Romanian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Romania and Moldova, as well as in some parts of Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. It is useful to know the language if travelling in Romania, especially in rural areas.

Romanian may or may not be difficult for speakers of other languages. It is very similar to Italian, and, to a similar extent, other Romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, etc.), so speakers of these languages are more at an advantage.

Note that in Romanian, there is a formal and informal form when addressing people. The informal is tu (you, singular) or voi (you, plural) and the formal is dumneavoastra. There is also a formal way of speaking about other people, not just when addressing them. When referring to she use dumneaei; for he use dumnealui; and for them use dumnealor. Note that the formal form should be used with the plural form of the verb, at the appropriate person. This is similar to the construction in most other Romance languages, and, to an extent, German, although Germans usually make less use of the informal forms. Use tu when addressing friends or people you know well. When addressing strangers or speaking about strangers, use the formal forms.

Background

Romanian should not be confused with Romani or Romany, which is the language of the European Gypsies, or Roma. The similarity is coincidental; the English word for the European Gypsy stems from an Indian/Sanskrit root. The name Romania or Rumania and its derivatives come from the Latin word 'Romanus', and are etymologically related to Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire and now the capital city of Italy.

In the past, Romania had a sizable German minority population, although nowadays the number of native German speakers is dwindling. However, the German language is still widely studied in Romania as a foreign language, and, due to the residual German cultural influence, it is used as a second (or third) official language in many parts of Transylvania.

Romanian tends to be easy for speakers of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan to learn, since all these languages share a common root and influences and are all written as they are pronounced. Romanian is sometimes challenging because of the influx of loanwords, mostly Slavic words as well as a few Hungarian, German and Turkish ones, even though most of these have fallen out of use for a very long time. Neologisms have been imported en masse from French, Italian, German, and recently English. The slang has either French, German or Gypsy origin. The language uses the Latin alphabet, and the Latinate roots can help tourists to understand some signs, such as Alimentara (a place where you can buy aliments, food) Farmacie (Pharmacy, Drugstore), and Poliţie (Police). Some signs, however, are false cognates or 'false friends' - for example Librărie means a bookstore rather than a lending library (as it does in French); Teatru means a stage theatre rather than a cinema (as in British English); and so on, although if you have a decent conversation guide you can avoid such funny confusions. Helpfully, these "false friends" also apply in all its sister languages.

Hungarian is used in Eastern Transylvania and in some cities like Miercurea-Ciuc, Targu-Mures, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Satu-Mare; if you know it, then you are at an advantage. Hungarian is widely used as a first language in counties such as Mures, Covasna and Harghita.

The Romanian language is generally seen as a language with somewhat complicated grammar, but far simpler for speakers of Germanic languages than any of its Slavic neighbours or even Hungarian. Romanian is a phonetic language so a person can look at a word and know how it is pronounced. Romanian is abundant in vowels, and it can have series of diphthongs and even triphthongs, that gives the language a melodious sound and makes it very musical.

A foreigner trying to learn or speak Romanian can expect mostly positive reactions from native speakers. Most Romanian people will certainly love you for it and will strongly appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to speak their language. Others, however, may sneer at you for not properly being able to speak what they see as a very easy phonetic language. The Romanian alphabet is nearly exactly the same as the English alphabet, except for five additional accented letters, or 'diacriticals': ă (like the 'a' in English word 'musical'), ş (pronounced as 'sh'), ţ (pronounced 'ts'), â, î (have the same reading, like a short ă).

English has effectively become a requirement for getting a somewhat better job, and it is usually the second most popular non-Romance language spoken (on par with German). Consequently, it is usually good to ask before starting to speak English, but more often than not it will be safe to go ahead. Other Romance languages (especially French, Spanish and Italian) are also learnt by most people in schools and are therefore spoken with a pretty good level of fluency by many people, but make sure you ask before you start speaking to people in foreign tongues. In general, Romanians prefer speaking other Romance languages than the others. Globalization and the fact that Romania joined the Latin Union (Uniunea Latină), a linguistic association created in 1954, has made these closely-related languages more attractive.

Some people feel that Romanian is an extremely easy language to learn if you already speak a Latin-based language such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, Catalan or Italian. This is especially so in contrast to Romania's Slavic and Hungarian neighbors. However, speakers of slavic languages will find quite a few familiar words, especially in the more basic vocabulary of Romanian, for example "trebuie" ("need" - cf. Polish "trzeba"); "iubi" (love - cf. Czech lubi) etc.

Pronunciation Guide

Romanian pronunciation is very phonetic. The accent and sounds are almost identical to Italian and other Romance languages (with very few, if any, Slavic influences), so remember to sound every letter clearly. Also, sounds very rarely differ between words (e.g. the letter i is always pronounced the same, every time, unlike in English or even French).

Like English, Romanian has secondary stresses in words. We have not attempted to represent those here. Stress usually falls on the second-last syllable if it ends in a vowel, and last if it ends in a consonant. If you know another Romance language, you shouldn't worry as the stress partterns are usually the same in similar-sounding words.

Questions in Romanian that end with a verb often use a rising tone on the last syllable or two.

