Learn Romanian: Acest pantof este prea mic. Pot să probez celălalt pantof? - This shoe is too small. Can I try on the other shoe?

Celălalt (the other) matches the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Since pantof (shoe) is a masculine singular noun, we use the masculine singular form celălalt. If it were a feminine noun like geantă (bag), you would use cealaltă.

Could I leave out the second pantof and just say celălalt?

Yes! Just like in English, if the noun is obvious from the context, you can use celălalt as a pronoun instead of an adjective. You can simply ask Pot să probez celălalt? (Can I try on the other one?).

Why do we use acest instead of acesta for "this"?

When the demonstrative "this" comes right before the noun, we use the short form acest (acest pantof). If you put it after the noun, you use the long form, and the noun takes a definite article: pantoful acesta.

Why is there a să in pot să probez?

In Romanian, when you connect a verb like a putea (can / to be able to) with another verb, the second verb must be in the subjunctive mood. The word să acts a bit like "to" in English, linking the conjugated verb pot (I can) with the action probez (I try on).