Learn Hardcore Romanian: Ei lucrează mult în oraș acum.

Romanian is a pro-drop language, so the verb ending in lucrează already shows that the subject is third-person plural (“they”). You can omit Ei and say Lucrează mult în oraș acum. But speakers include Ei for emphasis, contrast, or clarity—especially when you’ve just introduced multiple subjects and want to specify “they” (as opposed to someone else).

What exactly does lucrează represent? How is this verb conjugated?

Lucrează is the third-person plural (they) present-tense form of a lucra (to work). Conjugation in the present tense: Eu lucrez
Tu lucrezi
El/Ea lucrează
Noi lucrăm
Voi lucrați
Ei/Ele lucrează

What kind of word is mult here? Is it an adjective?

In Ei lucrează mult, mult is an adverb meaning “a lot” or “much.” It modifies the verb lucrează. As an adverb, it’s invariable—it doesn’t change for gender or number.

Why do we use în oraș without any article (the/a) before oraș?

When you use în + a generic or unmodified noun to express location, Romanian typically omits the article. În oraș means “in (the) city” in a general sense. If you wanted to specify “in the city of Bucharest,” you’d say în orașul București.

What’s the difference between în oraș and la oraș?

În oraș = “in town” or “inside the city”—focus on being within the city limits.
La oraș = “at the city” or “to the city”—can imply movement toward or presence at the city as a point (often contrasted with the countryside). Example: Mă duc la oraș (“I’m going to town”).

What does acum mean and can it move around in the sentence?

Acum means “now.” It’s a temporal adverb and fairly flexible in position:

At the end: Lucrează mult în oraș acum.
At the beginning: Acum, ei lucrează mult în oraș.
Right after the verb: Ei lucrează acum mult în oraș.
The emphasis shifts slightly depending on placement.

How would I say “She works a lot in the city now”?

Change the pronoun and keep the same verb form (lucrează works for both “he” and “she”):
Ea lucrează mult în oraș acum.

How about “We work a lot in the city now”?

Use Noi (we) and the first-person plural form lucrăm:
Noi lucrăm mult în oraș acum.