Who is Constantin Brancusi, and why is he considered such a significant person in Romanian culture?

In this article, we’ll go over some Constantin Brancusi facts, explore some of his artwork, and introduce you to some new Romanian vocabulary words. You’ll also learn a little bit about how Romanians celebrate Constantin Brancusi Day!

In 2019, Valer Daniel-Breaz claimed that Brancusi’s artwork would always be “one of the most significant forms of dialogue of the Romanian culture…”

Let’s dive in and learn about Constantin Brancusi, the artwork he’s well-known for, and much more!

1. What is Brancusi Day?

On this holiday, Romanians observe and celebrate the birth and life of Constantin Brancusi, Romanian sculptor, photographer, and artist.

Born in 1876, Constantin Brancusi developed a strong talent for carving at an early age. Though he worked as a sheepherder for his family, he also spent time carving farm tools and other items from wood. Unfortunately, his father and brothers bullied and abused him, and young Brancusi often left home for safety.

Brancusi permanently left home at around age nine to begin working. Eventually, he found a new place of residence in Craiova, where he lived until age eighteen; at that time, someone discovered his artwork and sent him to the Craiova School of Arts and Crafts, where Brancusi honed his skills.

Brancusi eventually made a life and career for himself in Paris, France. Beginning with his pieces The Prayer, Sleeping Muse, and The Kiss, he went on to create many sculptures and other forms of artwork. Brancusi was especially well-known for his use of clean lines and symbolism, and is now considered a major influence of modernism. Two of his most famous pieces are Bird in Space and Endless Column.

2. Date of Brancusi Day

Each year, Romanians observe Brancusi Day on February 19, the date of his birth in 1876.

3. Brancusi Day Celebrations

While Brancusi Day isn’t a public holiday, those who truly appreciate his work still find ways to observe this day. Some of the most common ways to do this include visiting art muzee (“museums” ), holding art licitatii (“auctions”), and attending art expoziţii (“exhibitions”).

To celebrate Brancusi Day, people may observe Constantin Brancusi sculptures and other forms of his artwork in museums, and simply contemplate on Brancusi’s life. Sometimes, speeches and lectures about Brancusi and his work are given in art museums as well.

4. Constantin Brancusi Quotes

There are a few popular quotes attributed to Brancusi. Two of these are:

1. “Nothing can grow under big trees.”
2. “Work like a slave; command like a king; create like a god.”

What are your thoughts on these sayings? We’d love to hear from you!

→ Are you interested in learning more quotes about success in Romanian? Be sure to read our relevant vocabulary list!

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Brancusi Day

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s the essential vocabulary you need to know for Brancusi Day in Romania!

• Pasăre — “Bird”
• Fotografie — “Photograph”
• Muzeu — “Museum”
• Sculptură — “Sculpture”
• Formă — “Shape”
• Infinit — “Infinity”
• Lemn — “Wood”
• Statuetă — “Statuette”
• Licitație — “Auction”
• Monument — “Monument”
• Piatră — “Stone”
• Expoziție — “Exhibition”
• A sculpta — “Carve”

Visit our Romanian Brancusi Day vocabulary list to hear each of these words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Constantin Brancusi offered the world several unique glimpses into the culture of Romania, and offered Romania several unique glimpses of the world. Not afraid of looking under the surface, or of exposing to everyone what was underneath, Brancusi made a lasting impact on the world, reflected in the February 19 holiday each year.

Do you have a favorite Constantin Brancusi sculpture? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

To learn more about Romanian culture, check out the following pages on RomanianPod101.com:

• All About Romanian Culture and Society
• Top Five Things You Need to Know About Romanian Pop Culture
• How You Can Master Romanian Customs in No Time Flat
• How to Celebrate Bukovina Day in Romania
• Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker
• Tourist Attractions in Romania

Whatever your reasons for developing an interest in Romanian culture or the language, know that RomanianPod101.com is the best way to increase your knowledge and improve your skills. With tons of fun and effective lessons for beginners, intermediate learners, and more advanced students, there’s something for everyone!

Create your free lifetime account today and start learning Romanian like never before.

Admit it—only the first few pages in your grammar books are thumbed back.

Most people like the idea of knowing all about the grammar of a particular language, but when it gets down to it, they much prefer communicating.

Naturally there are exceptions: I’ve known some dedicated students to start Russian with nothing but a dictionary, a notebook, and War and Peace.

