Pun litiera lângă cușca de transport.

Pun is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb a pune, meaning to put / to place.

So:

• a pune = to put
• pun = I put / I am putting

Romanian often uses the simple present where English might use either I put or I’m putting, depending on context.

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

• pun already means I put
• eu pun would be more emphatic, like I put or I’m the one putting

So Pun litiera... is completely natural and normal.

Litiera means the litter box / the litter tray, while o litieră means a litter box.

Romanian attaches the definite article to the end of the noun:

• litieră = litter box
• litiera = the litter box

So this sentence is talking about a specific litter box, not just any one.

The dictionary form is litieră, with ă at the end. When the definite article is added, the ending changes:

• litieră = a litter box
• litiera = the litter box

This is a normal pattern in Romanian for many feminine nouns ending in -ă:

• casă → casa
• masă → masa
• cușcă → cușca
• litieră → litiera

So the final ă often becomes a in the definite form.

Lângă means next to, beside, or near.

In this sentence:

• lângă cușca de transport = next to the carrier / next to the transport cage

It’s a very common preposition in Romanian.

Examples:

• Stau lângă tine. = I’m sitting next to you.
• Casa e lângă parc. = The house is next to the park.

For the same reason as litiera: it’s the definite form.

• cușcă = a cage
• cușca = the cage

So cușca de transport means the transport cage or more naturally in English, the carrier.

De transport means for transport or used for transport.

So:

• cușcă = cage
• cușca de transport = transport cage / carrier

Romanian often uses de + noun where English might use a compound noun or adjective.

Similar examples:

• geantă de voiaj = travel bag
• bilet de avion = plane ticket
• masă de bucătărie = kitchen table

So literally this part means something like the cage for transport.

Cușca de transport is a natural phrase, especially for an animal carrier or transport crate.

Depending on context, Romanians might also say things like:

• cușcă pentru transport
• transportor
• cușcă de transport pentru pisică

But cușca de transport is perfectly normal and clear.

Yes, Romanian word order is fairly flexible, though some versions sound more neutral than others.

The most neutral version here is:

• Pun litiera lângă cușca de transport.

You could also hear:

• Litiera o pun lângă cușca de transport.
  This emphasizes the litter box.
• Lângă cușca de transport pun litiera.
  This emphasizes the location.

So yes, word order can change, but the original sentence is the most straightforward everyday option.

Grammatically, pun is present tense. In context, it usually means:

• I put
• I’m putting

Sometimes the Romanian present can also refer to a near future, especially if the context makes that clear, but by itself it is still the present form.

If you wanted a clearer future, you might say:

• O să pun litiera lângă cușca de transport. = I’m going to put the litter box next to the carrier.

A few sounds may stand out to English speakers:

• â in lângă is a central vowel sound that English doesn’t really have exactly
• ș in cușca is like sh in ship
• ă is a short unstressed vowel, something like the a in sofa

Rough guides:

• lângă ≈ LUHN-guh, but not exactly
• cușca ≈ KOOSH-ka

These are only approximations, but they can help at first.

Because litiera is the direct object of the verb pun.

The structure is:

• Pun = I put
• litiera = the thing being put
• lângă cușca de transport = where I put it

This is similar to English:

• I put the litter box next to the carrier.

No extra preposition is needed before the litter box in either language.

It could be either, depending on context.

Romanian present tense can express:

• an action happening now
  
  • Pun litiera lângă cușca de transport acum.
• a repeated or habitual action
  
  • De obicei pun litiera lângă cușca de transport.

So without extra context, Pun litiera lângă cușca de transport. could mean either I’m putting the litter box next to the carrier or I put the litter box next to the carrier as a usual practice.