Vowels

a

in between the 'a' in "father"
Hear the sound for a

e

in between 'e' of "dress" and 'a' of "face". However, it is not a diphthong like the vowel in "face" is in most accents of English. When the word begins with an 'e' and it is a form of "a fi" (to be) or a pronoun it is like 'ye' in "yell"
Hear the sound for e

i

like 'ee' in "beep" when in the middle or start of a word. When at the end, it is barely sounded - for example, in the word Bucureşti, it is pronounced Boo-KOO-resht with a very short and slight i - never pronounce it as Boo-KOO-reshtee. The terminal "i" causes a slight "softening" of the preceding consonant. (If this is too hard, don't pronounce the i at all.) The few Romanian words with a very strong terminal "i" sound are spelled with a double "i" ("ii").
Hear the sound for i

o

like 'o' in "chlorine", rounded, fairly short sound
Hear the sound for o

u

like 'oo' in "broom", but much shorter
Hear the sound for u

ă

like 'a' in "digital". This sound is usually mispronounced (people tend to pronounce it like 'u' in 'cup', but in fact, this sound is frequently found in English.) When seeing ă always think of the sound in the rather than in bra. Similar to French 'e' in word 'je'.
Hear the sound for ă

â, î

no precise English equivalent - it's best to hear it being spoken. â and î are the same sound in Romanian. î is used at the beginning and at the end of words, â in all other cases. The closest American English sound is the ""oo"" in "book", but it's a bit shifted toward a "soft 'i'", as in "it". Similar to French 'u' in word 'rue'.
Hear the sound for â, î

Consonants

b

like 'b' in "bed"

c

like 'ch' in "cheese" (like Italian 'c') when followed by 'e' or 'i', otherwise like 'k'

d

like 'd' in "dog"

f

like 'f' in "federation"

g

like 'g' in "gym" when followed by 'e' or 'i', otherwise like 'g' in "gear"

h

like 'h' in "help" (never silent in Romanian)

j

like the French 'j' in "Bonjour" - English equivalent is the "s" in "pleasure"
Hear the sound for j

k

like 'c' in "scan"

l

like 'l' in "love"

m

like 'm' in "mother"

n

like 'n' in "nice"

p

like 'p' in "spit"

q

like 'k' in "sketch" (this letter is rarely used in Romanian)

r

not like the 'r' in "row"; more like 't' of "pretty" in North American English (similar to the Italian r)
Hear the word 'Reşiţa' in Romanian, note the 'r' sound

s

like 's' in "snake"

ş

like 'sh' in "lush"

ţ

similar to 'ts' in "thats"

t

like 't' in "stand"

v

like 'v' in "very"

w

like 'v' in "very" or "w" in english loadwords

x

like 'cks' in "picks", sometimes 'gs' in "pigs"

y

like 'i' in "dip"

z

like 'z' in "fizz"

Common diphthongs

oi

like 'oy' in "boy"

ea

diphthong beginning with a short Romanian "e" sound and ending with the Romanian "a" sound. These two sounds are pronounced smoothly and quickly together as one syllable. However, this letter pair is not always a diphthong.

oa

diphthong beginning with a short Romanian "o" sound and ending with the Romanian "a sound. These two sounds are pronounced smoothly and quickly together as one syllable.

Common digraphs

ch

like 'c' in "collar" (hard sound). This is always followed by an e or i

gh

like 'g' in "giving". Can only be used before an e or i

gn

same as in French and Italian gn or Spanish ñ, although it is less often used than the aforementioned languages

Phrase list

NOTE: The pronunciation guides in brackets beside each word only act as guides, due to the fact that they will make the Romanian word have a strong English accent. To get a better pronunciation, it is generally better to look at the Pronunciation Guide above and learn the right pronunciation for each letter (this is easier than it sounds). Throughout the following, "ooh" is pronounced roughly as in "oo" in "book"; "oo" without the "h" is as in "boot".

Basics

Hello.

"Salut." (sah-LOOT)

How are you?

"Ce mai faci?" (cheh my FAHTCH)

Fine, thank you.

"Mulţumesc, bine." (mool-tzu-MESK BEE-nay).

What is your name? (formal)

"Cum vă numiţi? (coom vuh noo-MEETZ)

What's your name? (informal)

"Cum te cheamă? (coom teh KYAHM-ah)

What are you up to? (informal)

"Ce faci?" (cheh FAHTCH)

My name is ______.

"Numele meu e ______." (NOO-meh-leh MEH-oo yeh ______.)

Nice to meet you.

"Încântat" (oohn-koohn-taht) or "Îmi pare bine" (OOHM pah-reh BEE-neh)

Please

"Vă rog" (vuh ROHG; usually follows the request.)

Thank you

"Mulţumesc" (mool-tzoo-MESK). "Mersi" is also popularly used.

Thank you very much

"Mulţumesc mult." (mool-tzoo-MESK moolt)

You're welcome

"Cu plăcere" (koo pluh-CHAIR-eh)

Yes

"Da" (DAH)

No

"Nu" (NOO)

Excuse me. (Getting attention)

"Pardon" (pahr-DOHN) or "Vă rog" (vuh ROHG)

Excuse me. (begging pardon, moving through crowd)

"Pardon" (pahr-DOHN)

I'm sorry

"Îmi pare rău" (oohm pah-reh RUH-OH)

Good-bye

"La revedere" (lah reh-veh-DEH-reh)

Bye

"Pa" (PAH); in informal occasions in Transylvania - "Servus" [sehr-VOOS])

See you soon

"Pe curând" ("peh cur-OOHND")

I can't speak Romanian [well].

"Nu vorbesc [bine] româneşte." (NOO vor-BESC [BEE-nay] Roh-moohn-ESH-teh)

Do you speak English?

"Vorbiţi engleză?" (vor-BEETZ eng-LEH-zuh)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

"Vorbeşte cineva aici engleză?" (vor-BESH-teh CHEEH-neh-vah AY-eetch eng-LEH-zuh)

Help!

"Ajutor!" (ah-zhoo-TOR)

Look out!