But with a language like Romanian, how much good is the grammar (like Romanian connecting words) really going to do you? If you squint long enough at most of the words, the meaning pops into your head and, more often than not, it’s right.

Well, it’s not quite that easy. And with a grammar point as ubiquitous as Romanian conjunctions, getting the meaning “mostly right” tends to mean that out of the dozens of times you say it per day, you’re getting it wrong more times than you’d prefer to.

Fear not: Here’s your perfect introduction to the finer points of using conjunctions in Romanian, and a comprehensive list of Romanian conjunctions you’ll use every day. Conjunctions in Romanian are your ticket to perfect speech.

Table of Contents

1. What is a Conjunction?
2. The Simple Romanian Conjunctions
3. The Complex Romanian Conjunctions
4. Two Letters, Five Distinct Conjunctions: The Case of Că
5. A Uniquely Romanian Conjunction
6. How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian Grammar

1. What is a Conjunction?

Conjunctions connect two or more things in your language. In fact, many people just call them “connectors.” And we use them constantly.

We can combine two potential sentences into one with a conjunction, like so:

• John is here. Mary is here.
  John and Mary are here.

Easy stuff! Once you see how it works in English, plenty of Romanian conjunctions fall right into place. And if you never got a handle on this grammar point, think how limited your language ability would be.

2. The Simple Romanian Conjunctions

The easiest conjunction in the whole language is also the most common one: și meaning “and.”

• Vreau pâine și apă.
  “I want bread and water.”

Like in English, people will sometimes use this as a filler, drawn out to continue a sentence without really knowing how it will end.

• Are la bază gemuri de toate felurile, scorțișoară șiiiiii… mere coapte.
  “It has many types of jam, cinnamon, annnnnd…baked apples.”

Naturally, you can use it to list nouns, verbs, or adjectives. The Oxford comma isn’t used in Romanian.

ci is another useful conjunction, used to set up an explicit contrast between two things. You can think of it as being similar to the English word “but” or “on the contrary.” This contrast happens in a single sentence—note how the second half can’t stand alone.

• Nici eu, ci el.
  “Not I, but he.”

Next we have the word ori, which is easy to remember because it’s almost the same as the English conjunction “or.” In fact, it’s practically interchangeable:

• Viață-n libertate ori moarte.
  “Life in liberty or death.”

As in English, we can also set up an “either / or” equivalent. Here we’ll repeat ori both times.

• E ori ăsta, ori ăla!
  “It’s either this one or that one!”

For the same construction, you can also choose a more literary variant, fie.

• Vom învăța ceva, fie din structura sa chimică, fie prin măsurare.
  “We will learn something, either from the chemical structure or from measurements.”

And if you want the more formal register, but two “or”s in the same sentence spooks you, then try out the third synonym, sau.

• Au fost unele incidente la decolare sau aterizare.
  “There have been some incidents with take-off and landing.”

With all these choices, you may forget to learn how to negate them! And as strange as the two-part conjunctions may seem, we do have a mandatory one with “neither / nor” in English. You guessed it; in Romanian, it’s a double-up as well: nici.

• Aici nu există nici bunuri, nici servicii.
  “There are neither goods nor services here.”

3. The Complex Romanian Conjunctions

Now we’ll move on to complex conjunctions, which can connect two different full sentences together. Consider the sentences “He didn’t go,” and “I went.” In English, we can use the conjunction “but” to connect those into a single “He didn’t go, but I went.” Thus, this takes two independent sentences and forms them into one.

In Romanian, we can use the word dar to express “but” in this particular way. As in English, it’s always used with a comma in front.

• Credeam ca sunt singura, dar și tu ești aici.
  “I thought I was alone, but you’re here too.”

There’s a similar word, însă, that doesn’t require a comma. It’s kind of like adding a comma plus “however” to the word it follows.

• Instinctul însă îmi spune s-o fac.
  “My instincts, however, say I should do it.”

When we want to express the concepts of “except for” or “apart from” we have to use a set phrase, namely în afară de.

• Nu se mișca nimeni în afară de hoți.
  “No one moved except for the robbers.”

Enough of this contrariness. How about some more agreeable Romanian conjunctions? The word for “so” and “therefore” is deci. You use it to connect two similar ideas that logically follow from one to the other.

• E pediatru, deci iubește copiii.
  “He’s a pediatrician, so he likes kids.”

