person plural ending for many Romanian verbs in -a.

So the ending itself tells you the subject is we. That is one reason Romanian often does not need an explicit subject pronoun.

It can mean either one.

Romanian present tense often covers both:

• simple present: we siphon
• present continuous: we are siphoning

The context tells you which is intended. On its own, Sifonăm substratul could describe:

• a regular action, or
• something happening right now

Sometimes, yes, in the right context.

Romanian can use the 1st person plural present in a suggestion-like way, similar to let’s in English. But without extra context, the most neutral reading is still simply we siphon / we are siphoning the substrate.

Substratul means the substrate.

It is made of:

• substrat = substrate
• -ul = the definite article, meaning the

In practical use, especially in an aquarium context, substratul often refers to the gravel, sand, or bottom layer in the tank.

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

So:

• substrat = substrate
• substratul = the substrate

This is a very common feature of Romanian grammar.

Because Romanian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending usually already shows who is doing the action.

Here, sifonăm already tells you the subject is we, so noi is unnecessary.

You could say Noi sifonăm substratul, but that would usually add emphasis, contrast, or clarification.

Because substratul is a direct object, and Romanian normally does not use pe with ordinary inanimate direct objects.

You use pe mainly with certain people or highly specific animate direct objects.

So:

• Sifonăm substratul = normal
• using pe here would sound wrong

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

see-foh-NUHM soob-STRA-tul

A few notes:

• ă in sifonăm is a short neutral vowel, like the a in sofa
• â does not appear here
• substratul has the definite ending -ul, which is pronounced as part of the word, not as a separate word

It is natural, especially in a specific practical context.

With substratul, the phrase strongly suggests something like cleaning the substrate with a siphon, especially in aquarium maintenance. So although the verb literally means to siphon, the whole sentence can naturally imply vacuuming/cleaning the tank substrate.

Yes, Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but Sifonăm substratul is the most neutral way to say it.

Other versions are possible, for example:

• Noi sifonăm substratul = adds emphasis to we
• Substratul îl sifonăm = puts focus on the substrate

For a simple statement, though, Sifonăm substratul is the standard, straightforward order.