"Atenţie" (ah-TEN-tzee-eh)

Good morning

"Bună dimineaţa" (BOO-nuh dee-mee-NYAH-tzuh)

Good day

"Bună ziua" (BOO-nuh zee-wah)

Good evening

"Bună seara" (BOO-nuh syah-ruh)

Good night (to sleep)

"Noapte bună" (NWAHP-teh BOO-nuh)

I'm Hungry

"Mi-e foame" (Me-ae fo-ah-may)

I'm Thirsty

"Mi-e sete" (Me-ae set-te)

I'm Tired

"Mi-e somn" (Me-ae sohm)

I'm Scared

"Mi-e frică" (Me-ae free-cah)

I took a shower

"Am făcut duş " (AHM fah-COOT DOOSH )

I don't understand

"Nu înţeleg" (NOO oohn-tzeh-LEG)

Where's the bathroom?

"Unde e toaleta?" (OON-deh yeh twah-LEH-tah)

The check, please

"Nota de plată, vă rog" (NO-tah deh PLAT-tuh, vuh ROHG)

Romanian (person, male)

"român" (ro-MUHN)

Romanian (person, female)

"româncă" (ro-MUHN-cuh)

I'm sorry about last Wednesday

"Îmi pare rău în legătură cu miercurea trecută"

That happens sometimes, but I wasn't upset with you, OK?

"Se mai întâmplă uneori, dar nu m-am supărat pe tine, bine?"

I Love you

"Te iubesc" (teh yoo-besk)

Problems

Leave me alone.

"Lasă-mă în pace" (LAH-suh muh oohn PAH-cheh)

I'll call the police.

"Chem poliţia." (kem poh-LEE-tzee-ah)

Police!

"Poliţia!" (po-LEE-tzee-ah!)

Stop! Thief!

"Stai! Opriţi hoţul!" (STAAY! Oh-preetz hoh-tzul!)

I need your help (formal "your").

"Am nevoie de ajutorul dumneavoastra" (AHM neh-VOY-eh deh ah-ZHOO-tohr-ool doom-nyah-VWAH-strah)

I need your help (informal "your").

"Am nevoie de ajutorul tău" (AHM neh-VOY-eh deh ah-ZHOO-tor-ool tuh-oo)

It's an emergency.

"E o urgenţă" (YEH oh oor-JEHN-tzuh)

I'm lost.

"M-am rătăcit" (mahm ruh-tuh-CHEET)

I lost my bag.

"Mi-am pierdut valiza" (mee-AHM pee-ehr-DOOT vah-LEE-zah)

I lost my wallet.

"Mi-am pierdut portmoneul/portofelul." (mee-AHM pee-ehr-DOOT POHRT-mohn-eh-ool/POHRT-o-FEH-Loo)

I'm sick.

"Sunt bolnav." (SOONT bohl-NAHV)

I'm injured.

"M-am accidentat." (Mahm ahk-chee-dehn-TAHT)

I need a doctor.

"Am nevoie de un doctor" (AHM neh-VOY-eh deh dohk-TOHR)

Can I use your phone? (formal "your")

"Pot să utilizez telefonul dumneavoastra?" (poht suh ohh-tee-LEE-zehz teh-leh-FOHN-ool doom-nyah-VWAH-strah)/ Alternative: "Pot utiliza telefonul dumnevoastră"

Can I use your phone? (informal "your")

"Pot să utilizez telefonul tău?" (poht suh ohh-tee-LEE-zehz teh-leh-FOHN-ool TUH-oo) Alternative: "Pot utiliza telefonul tău" (in both formal and informal phrases are correct and do not create misunderstandings, albeit the first one is more common. The same applies to the formal one)

Numbers

1

unu (OO-noo)

2

doi (doy)

3

trei (tray)

4

patru (PAH-troo)

5

cinci (cheench)

6

şase (SHAH-seh)

7

şapte (SHAHP-teh)

8

opt (ohpt)

9

nouă (NOH-uh)

10

zece (ZEH-cheh)

11

unsprezece (OON-spreh-zeh-cheh, usually shortened to just unşpe, OON-shpeh even in formal speech; similarly, for all numbers up to 19)

12

doisprezece (DOY-spreh-zeh-cheh)

13

treisprezece (TRAY-spreh-zeh-cheh)

14

paisprezece (PIE-spreh-zeh-cheh)

15

cincisprezece (CHEENCH-spreh-zeh-cheh)

16

şaisprezece (SHY-spreh-zeh-cheh)

17

şaptesprezece (SHAHP-teh-spreh-zeh-cheh)

18

optsprezece (OPT-spreh-zeh-cheh)

19

nouăsprezece (NO-uh-spreh-zeh-cheh)

20

douăzeci (DOH-uh ZETCH)

21

douăzeci şi unu (DOH-uh ZETCH shee OO-nu)

22

douăzeci şi doi (DOH-uh ZETCH shee DOY)

23

douăzeci şi trei (DOH-uh ZETCH shee TRAY)

30

treizeci (TRAY ZETCH)

40

patruzeci (PAH-troo ZETCH)

50

cincizeci (CHEENCH ZETCH, but often more like CHEEN-zetch)

60

şaizeci (SHAH-ee ZETCH)

70

şaptezeci (SHAHP-teh ZETCH)

80

optzeci (OHPT zetch)

90

nouăzeci (NO-uh ZETCH)

100

o sută (OH SOO-tuh)

105

o sută cinci (OH SOO-teh CHEENCH)

200

două sute (DOH-uh SOO-teh)

300

trei sute (TRAY SOO-teh)

400

patru sute (PAH-troo SOO-teh)

