Learn Hardcore Romanian: Laptele proaspăt este bun pentru cafea.

Laptele means the milk. In Romanian the definite article is enclitic (attached to the end of the noun) rather than a separate word. Masculine nouns ending in a vowel add -l and often an extra vowel: lapte + -le = laptele.

Why is the adjective proaspăt placed after the noun instead of before it?

Adjectives in Romanian most commonly follow the noun. So laptele proaspăt literally reads “the milk fresh,” which corresponds to English the fresh milk. Placing proaspăt before the noun without changing the form would sound unnatural.

Why doesn’t proaspăt have a definite ending like proaspătul?

When an adjective modifies a noun and comes after it, only the noun carries the definite article. Thus laptele is definite, and proaspăt remains in its base (indefinite) form.

How do you pronounce Laptele proaspăt este bun pentru cafea?

Pronunciation (IPA): [ˈlap.te.le pro.ˈas.pət ˈes.te bun pen.ˈtru ka.ˈfe.a]
– a as in English “spa,” e as in “bed,” ă = /ə/ (schwa).
– Primary stress on the syllables LAP, ASP, ES, TRU, FE.

What is the function of pentru, and could I use cu or la instead?

pentru means for, indicating purpose or suitability (milk that’s good for coffee).
– cu means with (e.g. a cake served with coffee).
– la means at/to (not used here).
So bun pentru cafea = good for coffee is the right choice.

Why is cafea indefinite here, and when would I use cafeaua?

Here cafea refers to coffee in general, so it remains indefinite. You’d use cafeaua (the coffee) when talking about a specific cup or type of coffee, e.g. laptele este bun pentru cafeaua de dimineață (“the milk is good for the morning coffee”).

Can I replace este with e in everyday speech?

Yes. e is the colloquial contraction of este. In informal or spoken Romanian you’ll often hear: Laptele proaspăt e bun pentru cafea.