This is another one you can draw out in speech if you don’t know how to end the sentence in a better way.

• Am doctoratul, deciiii…
  “I do have a PhD, soooo…”

To express certain relations of time, we can use the phrase după ce or simply după by itself. This means “after,” and it can actually be a simple or complex conjunction. Here’s how it looks in a simple sentence:

• După epidemie, nimeni nu a mai trăit acolo.
  “Nobody lived there after the outbreak.”

And then in a complex sentence, connecting two shorter clauses:

• Lucrurile au mers rău, după ce el a fost transferată aici.
  “Things went bad after he was transferred here.”

Speaking of time, what if two things are going on in the same moment? In English, we can use “while,” and in Romanian, we’ll go with the set phrase în timp ce, literally “at the time of.”

• Pot vorbi în timp ce lucrez.
  “I can talk while I work.”

We can, in fact, use this to contrast two things more directly, even when time isn’t explicitly involved.

• Lui Mihai îi place plăcinta cu mere, în timp ce Andreei îi place cea cu vișine.
  “Mihai likes the apple pie, while Andreea likes the one with cherries.”

4. Two Letters, Five Distinct Conjunctions: The Case of Că

By itself, că means “that.” It’s clearly cognate to que in Spanish and che in Italian, and yet it’s one of the most flexible conjunctions in all of Europe. Mastering all of its different meanings truly opens doors of expression for you.

How can we use it? Let’s have a look at five different ways:

1. Reporting what somebody or something said:

• Jordan a spus că Mihai a fost nebun.
  “Jordan said that Mihai was mad.”

2. Expressing the cause of some event:

• Am ajuns târziu că mi s-a stricat mașina.
  “I arrived late because my car broke down.”

3. Showing a certain type of an action:

• Eram bucuros la gândul că o voi revedea.
  “I was overjoyed at the thought that I would see her.”

4. Expressing the degree of strength of an adjective:

• Este așa de furios că a început să țipe la toată lumea.
  “He’s so angry that he started yelling at everyone.”

5. Passing judgment on a situation:

• E rău că nu te lași de fumat.
  “It’s bad that you do not quit smoking.”

With all those out of the way, could there be anything left? Just one…

5. A Uniquely Romanian Conjunction

There’s one conjunction we haven’t mentioned yet. It’s not particularly difficult to understand, but it deserves its own section because it doesn’t have any parallels in any related languages.

The preposition is iar. Sometimes it means “but” while other times it means “and,” except when it feels like meaning “while however.”

By and large, this Romanian conjunction word is for introducing a contrast. It doesn’t imply that the contrast is very strong, but it points it out unmistakably.

• Ninge la Budapesta, iar la Bucureşti bate vântul.
  “It’s snowing in Budapest, and it’s windy in Bucharest.”

• Lui Adrian îi place fotbalul, iar Mariei baschetul.
  “Adrian likes football, and Mary (likes) basketball.”

As you can see, the sentiment here isn’t difficult to understand—this isn’t some strange unknown realm of human experience only the Romanians have tapped into. You can think like this too. But note that we could translate this word as “though,” “while,” or “but,” and still have the same general meaning.

We can’t always use iar with every contrast. For that second sentence, if we wanted to say instead, “Mary doesn’t like football,” or Mariei nu-i place, then iar sounds a bit strange because now Mary is directly contrasting Adrian instead of just tangentially.

6. How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian Grammar

The more you actually read and listen to Romanian, the more these finer points are going to stick out to you. Before long, with a good study plan, you’ll have an innate sense of these nuances that rivals a native-born Romanian.

And out of anything you do to increase your ability in Romanian, learning the conjunctions well is probably the closest thing to a silver bullet.

Each one that you learn allows you to make numerous new sentences and constructions. Reading an article like this is like running through dark hallways and flipping on lights in your brain.

But if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! Take a look at the latest RomanianPod101 lessons right here, and make sure those new possibilities stay open.

Before you go, let us know in the comments how comfortable you feel using Romanian conjunctions now. Is there anything you’re still struggling with? We look forward to hearing from you!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and
polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract
sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

Romanian society can be described as “laid-back” in some ways. With the sultry sun, the rich food, and the beautiful scenery, who wouldn’t expect the people to be relaxed?

Because of that, you can let your hair down. Treat people well, and they’ll treat you well.