500

cinci sute (CHEENCH SOO-teh)

600

şase sute (SHAH-seh SOO-teh)

700

şapte sute (SHAHP-teh SOO-teh)

800

opt sute (OHPT SOO-teh)

900

nouă sute (NOH-uh SOO-teh)

1000

o mie (oh MEE-eh)

2000

două mii (DOH-uh MEE)

1,000,000

un milion (OON mee-LEE-ohn)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

numărul _____ (nu-MUH-rool)

half

jumătate (joo-muh-TAH-teh, often shortened to joo-MAH-teh)

less

mai puţin (MY poo-TZEEN)

more

mai mult (my moolt)

Time

now

acum (ah-COOM)

later

mai târziu (my toohr-ZEE-oo)

before

înainte de (oohn-I-een-teh deh)

morning

dimineaţă (dee-mee-NYAH-tzuh)

afternoon

după amiază (DOO-puh ah-MYA-zuh)

evening

seară (SYAH-ruh)

night

noapte (NWAHP-teh)

Clock time

Although 12-hour clocks are common in Romania, time is almost always stated according to the 24-hour clock.

one o'clock AM

ora unu (OHR-ah OO-noo)

two o'clock AM

ora două (OHR-ah DOH-wuh)

noon

prânz (proohnz)

one o'clock PM

treisprezece/treişpe ore (TRAY-spreh-zeh-cheh OHR-eh; TRAY-shpeh)

two o'clock PM

patrusprezece/paişpe ore (...)

midnight

miezul nopţii (mee-EHZ-ool NOHP-tzee)

Normally, to say "at" a time, one precedes the same form given above with "la", thus:

at noon

la prânz (lah PROOHNZ)

one o'clock PM

la treisprezece/treişpe ore (....) - still, you'll find used more often "la unu după amiază" (lah OO-noo DOO-puh ah-mee-AH-zuh)

at midnight

la miezul nopţii (lah mee-EZ-ool NOHP-tzee)

Duration

one minute

un minut (oon meen-OOT)

_____ minutes

_____ minute (_____ meen-OOT-eh)

one hour

o oră (OH OHR-uh)

_____ hours

_____ ore (OHR-eh)

one day

o zi (OH ZEE)

_____ days

_____ zile (_____ ZEE-leh)

one week

o săptămână (OH suhp-tuh-MOOHN-uh)

_____ weeks

_____ săptămâni (_____ suhp-tuh-MOOHN)

one month

o lună (OH LOO-nuh)

_____ months

_____ luni (LOON; the last syllable almost vanishes)

one year

un an (oon AHN)

_____ years

_____ ani (AHN; the last syllable almost vanishes)

Note: For all of the above, the correct, literary way to express duration is by saying una oră, una ziuă, una săptămână... instead of o oră, o ziuă, o săptămână, but this is never really used in speech, even if the context is very formal. Therefore, it is much easier to learn that o is used to express one or a in the case of minute, hour, month, etc, not una. This is because all of these nouns are feminine. With year, which is masculine, un is used (as in, un an - one year)

The above "note" is false. UNA dose not exist in romanian, the "o" is used for the feminine, and "un" for masculine. The confusion was made due to the text written on the banknotes - like "UNA SUTA LEI" (instead of "O SUTA DE LEI"), which sounds extremely formal, but it is incorrect.

Days

today

astăzi (ah-STUHZ)

yesterday

ieri (yehr)

tomorrow

mâine (MUY-neh)

this week

săptămâna asta (suhp-tuh-MOOHN-ah AH-stah)

last week

săptămâna trecută (suhp-tueh-MOOHN-ah treh-COOT-uh)

next week

săptămâna viitoare (suhp-tuh-MOOHN-ah vee-TWAH-reh)

Sunday

duminică (doo-MEEN-ee-kuh)

Monday

luni (loohn)

Tuesday

marţi (mahrtz)

Wednesday

miercuri (mee-EHR-coor)

Thursday

joi (zhoy)

Friday

vineri (vee-NEHR)

Saturday

sâmbătă (SUHM-bah-tah)

Months

January

ianuarie (ya-NWAH-ree-eh)

February

februarie (FEB-RWAH-ree-eh)

March

martie (MAR-tee-eh)

April

aprilie (ah-PREEL-ee-eh)

May

mai (my)

June

iunie (YOO-nee-eh)

July

iulie (YOO-lee-eh)

August

august (ow-GOOST)

September

septembrie (sehp-TEHM-bree-eh)

October

octombrie (ohk-TOHM-bree-eh)

November

noiembrie (noy-EHM-bree-eh); alt. novembrie (no-VEHM-bryeh)

December

decembrie (deh-CHEHM-bree-eh)

Writing time and date

• 16 Jan 2004 3:30 or 16 (şaisprezece/şaişpe) ianuarie 2004 3:30).
  • date may also be written 16/01/04 or 16-01-04.
• 1 Aug 2004 20:00 (or 1 august 2004 20:00).
  • date may also be written 01/08/04 or 01-08-04.

Note: The first day of the month is called întâi (oon-tooee) not one nor first. For example the first of August is întâi August (lit. "the beginning of August").

Colors

NOTE: ah in English represents the sound 'a' as in "father"

black

negru (NEH-groo)

white

alb (ahlb)

gray

gri (gree)

red

roşu (ROH-shoo)

blue

albastru (ahl-BAH-stroo)

yellow

galben (GAHL-behn)

green

verde (VEHR-deh)

orange

portocaliu (pohr-toh-KAH-lee-oo); oranj (oh-RANZH)

purple

mov (mohv) or purpurie (poor-POOH-ryeh)

brown

maro (mah-ROH); also brun (broohn) or cafeniu (kah-feh-NEE-ooh)

pink

roz (roh-zz)

lilac

lila (lee-LAH)

violet

violet (vee-oh-LEHT)

Transportation

Bus and Train

How much is a ticket to _____?

