Copiii fac dezordine în camera de zi, dar apoi fac curățenie împreună.

This is a very common question in Romanian.

• copil = child
• copii = children
• copiii = the children

So the three i’s are not random. They come from different pieces of the word:

• copil → base noun
• plural ending gives copii
• definite article added to the plural gives copiii

In Romanian, the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

So here, Copiii means the children, not just children.

It can look intimidating, but it is pronounceable.

A helpful way to think about it is:

• copii = co-PII
• copiii = co-PI-ii

The last part is stretched a little because of the extra i. In careful speech, learners often hear it almost like co-pee-ee.

You do not need to exaggerate every i, but you should avoid pronouncing it exactly the same as copii, because:

• copii = children
• copiii = the children

That difference matters.

Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

For example:

• copil = child
• copilul = the child
• copii = children
• copiii = the children

So instead of saying a separate word like English the children, Romanian says copiii.

This is one of the most important structural differences between English and Romanian.

Fac is the 1st/3rd person plural present form of a face, which usually means to do or to make.

In this sentence, it appears twice:

• fac dezordine = make a mess
• fac curățenie = clean up / do the cleaning

So even though a face often means to do/make, in Romanian it is also used in many fixed everyday expressions.

Here, fac agrees with copiii because the subject is plural:

• Copiii fac = The children do/make

Because Romanian uses a face in a lot of idiomatic expressions where English uses different verbs.

In English, we say:

• make a mess
• clean up
• do the cleaning

In Romanian, both ideas can use a face:

• a face dezordine
• a face curățenie

So you should learn these as natural word combinations rather than translating word by word.

Yes, it is a normal, idiomatic expression.

a face dezordine means:

• to make a mess
• to create disorder

You may also hear:

• a face mizerie = to make a mess / make things dirty

So fac dezordine is a very natural way to describe children leaving things untidy.

Because in this expression, dezordine is being used as an uncountable idea, similar to mess or disorder in English.

So Romanian says:

• a face dezordine = to make a mess

not usually:

• a face o dezordine

In many Romanian verb-noun expressions, the noun appears without an article.

The same thing happens in:

• a face curățenie = to clean up
• a face ordine = to tidy up / put things in order

Yes, literally curățenie is related to cleanliness or cleaning/orderliness. But in everyday Romanian, a face curățenie is the normal expression for:

• to clean up
• to do the cleaning
• to tidy the place

So in this sentence:

• fac curățenie împreună = they clean up together

Even if the literal structure feels like make cleanliness, you should understand it as a standard Romanian expression.

camera de zi means living room.

Breakdown:

• camera = the room
• de zi = literally of day, but together this forms the fixed expression living room

So:

• în camera de zi = in the living room

Romanian often builds room names this way:

• camera de zi = living room
• camera de hotel = hotel room

In this sentence, the room is specific, so Romanian uses the definite form camera.

Because camera is the definite form, while cameră is indefinite.

• cameră = a room
• camera = the room

So:

• într-o cameră de zi = in a living room
• în camera de zi = in the living room

Here the meaning is specific, so camera is correct.

Yes. Sufragerie is another common word for living room.

So these can both work:

• în camera de zi
• în sufragerie

Depending on region, register, or personal preference, one may sound more common than the other. camera de zi is very transparent and easy for learners to understand, while sufragerie is also very common in real speech.

dar means but and apoi means then / afterwards.

Together:

• dar apoi = but then / but afterwards

It shows contrast:

1. first the children make a mess
2. then they clean it up together

So the sentence has a very natural sequence: They make a mess in the living room, but then they clean up together.

Împreună means together.

It is an adverb, and putting it at the end is very natural in Romanian:

• fac curățenie împreună = they clean up together

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but this position sounds very normal because împreună adds extra information about how they clean.

You could move it in some contexts for emphasis, but the end position is the most neutral here.

Because Romanian often omits subject pronouns when the verb form already makes the subject clear.

• fac already tells you the subject is they or you plural
• and copiii is already stated, so adding ei would be unnecessary

So Romanian prefers:

• Copiii fac...

rather than:

• Ei, copiii, fac...

unless you want extra emphasis or contrast.

Fac is in the present tense.

From a face:

• eu fac = I do/make
• tu faci = you do/make
• el/ea face = he/she does/makes
• noi facem = we do/make
• voi faceți = you all do/make
• ei/ele fac = they do/make

In this sentence, fac matches copiii because the subject is plural: the children.

Not completely. Romanian allows some flexibility, but the given order is the most neutral and natural.

Standard version:

• Copiii fac dezordine în camera de zi, dar apoi fac curățenie împreună.

You could sometimes change things for emphasis, but not every rearrangement sounds equally natural. For a learner, the original order is a very good model:

1. subject
2. verb
3. object/expression
4. place
5. contrast
6. second verb phrase
7. adverb

Yes, absolutely.

That is often the best way to learn Romanian natural usage. Instead of translating word by word, learn these as set expressions:

• a face dezordine = to make a mess
• a face curățenie = to clean up
• a face ordine = to tidy up / put things in order

Learning them as whole chunks will help you sound more natural and avoid literal English-style phrasing.