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, and even though nowadays nearly everyone knows some English, your experience in the country will be so much better and friendlier if you speak the local language.

Romanian is a fairly difficult language to learn and speak, due to its complicated grammar. It is, however, fairly similar to Italian, and, to an 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) 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

Attention, avoid the confusion with Romani language which is a gypsy language. The name similarity is only formal and coincidental. The English word for the european Gypsy is Romani and comes from an Indian root. The ethnic name Romanian/Rumanian and its derivatives come from the Latin word Romanus and it is etymologically related to Rome, the capital city of the Roman empire and now the capital city of Italy.
Even if, in the past, Romania had a sizable German minority, nowdays the population of native German speakers is dwindling. Most of the former Saxon minority left for Germany and the Saxons villages are merely deserted. However, German language is still widely studied as a foreign language, and, due to residing cultural influence of the formerly large minority, it is used as a second or third official language is many parts of Transylvania.
Romanian is easy for Italians, Spanish and Portuguese people. However Romanian is not so easy for French because of the influx of neighbouring countries' vocabulary, especially words coming from Old Slavonic. Neologisms have been imported from French, Italian, German, and recently English. The slang has either French, German or Gypsy origin. The language uses the Latin alphabet, the Latinate roots from Latin helping tourists to understand signs like Alimentara (a place where you can buy aliments, food) Farmacie (Pharmacy, Drugstore), Poliţie (Police), etc. Some signs are just false friends, for example Librărie means in Romanian bookstore not library, Teatru, theatre hall not cinema and so on. If you have a decent conversation guide you can avoid such funny confusions.
Hungarian is used in Eastern Transylvania and in some cities like Miercurea-Ciuc, Targu-Mures, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Satu-Mare, and if you know it, then you are at an advantage. Hungarian it is widely used as a second language in counties such as Covasna and Harghita.
The Romanian language is generally seen as a language with difficult grammar. It is an easy language to pronounce being a very phonetic language (for people who speak a native phonetic language like Italians: don't expect English people to be comfortable with phonetic when they learn the spelling for each word - the spelling is not needed in Romanian - you can write in instant whatever you hear in Romanian). Romanian language is abundant in vowels, it can have series of diphthongs and even triphthongs, that gives the language a melodious sound and makes it very musical.
Trying to learn or speak Romanian can have mixed receptions - most people will love you for it and strongly appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to speak their language, while others will sneer at you for not properly being able to speak what they see as a very 'easy' and phonetic language. The fact that Romanian is phonetic is true, and its written form is fairly easy to grasp. The Romanian alphabet is nearly exactly the same as the English alphabet, even though it has five extra accented letters, or diacriticals, ă (like the a in english word musical), ş (like the sh in english), ţ (like the ts in english), â, î (have the same reading, like a short ă).

English has become compulsory for getting a better job and it is the second language spoken after Romanian. Consequently, it is usually good to ask before starting to speak English, but other than that, it is safe to go ahead. French and German are also learnt by most people in schools and are therefore spoken with some level of fluency by some people, but make sure you ask before you start speaking to people in foreign tongue. But globalization have made these languages less and less attractive.

Some people however feel that Romanian is an extremely easy language to learn if you already speak a Latin based language such as Spanish, French or Italian. This is especially so in contrast to Romania's Slavic neighbors. Romanian linguists are proud that Romanian is a Romance language in a sea of Slavs.

Pronunciation Guide

Even though Romanian pronunciation is very phonetic, a lot of foreigners find it hard to speak it, especially English speakers. The accent and sounds are very similar to Italian (with slight Slavic influences), so remember to sound every letter clearly. Also, sounds very rarely differ between words (i.e. the letter i is always pronounced the same, everytime, unlike in English).

Like English, Romanian has secondary stresses in words. We have not attempted to represent those here.