Cât costa un bilet până la _____? (COOHT KOHS-tah OOHN bee-LEHT POOHN-uh LAH _____?)

One ticket to _____, please.

Un bilet până la _____, vă rog. (OON bee-LEHT POOHN-uh LAH _____, vuh ROHG)

Where does this train/bus go?

Unde merge trenul/autobuzul ăsta? (OON-deh MEHR-jeh TREHN-ool/OW-toh-BOOZ-ool UH-stah?)

Where is the train/bus to _____?

Unde este trenul/autobuzul pentru _____? (OON-deh YES-teh TREHN-ool/OW-toh-BOOZ-ool PEHN-troo _____?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____?

Trenul/autobuzul ăsta opreşte la _____? (TREHN-ool/OW-toh-BOOZ-ool UH-stah OH-presh-teh lah _____?)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave?

Când pleacă trenul/autobuzul spre _____ ? (COOHND PLYAH-kuh TREHN-ool/OW-toh-BOOZ-ool SPREH _____)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____?

Când ajunge trenul/autobuzul ăsta la _____? (COOHND ah-ZHOON-jeh TREHN-ool/OW-toh-BOOZ-ool UH-stah lah _____?)

At the Airport

International airport

Aeroportul Internaţional

Arrivals

Sosiri

Departures

Plecări

Delayed

Întârziat

Cancelled

Anulat

Directions

How do I get to _____ ?

Cum ajung la _____ ? (COOM ah-ZHOONG lah _____ ?)

...the train station?

... gară? (GAH-ruh)

...the bus station?

...staţia de autobuz? (STAH-tzee-ah deh OW-toe-booz)

...the airport?

...aeroport? (AH-yeh-roh-pohrt)

...downtown?

centrul oraşului...? (CHEHN-trool oh-RAHSH-oo-loo-wee)

...the youth hostel?

caminul de tineret? (kah-mee-nool deh TEE-nehr-eht)

...the _____ hotel?

...hotelul _____ ? (hoh-TEHL-ool _____)

...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?

...consulatul american/canadian/australian/britanic? (COHN-soo-LAH-tool ah-meh-ree-KAHN/kah-nah-dee-AHN/OW-strah-lee-AHN/bree-TAH-nik)

Where are there a lot of _____

Unde sunt multe _____ (OON-deh SOONT MOOLT-eh)

...hotels?

...hoteluri? (ho-TEHL-oor)

...restaurants?

restaurante? (reh-stow-RAHN-teh)

...bars?

...baruri? (BAHR-oor)

...sites to see?

locuri turistice? (loh-koor too-REE-stee-cheh)

Can you show me on the map? (formal/polite)

Puteţi să-mi arătaţi/arătare-me pe hartă? (poo-TEHTZ suhm ah-RUH-tahtz/ah-ruh-TAH-rah me peh HAHR-tuh?)

street

stradă (STRAH-duh)

Turn left. (formal/polite)

luaţi-o la stânga. (loo-ah-tzee-oh lah stoohn-gah);

Turn right.

(formal/polite) : luaţi-o la dreapta. (loo-ah-tzee-oh lah DRYAP-tah)

left

stânga (STOOHN-gah)

right

dreapta (DRYAP-tah)

straight ahead

drept înainte (DREHPT oohn-ay-EEN-teh)

towards the _____

spre _____ (spreh _____)

past the _____

după _____ (doo-puh)

before the _____

înainte de_____ (oohn-ay-EEN-teh deh)

Watch for the _____.

(formal/polite) Aşteptaţi _____. (ahsh-tehp-TAHTZ _____.) informally, "Aşteaptă _____." (ahsh-TYAHP-tuh)

intersection

intersecţie (EEN-tehr-sehk-tzee-eh)

north

nord (NOHRD)

south

sud (SOOD)

east

est (EHST)

west

vest (VEHST)

uphill

sus (SOOS)

downhill

jos (ZHOHS)

Taxi

Taxi!

Taxi! (TAH-ksee)

Take me to _____, please.

Conduceţi-mă la _____, vă rog. (CON-doo-cheh-tzee-muh lah _____, vuh ROHG)

How much does it cost to get to _____?

Cât costă pentru a ajunge la _____? (COOHT COH-stah PEHN-troo ah ah-ZHOON-jeh lah _____?)

Take me there, please.

Conduceţi-mă acolo, vă rog.. (CON-doo-cheh-tzee-muh ah-KOH-loh, vuh ROHG)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?

Aveţi camere libere? (ah-VEHTZ KAH-meh-reh LEE-beh-reh)

How much is a room for one person/two people?

Cât costa o cameră pentru o persoană / pentru doua persoane? (COOHT KOH-stah oh KAH-meh-ruh pehn-troo OH pehr-SWAH-nuh... / pehn-troo DOH-wuh pehr-SWAH-neh)

Does the room come with...

Exista in camere... (ex-EES-tuh oon come-ereh...)

...bedsheets?

...aşternuturi? (ahsh-tehr-NOO-toor)

...another blanket?

...încă o patură (OOHN-cuh oh PAH-too-ruh)

...a bathroom?

...baie? (BAY-yeh)

...a telephone?

...telefon? (teh-leh-FOHN)

...a TV?

...televizor? (teh-leh-vee-ZOHR)

May I see the room first?

