Learn Hardcore Romanian: Arată-mi biroul tău.

The suffix -mi is the enclitic form of the first person singular indirect-object pronoun (mier). It means “to me” and attaches to the verb in positive imperatives.

How is the second-person singular imperative of a arăta formed?

You take the present tense tu arăți, drop the final -i, and get arată. That gives you Arată for the command “show.”

Why is the object pronoun placed after the verb in Arată-mi, but before it in other sentences like Îmi arăți biroul tău?

In Romanian positive imperatives, clitic pronouns follow the verb (enclisis). In indicative, subjunctive and in questions, pronouns precede the verb (proclisis).

Why does birou become biroul in this sentence?

Romanian marks the definite article by adding a suffix to the noun. Masculine singular nouns take -l, so birou + -l → biroul (“the desk”).

What role does tău play in biroul tău, and why is it placed after the noun?

tău is the second-person singular possessive pronoun (“your”). Romanian places possessives after the noun they modify, and tău agrees in gender and number with birou (masculine singular).

Could we say Îmi arăți biroul tău instead of Arată-mi biroul tău, and what’s the difference in tone?

Yes. Îmi arăți biroul tău is a neutral indicative or polite question (“Will you show me your desk?”). Arată-mi biroul tău is a direct imperative (“Show me your desk”).

How can you soften the command Arată-mi biroul tău to make it more polite?

Simply add te rog (“please”) at the beginning or end:
Te rog, arată-mi biroul tău.
or
Arată-mi biroul tău, te rog.