Learn Hardcore Romanian: Prietenul nostru ajunge mâine dimineață.

In Romanian, nouns take a suffix rather than a separate word for the definite article. For masculine singular nouns ending in a consonant or “–e,” you add –ul (prieten + ul = prietenul).

Why is the possessive pronoun nostru placed after the noun instead of before, as in English?

Romanian normally places the possessor after the noun it modifies, so prietenul nostru literally means “the friend of ours.” Pre-nominal forms like nostrul prieten exist but are less common and sound more emphatic.

Why is ajunge in the present tense, even though the action happens tomorrow?

Romanian often uses the present tense to talk about near-future events when a time adverb (like mâine dimineață) is present. It’s similar to English “I’m meeting him tomorrow,” using present forms for scheduled future actions.

Can we use a future tense marker instead? How would it look?

Yes. Romanian has a periphrastic future with va + infinitive. You could say:
Prietenul nostru va ajunge mâine dimineață.

Why is there no preposition before mâine dimineață?

When indicating a specific time of day, Romanian typically omits prepositions. You simply say mâine dimineață (“tomorrow morning”), not “în mâine dimineață.”

How do you pronounce the letters â in mâine and ă in dimineață?

â (and its variant î) is a central vowel [ɨ], somewhat like the “i” in English “roses.”
ă is a mid-central vowel [ə], like the “a” in “sofa.”

How is stress placed in mâine dimineață?

In mâine, stress falls on the first syllable: MÂI-ne.
In dimineață, stress falls on the penultimate syllable: di-mi-NEA-ță.

How do you form a question from this sentence?

Two common options:
1) Keep the same word order and rely on intonation:
Prietenul nostru ajunge mâine dimineață?
2) Use the future auxiliary and inversion:
Va ajunge prietenul nostru mâine dimineață?