Încerc să termin proiectul înainte de termen.

Încerc is the 1st person singular present form of the verb a încerca = to try.

So încerc can mean either:

• I try
• I am trying

Romanian present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous in English. The exact meaning depends on context.

In Romanian, the subject pronoun is often left out because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• încerc already means I try / I’m trying

So:

• Încerc să termin proiectul... = normal, natural
• Eu încerc să termin proiectul... = more emphatic, like I’m the one trying...

Romanian uses subject pronouns mainly for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

After many Romanian verbs, including a încerca, Romanian normally uses să + verb rather than the infinitive.

So Romanian says:

• Încerc să termin = literally something like I try that I finish, but naturally I’m trying to finish

Not:

• Încerc a termina in normal modern Romanian

This is a very common pattern:

• vreau să plec = I want to leave
• pot să vin = I can come
• încep să înțeleg = I’m starting to understand

For English speakers, this is one of the biggest structural differences to get used to.

In să termin, the verb is functioning as a subjunctive form because it is introduced by să.

In Romanian, the present subjunctive often looks the same as the present indicative, especially in the 1st person singular.

So:

• termin = I finish
• să termin = that I finish / to finish depending on context

Here, because it follows încerc, it is best understood as:

• Încerc să termin = I’m trying to finish

Proiectul means the project.

Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

• proiect = project
• proiectul = the project

So in this sentence, the speaker is talking about a specific project.

If it were indefinite, you might say:

• un proiect = a project

Înainte de termen means before the deadline, before the due date, or sometimes ahead of schedule, depending on context.

Word by word:

• înainte de = before
• termen = deadline / term / time limit

In this sentence, termen is best understood as deadline.

So the whole phrase means the speaker wants to finish the project before the deadline arrives.

In the fixed expression înainte de termen, Romanian normally uses termen without the definite article.

This expression works much like an idiomatic phrase meaning:

• before deadline
• more naturally in English: before the deadline

If you make the noun more specific, then the article can appear:

• înainte de termenul limită = before the final deadline
• înainte de termenul stabilit = before the established deadline

But by itself, înainte de termen is the standard expression.

Here, de is part of the prepositional expression înainte de, which means before.

This is important because înainte by itself can mean things like:

• ahead
• in front
• beforehand, depending on context

But when followed by a noun, Romanian normally uses:

• înainte de + noun

Examples:

• înainte de masă = before lunch
• înainte de examen = before the exam
• înainte de termen = before the deadline

So you should learn înainte de as a unit.

The given order is the most neutral and natural one:

Încerc să termin proiectul înainte de termen.

Romanian word order is fairly flexible, but changing it usually changes the emphasis, not the core meaning.

For example:

• Încerc să termin proiectul înainte de termen. = neutral
• Înainte de termen, încerc să termin proiectul. = stronger emphasis on before the deadline
• Proiectul încerc să-l termin înainte de termen. = stronger emphasis on the project

So yes, the order can change, but the original version is the best standard choice.

The two main sounds English speakers usually ask about here are:

• ă in să
  This is a schwa sound, like the a in about.

• î in Încerc and înainte
  This is a Romanian vowel with no exact English equivalent. It is a close, central sound made with the tongue high in the mouth. It may take practice.

A few helpful pronunciation notes:

• ce in încerc sounds like che in check
• termin is pronounced with stress on the second syllable: ter-MIN
• proiectul is pronounced roughly pro-YEC-tul

You do not need perfect pronunciation immediately, but it is worth paying attention to î and ă early, because they are very common in Romanian.