Romanian has no separate word for "the". Instead the article is attached to the end of the noun: vin becomes vinul, meniu becomes meniul, cafea becomes cafeaua. The indefinite "a/an" is a separate word before the noun (un, o).
Examples
- Vreau o cafea, vă rog.
- I'd like a coffee, please.
- Cafeaua este rece.
- The coffee is cold.
- Unde este meniul?
- Where is the menu?
- Nota, vă rog.
- The bill, please.
The mistake to avoid
Do not invent a word before the noun for "the" — the ending does that job.
Where this fits in
Food & ordering, Romanian A1: Order at a café or restaurant, ask for the bill, and talk about basic food and drink.