Learn Romanian: Actorul zâmbește des.

In Romanian, the word for "the" (the definite article) attaches to the end of the noun rather than sitting in front of it. The base word is actor, and because it is a masculine noun ending in a consonant, we add -ul to make actorul (the actor).

Why does the verb zâmbește have such a long ending?

The dictionary form (infinitive) is a zâmbi (to smile). Many Romanian verbs ending in "-i" add an -ește ending for "he/she/it", rather than just a single letter. You will see this exact same pattern in other common verbs like a citi (to read -> citește) and a iubi (to love -> iubește).

Where should I put adverbs of frequency like "des" (often)?

In Romanian, adverbs that describe how or when a verb happens usually go immediately after the verb. So, "smiles often" is naturally zâmbește des.

How do I pronounce the letter "â" in zâmbește?

The letter â makes a short, deep vowel sound that does not exist in English, similar to the sound you make when you are lightly tapped in the stomach. It sounds exactly the same as the Romanian letter î.