Until you do something that you thought was obviously fine, and you realize that the other party took it as very obviously not fine.

That situation is confusing, embarrassing, and maybe even dangerous at the wrong time. And the worst part is that it happened from ignorance of Romanian customs, not malice.

So that’s why this article exists: part phrasebook, part etiquette guide that helps you avoid doing things out of ignorance. Learning to deal with other cultures is simply learning to deal with what they perceive as “normal.” Soon, you’ll find that it’s not so far from your own definitions.

Table of Contents

1. Greeting Others
2. Traveling Etiquette & More Cultural Etiquette in Romania
3. Dining Etiquette in Romania
4. Business Etiquette in Romania
5. Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

1. Greeting Others

Romanian greetings are no sweat, and possibly one of the easiest aspects of social etiquette in Romania. This is important, because correct greetings are sometimes your first and only chance to make a good impression.

First, you have to understand that Romanians divide the day into morning, day, and evening-night.

Thus to greet people, you’d say bună dimineața or “Good morning,” bună ziua or “Good day,” and bună seara or “Good evening.”

Then you shake hands. Pretty simple!

Now the word dimineața is a bit long, so many people casually shorten it to ‘neața, like English speakers might say “morn’n.” It’s still polite, as long as you say it earnestly and not with a grimace.

So those are the formal textbook greetings. And those are perfect choices to use when greeting people you don’t know. But do be aware that it sounds a little odd to bust these phrases out in convenience stores or when asking for directions on the street.

The casual greetings are actually mostly taken from other languages! People in the Transylvania region say Servus, from German, while folks living in the west are likely to say Ciao from Italian. As English keeps spreading and getting trendier, it’s also not unheard of for people to just greet each other with “Hey.”

The “real” way is to just say bună at any time of day.

To take your leave from somebody, there’s one all-purpose phrase for “goodbye”: la revedere.

2. Traveling Etiquette & More Cultural Etiquette in Romania

If you’re going to learn just a single phrase in Romanian, make it this one:

• Mulțumesc!
  “Thank you!”

As you travel around, enjoying the “bakeries” (brutării) and “coffee shops” (cafenele), you’ll probably say “thank you” a dozen times a day or more. American readers will probably be interested to know that when it comes to etiquette in Romania, people don’t say “thank you” for every single interaction the way it happens in the U.S.. Buying the bread, receiving the bread, and getting your change should only require one thanks instead of three.

If someone has done you a particular kindness (this is quite probable thanks to Romanian hospitality), then there’s an easy way to make your thanks more meaningful:

• Mulțumesc foarte mult!
  “Thank you very much!”

You’re likely to hear others use the informal variant of “thanks.” No prizes for guessing which language it came from originally:

• Mersi!
  “Thanks!”

Romania is actually a popular destination for the hitchhike-around-Europe crowd. This won’t be a hitchhiking guide (you can find plenty of those online), but you should know that if you head to the outskirts of the cities, you’ll notice people standing at designated spots.

People walking for the fun of it are relatively rare as well, so don’t be surprised if somebody stops and offers you a lift! To politely decline, simply smile, shake your head, and say Nu, mersi meaning “No, thanks.” To accept, get in and tell the driver the name of the place you’re headed.

When you get to your tourist destination, you can follow the example of everybody else. Keep the space clean and keep your voice down as you travel around. In religious places, do your best to wear modest and decent clothing—if you didn’t bring any, it’s possible that you may be refused entry.

In most places, it’s fine to click away with your camera, but if something seems particularly culturally significant, you’ll want to use this phrase:

• Pot să fac o poză?
  “Can I take a photo?”

Although many Romanians are quite fluent and comfortable speaking English, there may be times when communication breaks down anyway. Or, like me, you find yourself the only visitor at a museum with signs all in Romanian.

• Este ceva în engleză?
  “Is there anything in English?”

You might be lucky enough to be invited over to someone’s house. In that case, you should bring a gift, perhaps something for the children, some high-quality liquor, candy, or flowers (there are more flower shops in Romania than you would expect!).

When you arrive, use this phrase:

• Aveți o casă frumoasă!
  “You have a beautiful home!”

3. Dining Etiquette in Romania

There are no big mysteries here—Romanian dining etiquette is quite similar to dining etiquette all over the Western world.

All over Europe, though, there’s one little phrase that many people are flummoxed to find missing in English. This phrase is Poftă bună, literally “good appetite.” When you hear this from the host, you’ve got permission to dig in.