Pot să văd camera întâi? (poht suh VUHD CAH-meh-rah oohn-TOOH-ee)

Do you have anything quieter?

Aveţi ceva mai liniştit? (ah-VEHTZ CHEH-vah MAY LEE-nee-SHTEET)

...bigger?

...mai mare? (MAY MAH-reh)

...cleaner?

...mai curat? (MAY koo-RAHT)

...cheaper?

...mai ieftin? (MAY yef-TEEN)

OK, I'll take the room.

Bine. Vreau camera. (BEEN-eh. VRYOW KAH-meh-rah)

I will stay for one night.

Eu rămân pentru o noapte. (Yeh-oo ruh-MOOHN PEHN-troo oh NWAHP-teh)

I will stay for _____ nights.

Eu rămân ______ nopţi. (YEH-oo ruh-MOOHN _____ NOHPTZ

Can you suggest another hotel?

Puteţi recomanda alt hotel? (poo-TEHTZ reh-coh-MAHN-dah AHLT hoh-TEHL)

Do you have a safe?

Aveţi seif? (ah-VETZ SEYF)

...lockers?

...cuiere? (KOO-yeh-reh)

Is breakfast/supper included?

Preţul include micul dejun / cină? (PREH-tzool een-KLOO-deh MEE-kool deh-ZHOON / CHEE-nuh)

What time is breakfast/supper?

La ce oră este micul dejun / cina? (lah CHEH OH-ruh ye-steh MEE-kool deh-ZHOON / CHEE-nah')

Please clean my room.

Curăţaţi camera mea, vă rog. (koo-ruh-TZAHTZ CAH-meh-rah MYAH, vuh ROHG)

Can you wake me at _____?

Puteţi să mă treziţi la _____? (poo-TEHTZ suh muh treh-ZEETZ lah _____?)

I want to check out.

Aş vrea să achit nota şi să plec de la hotel. (ahsh VRYAH suh ah-KEET NOH-tuh shee suh PLEHK deh lah ho-TEHL; the vowel sound in “vrea” is like the “a” in the English “cat”.)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?

Acceptaţi dolari americani/canadieni/australieni? (ock-chep-TAHTS DOH-lah-ree ah-meh-ree-KAHN/kah-nah-dee-EHN/ah-oo-strah-lee-EHN? (...)

Do you accept British pounds?

Acceptaţi lire sterline? (ock-chep-TAHTS LEE-reh stehr-LEE-neh?)

Do you accept credit cards?

Acceptaţi cărţi de credit? (ock-chep-TAHTS KUHRTZ deh CREH-deet?)

Can you change money for me?

Puteţi să schimbaţi bani pentru mine? (poo-TEHTS suh skim-BAHTZ BAHN PEHN-troo MEE-nay?) or Puteţi să schimbaţi valută pentru mine? (poo-TEHTS suh skim-BAHTZ vah-LOO-tah PEHN-troo MEE-nay?)

Where can I get money changed?

Unde pot să schimb bani? (OON-deh POHT suh SKIMB BAHN?) or Unde pot să schimb valuta? (OON-deh POHT suh SKIMB vah-LOO-tah?)

Can you change a traveler's check for me?

Puteţi să schimbaţi un cec de calatorie pentru mine? (poo-TEHTS suh skim-BAHTZ oon CHECK deh cah-lah-TOH-ree-eh PEHN-troo MEE-nay?)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed?

Unde pot să schimb cecul de calatorie? (OON-deh POHT suh SKIMB CHE-cool deh cah-lah-TOH-ree-eh )

What is the exchange rate?

Cât este rata de schimb? (COOHT YES-teh RAH-tah deh SKIMB?)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?

Unde este un bancomat? (OON-deh YES-teh OON BAHN-co-MAHT)

Eating

A table for one person/two people, please.

O masă pentru o persoană / pentru doua persoane, vă rog. (OH MAHSS-uh pehn-troo OH pehrss-WAH-nuh... / pehn-troo DOH-ah pehrss-WAH-neh, vuh ROHG)

Can I look at the menu, please?

Pot să văd meniul, vă rog? (POHT suh voohd MEH-nyool, vuh ROHG)

Can I look in the kitchen?

Pot să mă uit în bucătărie? (POHT suh muh OOYT oohn BOO-kah-teh-ree-eh)

Is there a house specialty?

Aveţi o specialitate a casei? (ah-VETZ oh speh-chee-ah-lee-TAH-teh ah KAH-sey)

Is there a local specialty?

Aveţi o specialitate locală? (ah-VETZ oh speh-chee-ah-lee-TAH-teh loh-KAH-luh)

I'm a vegetarian.

Sunt vegetarian. (SOONT veh-jeh-tah-ree-AHN)

I don't eat pork.

Nu mănânc carne de porc. (NOO muh-NUHNK CAR-neh deh POHRK)

I don't eat beef.

Nu mănânc carne de vită. (NOO muh-NUHNK CAR-neh deh VEE-tah)

I only eat kosher food.

Mănânc numai hrană cuşer. (muh-NUHNK NOO-MY H'RAHUN-uh KOOH-sher)

Can you make it "lite", please? (i.e. less oil/butter/lard)

Puteţi să o faceţi mai puţin grasă, vă rog? (poo-TETS suh oh FAH-chetz my poo-TZIN GRAH-suh, vuh ROHG?)

fixed-price meal

meniu fix (MEN-ee-oo FIX)

à la carte

a la carte (a la KART)

breakfast

micul dejun (MEE-kool deh-ZHOON)

lunch

dejun (deh-ZHOON)

supper

cină (CHEE-nuh)

I want _____.

