Learn Romanian: Deși a greșit, nu îi e rușine. - Although he made a mistake, he is not ashamed.

In Romanian, feelings like shame, fear, or hunger are expressed as conditions that happen to you. Instead of saying 'he is ashamed', you literally say 'shame is to him'. The word îi is the dative pronoun meaning 'to him' (or 'to her'), and e rușine means 'is shame'.

Does îi mean 'he' or 'she' in this sentence?

It can mean either! The pronoun îi is the short dative form for both lui (to him) and ei (to her). Without more context, this sentence could just as easily mean 'Although she made a mistake, she is not ashamed'.

Why does nu go before the pronoun instead of before the verb?

In these expressions, the dative pronoun and the verb are treated as a tightly linked block (îi e). The negative word nu must always go right in front of the pronoun, so you cannot put it between the pronoun and the verb.

What tense is a greșit?

It is the past tense (perfect compus) of the verb a greși (to make a mistake or to be wrong). It combines the auxiliary verb a (he or she has) with the past participle greșit.