Do you want to travel to Romania? Say no more! You can find here all that you need – travel recommendations, perfect destinations, tips and tricks, and, last but not least, everything you need to know about the Romanian language. To this end, check our blog – with some imagination, you will travel to Romania already! So, in today’s article, you will find out everything you need to know about Romanian basic phrases
Even more, if you want to visit this country, there are a few things you need to pack. First of all, curiosity – it’s a beautiful country and, once you are there, you need to explore it. Also, you will need comfortable clothes and shoes, a lot of joy and…some basic Romanian phrases, of course!
You will be surprised to find that Romanians’ English skills are pretty good, but in most of the cities (and in the countryside), it’s most likely not to find people who can speak this language. This is another reason why you should know a few Romanian words.
Are you ready to learn about the pretty common ones? In this article, you will find some of those phrases that will save you – if you get lost or if you need to order something at the restaurant. or maybe these words can help you make new friends. Whatever your reason, here you have the basic Romanian phrases that you need on your vacation!
First of all: what about diacritics? Learn about Romanian basic phrases
To sum up, you need to know that the Romanian language has some special characters called diacritics. Those characters are very important because they make the pronunciation very different. Some of the words may sound different than you have expected but keep in mind that every language has its own rules. That is part of their beauty! So, here you can find them and some examples to realize what they sound like.
Ș – it will be pronounced like sh
Ț – sounds more like a ZZ
Î and  – the first one will be used at the beginning of the word and â inside the word. Sounds like a from about
Ă – like the preposition a
Greetings
Now that you know the little but important things about pronunciation, we are ready to start! At first, we will talk about greetings. Those are very important because we use these phrases a lot, every day and multiple times a day. It is our time to be polite and to demonstrate that we are educated. So, let’s find out what are the most common ones and how to say them in Romanian!
Salut! – Hello!
Summing up, the most common expression (and the easy one, we can say) is salut. In addition, it’s the informal way of greeting, and bună ziua is the formal one. When do we use those? We salute when we meet someone, when we enter a shop, or in someone’s house. Also, if you will go to the countryside, you will see that everybody greets everybody – it’s a must!
Bună dimineața! – Good morning!
On one hand, it’s never too early to be nice! For example, if you order your morning coffee, don’t forget to say bună dimineața to that cute barista. So, next thing you know, you may go on a date! 😊
Bună ziua! – Good afternoon!
Between 12:00 and 18:00, we will greet people with bună ziua.
Bună seara! – Good evening!
After 6 pm, you can use bună seara.
La revedere! Pa! – Good bye!
La revedere is the formal greeting, while pa is a friendly version of the greeting. Both ways are correct but in different contexts.
Introducing yourself
At the present time, Romanian people are very friendly with those who choose to visit their country. Being that, they want to know more about you and your country. So, don’t be shy – make sure you have the right words with you and tell them your story. You can start with these phrases:
Cum te numești? – What is your name?
In that case, you will hear this question a lot. For example, people want to know your name and it’s polite to ask them back. So, you can use these words to find out about their name.
De unde ești? – Where are you from?
Many people will ask you this question because they are curious about you. For example, you can ask them back using the same question.
Încântat de cunoștință! – Nice to meet you!
In short, you can be polite and say these nice words to your interlocutor.
Am mai fost/ nu am mai fost în România. – I have been/ I have never been to Romania before.
Small talk, basic answers, and being polite
In any case, the small talk part can mean a lot of things. In fact, remember that you can’t go wrong with topics like the weather, games, and your favorite things. So, you can find below some of the most common words and expressions. At this point, feel free to use it! Also, you can find some polite expressions too. In sum, you don’t need to stop being polite on vacations!
Ce faci? – What are doing?
Ce ai mâncat? – What have you eaten?
Cum e vremea azi? – How is the weather today?
Cam frig. – It’s quite cold outside.
Prea cald. – It’s too hot outside.
E o vreme perfecta! – It’s perfect weather!
Da – Yes
Nu – No
Mulțumesc! – Thank you!
Cu plăcere! – Youre welcome!
Te rog – Please
Scuze – I am sorry
Nu înțeleg – I don’t understand
Poți repeta? – Can you repeat?
Directions
For example, let’s picture this: you just arrived in Romania. In a word, you are planning to visit this beautiful country and the easy way is to do it by public transportation (bus, train) or by renting a car. You probably know how to drive a car, but what happens if you are getting lost? For sure, you can use Google Maps, but something a local can guide you better than an application. So, you are already confused, and if you can’t talk in Romanian with the locals, things are going to get worse! First thing to remember, we can save you from all that drama by telling you the Romanian basic phrases that will help you. Read them below:
Dreapta – Right
Stânga – Left
Înainte – Forward
Înapoi – Back
Cum ajung la…? – How do I get to…?
Încotro o iau? – Where do I get it?
Unde este biserica…? – Where is the church…?
At the restaurant
As can be seen, some people visit a country for the traditions, people, or landscapes. For that reason, others choose to delight their taste buds by trying some specific food. So, whatever the reason, you need to eat! Being that, here are some basic Romanian expressions that will help you at the restaurant. P.S. So, don’t forget to taste the sarmale and mici. Thank me later! 😊
Micul dejun – Breakfast
Prânz – Lunch
Cină – Dinner
Ne puteți da un meniu? – Can you get us a menu?
Unde este toaleta? – Where can I find the bathroom?
Apă – Water
Cafea – Coffee
Cât costă? – How much is it?
Pot plăti cash/cu cardul? – Can I pay in cash/with a card?
Deschis – Open
Închis – Closed
The numbers
if we still talking about Romanian basic phrases, you can’t skip the lesson about numbers! Even if you weren’t paying attention to the online Romanian courses, don’t worry! At this point, the first numbers are listed below:
1 – unu – one
2 – doi – two
3 – trei – three
4 – patru – four
5 – cinci – five
6 – șase – six
7 – șapte – seven
8 – opt – eight
9 – nouă – nine
10 – zece – ten
So, are you ready to use all these basic Romanian phrases? At least, with a simple word like mulțumesc or salut you will bring a big smile to local people’s faces. Romanians love when people are saying words in their language – who doesn’t?
In addition, in this part of Europe and this country, you will be surprised by the fact that people can talk in French, English, and Italian.
But you should know their native language, especially if you travel to the countryside. Being that, Mamaie (an old woman, a grandma) will never help you if you can’t say a few words in Romanian. Moreover, you will get some free Romanian lessons if you choose to talk with the locals.
At this point, they will teach you some new words or pronunciation tips, and they will tell you more stories about their beautiful country. Maybe they will talk about some long-established traditions, the ones that have not been written about because they were transmitted orally, from one generation to another.
Conclusion
So, until you buy your tickets to Romania, you are invited to our online Romanian classes. Our lessons will be focused on Romanian basic phrases, and also on grammar rules and conversation.
So, you will learn all of these things from a native Romanian teacher and shortly you will sound like one too! For that reason, you can start with our free trial class which consists of a 30-minute meeting and talking about Romanian. So, the best part?
At first, all the classes are online via Zoom at a time that we choose together. So it’s convenient and flexible and you can bring education right to your home. All in all, are you ready to talk like a native and invest in your education? Being that, we are waiting for you!