Vreau _____. (VROW)

More politely, comparable to "I would like"

Aş vrea (AHSH VRAA; this last vowel sound is like the "a" in the English word "cat")

I want a dish containing _____.

Vreau o mâncare care conţine _____. (.VROW oh muhn-KAH-reh KAH-reh con-TZEEN-eh _____)

chicken

pui (POOY)

duck

raţă (RAH-tzuh)

beef

carne de vită (CAR-neh deh VEE-tah)

fish

peşte (PESHT-teh)

ham

jambon or şuncă (zhahm-BOHN, SHOON-kuh)

sausage

cârnaţi (kuhr-NATZ)

cheese

brânză (BROOHN-zah)

eggs

ouă (O-uh)

salad

salată (sa-LAH-tah)

(fresh) vegetables

legume (proaspăte) (leh-GOO-meh (proh-ah-SPUH-teh))

tomatoes

roşii or tomate (ROH-shee, to-MA-teh)

mushrooms

ciuperci (choo-PEHRCH)

(fresh) fruit

fructe (proaspete) (FROOK-teh (proh-ah-SPEH-teh))

bread

pâine (pooh-EEN-eh)

toast

pâine prăjită (pooh-EEN-eh pruh-JEE-tuh)

noodles

tăiţei (tuh-EE-tsay)

rice

orez (ohr-EZZ)

beans

fasole (fah-SOH-leh)

May I have a glass of _____?

(literally: I would like...): Aş dori un pahar de _____. ( AHsh dohr oohn puh-HAR deh)

May I have a cup of _____?

(literally: I would like...)Aş dori o ceaşcă de _____. (AHsh dohr o CHEE-ah-shkuh deh)

May I have a bottle of _____?

(literally: I would like...)Aş dori o sticlă de _____. (AHsh dohr o STIK-lah deh)

coffee

cafea (kaf-AA)

tea (drink)

ceai (CHY)

juice

suc (SOOK)

(bubbly) water

apă minerală (AH-puh mee-neh-RAH-lah)

(still) water

apă plată (AH-puh PLAH-tah)

water

apă (AH-puh )

beer

bere (BEH-reh)

red/white wine

vin roşu/alb (VEEN ROH-shoo / AHLB)

May I have some _____?

(literally: I would like...) Aş dori nişte _____? (AHsh doh-REE nish-TEH ____?)

salt

sare (SAH-reh)

black pepper

piper (PEE-pehr)

butter

unt (OONT)

Eat well

Poftă bună ("PAUF-tuh BOO-nuh")

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of waiter)

Ospătar! (os-puh-TAHR)

I'm finished.

Sunt gata. (SOONT gah-tah)

It was delicious.

A fost delicios. (ah fohst deh-lee-CHOHSS)

Please clear the plates.

Puteţi să strangeti farfuriile. (POOH-tehtz suh STRUHN-getz far-FOOH-ree-leh)

The check, please

"Nota (de plată), vă rog" (NO-tah day PLAT-tuh, vuh ROHG)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?

Serviţi alcool? (ser-VEETZ al-KOHL)

Is there table service?

Este serviciu la masă? (YEHS-teh seer-VEE-choo lah MAH-suh?)

A beer/two beers, please.

O bere / două beri, vă rog. (oh BEH-reh / DOH-uh BEHR, vuh ROHG)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

Un pahar de vin roşu/alb, vă rog (oohn pah-HAHR deh VEEN ROH-shoo / AHLB, vuh ROHG)

A pint, please.

Romania doesn't use pints, but you'll get 0.88 pint (literally, 'half a liter') if you order: Jumătate de litru, vă rog. (JOO-muh-TAH-teh de LEE-troo, vuh ROHG)

A bottle, please.

O sticlă, vă rog. (oh STIK-luh, vuh ROHG)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ şi _____, vă rog. (vuh ROHG')

whiskey

whisky (WHEESS-kee)

vodka

vodka (VOHD-kah)

rum

rom (ROHM)

water

apă (AH-puh)

club soda

sifon (see-FOHN)

tonic water

apă tonică (AH-puh TOH-nee-kuh)

orange juice

suc de portocale (SOOK deh POHR-to-KAHL-eh)

Coke (soda)

cola (KOH-lah)

Do you have any bar snacks?

Aveţi ceva gustări? (ah-VEHTS CHEH-vah goo-STUHR?)

One more, please.

Încă unu, vă rog (OOHN-kah OOHN-oo vuh ROHG); also "Încă una, vă rog" (depends on the gender, this would be feminine) (OOHN-kah OOHN-ah vuh ROHG)

Another round, please.

Încă o serie, vă rog. (OOHN-kah oh SEH-ree-eh, vuh ROHG)

When is closing time? (literally, "When does this bar close?")

Când se închide barul ăsta? (COOHND seh uhn-KEE-deh BAH-rool AHS-ta)

Shopping

Do you have this in my size?

Aveţi asta în măsura mea? (ah-VEHTS AHS-tah oohn MUH-soo-ruh MEH-uh?)

How much is this?

Cât costă asta? (COOHT KOHS-tah AHS-tah?)

That's too expensive.

Este prea scump. (YES-teh PRAA SCOOMP)

Would you take _____?

Aţi accepta _____? (ahtz ahk-chehp-TAH _____?)

expensive

scump (SCOOMP)

cheap

ieftin (yef-TEEN)

I can't afford it.

Nu-mi permit. (NOOM pehr-MEET)

I don't want it.

Nu vreau aceasta. (noo VREH-ow ah-CHA-stuh)

You're cheating me.

