"Tortul este pe masă!"

Translation: The cake is on the table!

[Lachlan_Hunt]

Why is "masă" not using the definite article? Wouldn't "pe masa" be "on the table"?

[Renardo_11]

Most Romanian prepositions (such as pe) do not govern the definite article (cu being a notable exception). It's different when the noun is determined further; I think the definite article would, for instance, be used in „pe masa mea.“

I apologize to Peppermint-kiss if s/he intended to explain just this; I could not make much of the expression demonstrative adjective.

[peppermint-kiss]

After certain prepositions, such as 'pe', you don't need to use the demonstrative adjective.

[JamesTWils]

So, if I wanted to say "the cake is one a table," it would have to be "tortul este pe o masă"?

[potestasity]

Yeap.

[ling.ko]

Can "este" be shortened to "e"?

[vreeli]

yes