"You give this boy a puppy."

Translation: Tu îi dai un cățel acestui băiat.

[mascha53]

I am wondering how important the word order is. I translated this sentence as ”tu îi dai acestui băiat un cățel” and it was not accepted.

[potestasity]

It should be accepted.

[Renardo_11]

It is now.

[Jacques_JD]

✅ Îi dați acestui băiat un cățel.

...is also correct and should therefore be accepted. Reported.

[Jill635577]

Tu-i dai un cățeluș acestui băiat. That was what showed up for me as the correct answer. What the heck is cățeluș? There seems to be a lot going on here that I have not seen before. Too much too soon!

[DornenEngel]

it's a diminutive form. These are very complicated in Romanian.

[LukeMadhan]

In the example I just had, there was no "îi". How important is it?

[Gzeebzee]

Why not: Voi îi dați acestui băiat un cățel

[DornenEngel]

what is wrong with: "tu îi dai băiatul ăsta un căţel"

[Renardo_11]

Whatever word order is chosen for the translation of “this boy,” the first part of this expression must be in the declined form (dative). If the “boy” is before the demonstrative adjective it should be translated as băiatului.

[DornenEngel]

ok, thanks for the reply. So îi is not enough to indicate the dative then.

[Renardo_11]

Yes; compare the proposed translation “…acestui băiat.” Here the demonstrative adjective is before the noun (băiat), so it carries the dative ending acest-ui'. Nominative would be acest băiat*.

[DornenEngel]

so îi always needs a corresponding "parter" with -lui
either băiatului. or acestui.
I got that now thanks to your good explanation, but I have one more question.
Are there dativ-endings for the colloquial demonstrative adjectives like ăsta, ăştia, asta, astea and ăia, ăla, aia, alea ???? I like them more than the formal ones :-)