Biroul meu este în oraș, dar este mic.

My office is in the city, but it is small.

Breakdown of Biroul meu este în oraș, dar este mic.

• a fi: to be
• mic: small
• orașul: the city
• în: in
• biroul: the office
• meu: my
• dar: but

Questions & Answers about Biroul meu este în oraș, dar este mic.

How do I pronounce Biroul meu este în oraș, dar este mic?

In approximate English phonetics: BEE-roh-ool meh-oo ES-teh uhn oh-RAHSH, dar ES-teh meek.
In IPA: /biˈru.ul meu ˈeste ɨn oˈraʃ dar ˈeste mik/.

What does the -l at the end of biroul mean?

That -l is the enclitic definite article for masculine singular nouns. So birou = “an office,” while biroul = “the office.” Romanian attaches the article at the end of the noun.

Why is the possessive meu placed after biroul instead of before, like in English?

In Romanian the possessive adjective normally follows the noun it modifies and agrees in gender and number: biroul meu (“my office”). You cannot say meu biroul—that word order would be ungrammatical.

Why is the preposition în used here? Could I say something else?

în means “in” or “inside,” indicating location. So în oraș = “in the city.” You would not use pe (which means “on”) in this context. Informally, one might say sunt la oraș (“I’m in town”), but în oraș is the standard way to say “inside the city.”

What’s the difference between dar and însă for “but”?

Both are coordinating conjunctions meaning “but.” dar is the most common in everyday speech; însă is slightly more formal or literary. They are interchangeable here: Biroul meu este în oraș, însă este mic.

Can I drop the second este or shorten it? For example, Biroul meu e în oraș, dar mic?

Yes. In colloquial Romanian este often becomes e, and you can even omit the verb in the second clause:
• Biroul meu e în oraș, dar e mic.
• Biroul meu e în oraș, dar mic.

Why does the adjective mic come after este and after the noun?

In Romanian descriptive adjectives typically follow the noun. After a linking verb like este, the adjective remains in predicate position: este mic (“is small”).

Why is there a circumflex on the î in în? When do I use î vs. â?

Both î and â represent the same vowel /ɨ/. The rule is:

• Use î at the beginning and end of words (e.g. în, înțeleg).
• Use â in the middle of words (e.g. România, câine).

How do I pronounce and type the letter ș in oraș?

ș with a comma below is pronounced /ʃ/, like the English “sh” in shop. On a Romanian keyboard it’s directly available; on other layouts you can use Alt-codes (Alt+350) or insert-specia­l-character features.

How can I tell the gender of a Romanian noun like birou?

A rough guideline: nouns ending in a vowel -u or a consonant are often masculine, while those ending in -ă or -e tend to be feminine. So birou (ends in -ou) is masculine. There are exceptions, so it’s best to learn each noun’s gender as you go.