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

Vowels

a 

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

e 

like 'e' in "ten". 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 'ea' in "tweak" 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. 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" - closest English equivalent is the "s" in "pleasure"
Hear the sound for j

k 

like 'c' in "cat"

l 

like 'l' in "love"

m 

like 'm' in "mother"

n 

like 'n' in "nice"

p 

like 'p' in "pig"

q 

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

r 

like 'r' in "row", but slightly harsher (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 

like 'ts' in "bits"

t 

like 't' in "knit"

v 

like 'v' in "very"

w 

like 'v' in "very"

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

usually dipthongized, like the "a" in the East-coast American English "cat" or "sat". However, this letter pair is not always a diphthong.

Common digraphs

ch 

like 'c' in "collar" (hard sound)

gh 

like 'g' in "giving"

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-uh)

My name is ______.

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

Nice to meet you.

"Încântat" (oohn-kahn-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)

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] româneste." (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 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)

Problems

Leave me alone. 

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

Don't touch me! 

"Nu mă atinge" (noo muh ah-TEEN-jeh)

I'll call the police. 

"Chem poliţia." (kem poh-LEE-tzee-ah)

Police! 

"Poliţia!" (po-LEE-tzee-ah!)

Stop! Thief! 

"Stai! Hoţi!" (STAAY! HOHTZ!)

I need your help (formal "your"). 

"Am nevoie deh 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." (mee-AHM pee-ehr-DOOT POHRT-mohn-eh-ool)

I'm sick. 

"Sunt bolnav." (SOONT bohl-NAHV)

I've been injured. 

"Sunt accidentat." (SOONT ahk-chee-dehn-TAHT)

I need a doctor. 

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

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

"Pot să folosesc telefonul dumneavoastra?" (poht suh foh-LOH-sehsk teh-leh-FOHN-ool doom-nyah-VWAH-strah)

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

"Pot să folosesc telefonul tău?" (poht suh foh-LOH-sehsk teh-leh-FOHN-ool TUH-oo)

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, sometimes shortened to just OON-shpeh; 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 

şaptisprezece (SHAHP-tee-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)

200 

două sute (DOH-uh SOO-teh)

300 

trei sute (TRAY 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 (muy teer-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 ore (TRAY-spreh-zeh-cheh OHR-eh)

two o'clock PM 

patrusprezece ore (PAH-troo-spreh-zeh-cheh ORH-eh)

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 ore (lah TRAY-spreh-zeh-cheh ORH-eh) - 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 NWAHP-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).

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 

Sâmbata (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)

December 

decembrie (deh-CHEHM-bree-eh)

Writing time and date

• 16 Jan 2004 3:30 (or 16 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. For example the first of August is întâi 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)

purple 

mov (mohv)

brown 

maro (mah-ROH)

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 _____?)

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 tinere? (kah-mee-nool deh TEE-nehr-eh)

...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-koo-ree too-REE-stee-cheh)

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

Puteţi să-mi arătaţi pe hartă? (poo-TEHTZ suhm ah-RUH-tahtz peh HAHR-tuh?)

street 

stradă (STRAH-duh)

Turn left. (formal/polite) 

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

Turn right. 

(formal/polite) : Îluaţi-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 costa 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 doh-REE oohn puh-HAR deh)

May I have a cup of _____? 

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

May I have a bottle of _____? 

(literally: I would like...)Aş dori o sticlă de _____. (AHsh doh-REE 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)

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-getzi 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 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) 

Coca-cola (KOH-kah 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 OOHNO vuh ROHG); also "Încă una, vă rog" (depends on the gender, this would be feminine)

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. (NOO MEE 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-LUH-tze)

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 ? (UH-me poo-TEH-tzee duh oh POON-guh ?)

Do you ship (overseas)? 

Trimiteţi (în străinătate)? (tree-ME-teh-tzee(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. (tum-POAH-neh)

...soap. 

...săpun. (suh-POON)

...shampoo. 

...şampon. (shahm-POHN)

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

anti-inflamator (ahnt-eehn-FLAH-mah-tohr)

...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. 

...bronzator. (brohn-zah-TOHR)

...a postcard. 

...o carte poştală (oh Car-TEH poe-SHTA-luh)

...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 oh mah-SHE-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-koh-LEE-reh)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong. 

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

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 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 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 koo oohn ah-voh-CAHT)

Can I just pay a fine now? 

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

Learning more

• The Wikibook about Romanian language