Îmi este foame, așa că fac repede un sandviș.

In Romanian, foame is used in an impersonal expression. You do not say I am hungry word-for-word.

• îmi = to me
• este = is
• foame = hunger / hungry in this expression

So îmi este foame is literally closer to to me, hunger is, but it simply means I am hungry.

This is a very common Romanian pattern:

• Îmi este sete = I am thirsty
• Îmi este somn = I am sleepy

So the key thing to remember is: Romanian often uses a fi plus a noun-like feeling word, together with an indirect object pronoun.

Îmi is the unstressed dative form meaning to me.

In îmi este foame, it marks the person experiencing the feeling. Romanian uses this structure instead of making foame agree like an adjective with eu.

Some similar forms are:

• îmi = to me
• îți = to you
• îi = to him / her
• ne = to us
• vă = to you (plural/formal)

Examples:

• Îți este foame? = Are you hungry?
• Ne este foame. = We are hungry.

Yes. All of these are possible:

• Îmi este foame — full, standard form
• Mi-e foame — very common in everyday speech
• Îmi e foame — also common

They all mean the same thing.

What changes is just the level of contraction:

• este is the full form of is
• e is the short spoken form
• mi-e combines îmi and e in a very natural spoken/written contraction

So in casual Romanian, Mi-e foame is probably the version you will hear most often.

Așa că means so, therefore, or that’s why.

It introduces a consequence:

• Îmi este foame, așa că fac repede un sandviș. = I’m hungry, so I quickly make a sandwich.

You can think of it as linking:

1. a cause: I’m hungry
2. a result: so I make a sandwich

It is a very common connector in Romanian conversation.

Compare:

• pentru că = because
• așa că = so / therefore

For example:

• Sunt obosit, așa că mă culc devreme. = I’m tired, so I’m going to bed early.

Because așa că connects two clauses, and Romanian normally writes a comma before it in this kind of sentence.

So:

• Îmi este foame, așa că fac repede un sandviș.

This is similar to English, where a comma is also often used before so when it links two full clauses:

• I’m hungry, so I make a sandwich.

Fac simply means I make.

So:

• fac repede un sandviș = I quickly make a sandwich

But yes, îmi fac repede un sandviș is also very natural, and many speakers would actually prefer it here because it makes it clear that you are making the sandwich for yourself.

Compare:

• Fac un sandviș. = I’m making a sandwich.
• Îmi fac un sandviș. = I’m making myself a sandwich.

Since the first clause already tells us I’m hungry, it is easy to understand that the sandwich is for the speaker, so fac is not wrong. But îmi fac can sound a bit more explicit and idiomatic.

Repede means quickly.

Here it modifies fac:

• fac repede un sandviș = I quickly make a sandwich

Romanian adverb placement is fairly flexible. These are all possible, though some may sound more natural depending on emphasis:

• fac repede un sandviș
• repede fac un sandviș
• fac un sandviș repede

The version in your sentence is very natural and neutral.

Romanian usually uses the indefinite article when talking about a single countable thing in a general situation.

• un sandviș = a sandwich

Without un, the noun would sound less natural here unless you were speaking in a special style or listing items.

So:

• fac un sandviș = I’m making a sandwich

That matches normal English usage closely.

Yes. Sandviș is a Romanian borrowing from English sandwich, adapted to Romanian spelling and pronunciation.

A few helpful points:

• ș is pronounced like English sh
• so sandviș sounds roughly like SAND-vish

Romanian often adapts borrowed words to its own spelling system, especially in more standard written forms.

Romanian often uses the simple present where English may prefer either the simple present or the present progressive.

So:

• fac literally = I make
• but depending on context, it can also correspond to I am making

In this sentence, fac repede un sandviș is naturally understood as a present action: I’ll quickly make / I’m quickly making a sandwich.

Romanian does have ways to emphasize an ongoing action, but in ordinary speech the simple present often does the job.

A quick guide:

• î = a close central vowel, somewhat like a tight, reduced vowel with the tongue high in the middle of the mouth. English does not have an exact equivalent.
• ă = the schwa sound, like the a in about
• ș = sh, like in shoe

So:

• Îmi starts with that special Romanian î
• așa sounds roughly like a-SHA
• că ends with the schwa sound
• sandviș ends with sh

If pronunciation is your goal, așa că is approximately:

• a-sha kuh

That is only an approximation, but it is a useful starting point.