Learn Hardcore Romanian: Prindem tramvaiul din stația de lângă parc la ora nouă. - We catch the tram from the stop next to the park at nine o’clock.

In Romanian the simple present is often used for scheduled or near-future events. Here prindem literally means we catch, but contextually it’s understood as we’ll catch. The formal future version vom prinde exists, but native speakers typically use the present for timetabled actions.

What exactly does prindem mean here? Could we say luăm instead to mean catch or take?

Prindem is the first-person plural present of a prinde, which literally means to catch (a bus, tram, etc.). You can also use luăm (from a lua, to take). Prindem carries the nuance of catching it in time before it departs, while luăm just states taking the tram.

Why do tramvai and stație become tramvaiul and stația?

In Romanian the definite article is a suffix on the noun. Masculine nouns like tramvai add -ul (tramvaiul = the tram), and feminine nouns like stație add -a (stația = the station). These enclitic endings turn an indefinite noun into a specific, definite one.

Why is the preposition din used before stația instead of de la?

Din means from inside or out of a place, so din stația implies boarding from within the station. De la stația also means from the station but is more general (from the vicinity). When specifying the exact spot of boarding public transport, din is more precise.

In stația de lângă parc, why is there a de before lângă?

De lângă is a compound preposition meaning next to or by. Romanian uses de to link location words like lângă to a noun: stația de lângă parc means the station next to the park. Saying just stația lângă parc would be less idiomatic.

How do you express time with la ora nouă and why is la used here?

To give exact times in Romanian you use la + ora (definite form) + the hour. La ora nouă = at nine o’clock. For approximate times you add pe (pe la ora nouă = around nine), but schedules use the simple la ora + exact hour.

How is the letter ț in stația pronounced?

The letter ț (t-comma) represents the sound /ts/, like the ts in English cats. So stația is pronounced [ˈsta.t͡si.a]. The diacritical mark under t indicates that affricate sound.

Why isn’t there an explicit noi (meaning we) before prindem?

Romanian is a pro-drop language. Verb endings clearly show person and number, so the subject pronoun noi (we) is optional and often omitted unless needed for emphasis or contrast.

Does din stația de lângă parc modify tramvaiul or prindem?

It primarily modifies the verb prindem, functioning as an adverbial of place: you catch the tram from that station. You can also parse it inside the noun phrase tramvaiul din stația de lângă parc (“the tram from the station next to the park”), but its main role is to indicate where you catch the tram.