Learn Hardcore Romanian: Ea pregătește micul dejun când are timp liber. - She prepares breakfast when she has free time.

Ea is the third-person singular feminine pronoun “she.” Romanian is a pro-drop language, so the verb ending -ește already tells you who’s doing the action. You could simply say Pregătește micul dejun când are timp liber, and it would still mean “She prepares breakfast when she has free time.” Including Ea adds emphasis or clarity (for instance, to distinguish her from someone else).

How is pregătește formed, and how do I pronounce it?

Pregătește is the present indicative, third-person singular form of a pregăti (to prepare). Breakdown: pre-gă-te-ște. The letter ă is a mid-central vowel (like the ‘a’ in “sofa”), and ș is pronounced /ʃ/ (like “sh” in “ship”). So roughly: pre-guh-TEH-shte.

Why is it micul dejun instead of mic dejun or micul dejunul?

In Romanian, the definite article is a suffix. When an adjective precedes its noun, the article attaches to the adjective: mic + ul = micul, and the noun stays bare: dejun. Hence micul dejun = “the breakfast” (literally “the small lunch”). You wouldn’t say mic dejun (no article) or micul dejunul (double article).

Could I place the article on the noun instead?

If you put the noun first, the article attaches to the noun: dejunul mic (“the small lunch”). Grammatically correct, but micul dejun is the fixed phrase for “breakfast.”

What function does când have here?

Când is a subordinating conjunction meaning “when.” It introduces the temporal clause când are timp liber (“when she has free time”) and links it to the main action.

Why isn’t there an article before timp liber?

Expressions like timp liber (“free time”) are used generically, without an article. If you wanted to emphasize “some free time,” you could say un timp liber, but most speakers simply say când are timp liber.

Can I swap the order of the clauses?

Yes. Romanian word order is flexible. You can say Când are timp liber, ea pregătește micul dejun. Starting with the time clause is perfectly natural.

Is it okay to use face instead of pregătește?

In informal speech, yes: Ea face micul dejun când are timp liber. a face means “to make/do,” so you’ll often hear “face micul dejun.” Pregătește is a bit more precise—“prepares breakfast.”