Mă înşelaţi. (muh uhn-sheh-LAHTS)

I'm not interested.

Nu sunt interesat. (noo soont een-teh-reh-SAHT)

OK, I'll take it.

Bine, îl iau. (bee-neh, uhl YA-oo.); also "Bine, o iau" (depends on the gender, this would be feminine)

Can I have a bag?

Îmi puteţi da o pungă ? (UHM poo-TEH-tzee duh oh POON-guh ?)

Do you ship (overseas)?

Trimiteţi (în străinătate)? (tree-ME-teh-tz(oohn strah-ee-nuh-TAH-teh)?)

I need...

Am nevoie de ... (AHM neh-VOY-eh deh...)

...toothpaste.

...pastă de dinţi. (PAH-stuh deh DEENTS)

...a toothbrush.

...periuţă de dinţi . (peh-ree-OO-tsuh deh DEENTS)

...tampons.

...tampoane. (tam-POAH-neh)

...soap.

...săpun. (suh-POON)

...shampoo.

...şampon. (shahm-POHN)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

anti-inflamator/calmant/analgezic (ahnt-eehn-FLAH-mah-tohr/kahl-MAHNT/ahn-ahl-JEH-zzeek)

...cold medicine.

...medicamente de răceală. (meh-dee-cah-MEN-teh deh ruh-CHA-luh)

...stomach medicine.

...medicamente de stomac. (meh-dee-cah-MEN-teh deh stoe-MACK)

...a razor.

o lamă de ras. (oh lah-MUH deh RAHS)

...an umbrella.

...o umbrelă. (oh oom-BREH-luh)

...sunblock lotion.

...cremă solară/cremă pentru protecţie solară (CREH-muh soh-LAH-ruh/ CREH-muh PEHN- trooh proh-tehc-tzee-eh soh-LAH-ruh)

...a postcard.

...o carte poştală/vedere (oh Car-TEH poe-SHTA-luh/ veh-DEH-reh)

...postage stamps.

...timbre (TEAM-breh)

...batteries.

...baterii (baah-TEH-ree)

...writing paper.

...hârtie de scris. (hoohr-TEE-eh deh SCREESS)

...a pen.

un stilou / un pix (OOHN stee-LOW / OOHN PEEKS)

...English-language books.

...cărţi în limba engleză. (KAHR-tzee oohn LEEM-bah een-GLEHZ-ah)

...English-language magazines.

...reviste în limba engleză. (reh-VEES-teh oohn LEEM-bah een-GLEHZ-ah)

...an English-language newspaper.

...un ziar în limba engleză. (uhn zee-AHR oohn LEEM-bah een-GLEHZ-ah)

...a Romanian-English dictionary.

...un dicţionar român-englez. (OOHN deek-tsee-oh-NAHR ro-MOOHN ehn-GLEHZ)

Driving

I want to rent a car.

Aş dori să închiriez o maşină. (AH-sh doh-REE sah uhn-KEE-ree-ehz o mah-SHEE-nah...)

Can I get insurance?

Pot obţine asigurare? (pot ohb-tseen-eh ah-see-goo-RAH-reh?)

stop (on a street sign)

STOP

one way

sens unic (SEHNS oo-NEEK)

yield

cedează trecerea (cheh-DAA-zah treh-CHER-aa)

no parking

Nu parcaţi (noo pahr-KATS)

speed limit

viteza maximă (vee-TEH-zah MAH-ksee-mah)

gas (petrol) station

staţie de benzină (STAHTS-see-eh deh ben-ZEE-nuh)

petrol

benzină (ben-ZEE-nuh)

diesel

motorină (moh-toh-REE-nah)

detour

ocolire (oh-mike-LEE-reh)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong.

N-am facut nimic rău/greşit. (NAHM fah-COOT nee-MEEC RUH-oh/GREH-sheet)

It was a misunderstanding.

A fost o neînţelegere. (AH fohst oh neh-uhn-tzeh-leh-geh-reh)

Where are you taking me?

Unde mă duceţi? (OON-deh muh DOOH-chets)

Am I under arrest?

Sunt arestat? (SOONT ah-rest-AHT ?)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

Sunt cetăţean american/canadian/australian/britanic. (SOONT cheh-tuh-tseh-AHN ah-meh-ree-KAHN/kah-nah-dee-AHN/ah-oo-strah-lee-AHN/bree-TAH-nik)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian consulate.

Vreau să vorbesc cu consulatul american/canadian/australian/britanic. (VROW suh vohr-BESK/vor-BEE koo COHN-soo-LAH-tool ah-meh-ree-KAHN/kah-nah-dee-AHN/ah-oo-strah-lee-AHN/bree-TAH-nik)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy.

Vreau să vorbesc cu ambasada americană/canadiană/australiană/britanică. (VROW suh vohr-BESK/vor-BEE koo AHM-bah-SAH-dah ah-meh-ree-KAHN-uh/kah-nah-dee-AHN-uh/ah-oo-strah-lee-AHN-uh/bree-TAH-nik-uh)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

Vreau să vorbesc cu un avocat. (VROW suh vohr-BESK/vor-BEE koo oohn ah-voh-CAHT)

Can I just pay a fine now?

Aş putea să plătesc/plati doar o amendă acum ? (AH-sh poo-TEAH sah plah-TEH-sk/pla-TEE DOO-arr oh ah-MEN-duh ah-COOM ?)

Learning more

• The Wikibook about Romanian language
• Romanian Online Vocabulary Lessons with Audio
• Learn Romanian Magazine, a collection of texts and audio podcasts published as an online magazine