Aside from that, eating etiquette in Romania includes eating with the knife in the left hand and the fork in the right. At big gatherings, cuisine is often served family-style in large dishes from which everyone helps themselves. Bread might not come with butter, but that’s okay because you can dip it in the sauce on your plate.

If you’re not an alcohol drinker, you might feel a little intimidated or pressured by frequent toasts. That’s okay. Just leave your glass about half-full and people won’t bother you. If you would like to make a toast, raise your glass and say noroc!

Smaller restaurants might be short on table space, and in Romania there’s nothing odd about sharing a table with a stranger as you eat your lunch. Simply ask:

• Scuză-mă, pot să stau aici?
  “Excuse me, may I sit here?”

Let’s be real—both of you are probably just going to look at your phones anyway.

When you need the attention of the server, look in their direction and say vă rog, which literally means “please.”

• Nota, vă rog.
  “The check, please.”

You may end up hearing other Romanians around you say auzi to get the attention of their server. This is one example you shouldn’t copy! It means “Can you hear me?” and it’s considered very rude. Keep your interactions polite and respectful, and you’ll always get the best service.

4. Business Etiquette in Romania

Have you ever considered having different business cards made for the different countries that you go to? It’s a tiny detail that slips most people’s minds until they reach for their wallet – and it suddenly dawns on them that the phone number doesn’t include the country code, or something similar like that.

• Poftim cartea mea de vizită.
  “Here’s my business card.”

In addition, if your business has been around for a while, put that on there too. Even if it’s actually a technicality and there have been major reforms, being able to say something like “Established 1953” holds a lot of weight.

That said, don’t go out of your way to brag.

Factors like an established business and an educated representative are simply facts that Romanians will respect, particularly if they’re presented in a reserved way.

Nobody likes someone trying to win on charm alone, and Romanians tend to be less willing to trust outsiders from the start. You’ve got to win them over by backing your claims up with facts.

As for business meeting etiquette in Romania, before and after you actually get down to business, you need to be a little chatty. Make small talk and ask about the other party’s family to show that you care about their life outside your bottom line.

• Ce mai face familia dumneavoastra?
  “How is your family?”

Don’t rush things during the negotiations, because that breaks the facade of just being a couple of friends having a chat. Keep things light and pleasant—be interested in the small talk, for example—and the conversation will naturally turn to business of its own accord.

5. Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

The simplest thing you can do to handle etiquette in any foreign place is to try. Ask questions, laugh at yourself when you get things wrong, and stay open-minded.

Even in relatively similar cultures, there can still be big differences. Just a little bit of foresight about what others tend to value in speech and conduct can go a long way toward seeing problems as “cultural differences” instead of “whatta bunch of jerks.”

And just like how you’ll get good service in restaurants if you have good manners, you’ll find things easier and smoother overall if you know how to navigate the etiquette in Romania. Even if you’re still hung up about speaking Romanian, the more you pay attention to etiquette, the more you’ll fit right in.

How does Romanian etiquette compare to customs in your own country? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

Did you know there are many different types of calendars?

As you probably know – a calendar is a system of organizing days in weeks and months for specific purposes, according to Wikipedia.

Worldwide, most countries use the Gregorian calendar. Some just work on the same framework, meaning that time is divided into units based on the earth’s movement around the sun – the “solar calendar”. Other calendars keep time by observing the moon’s movements, a combination of the moon and the sun’s movements, and seasons.

Through RomanianPod101, you can learn all about this and so much more! Our themed, culturally relevant lessons are skillfully designed so you can do your planning perfectly for a holiday or a date.

Having a good plan for a visit or a trip is like studying well for an exam. You’re just so much better prepared! For that, you could well need specific phrases to plan around appointments and such, especially on business trips. Make sure to use the charts we provide here with the days of the week in Romanian, as well as the months in Romanian to navigate your way as you plan. Great resources!

Also – always remember to have fun!

Table of Contents

1. Why Will It Help To Know How To Talk About Dates in Romanian?
2. Talking About your Plans
3. Can RomanianPod101 Help You In Other Ways Too?

1. Why Will It Help To Know How To Talk About Dates in Romanian?

Well, that’s not a difficult question to answer. No matter why you’re travelling, it would be best to at least know the names of days and months in Romanian. You don’t want to miss your flight or an appointment because you confused “vineri” (Friday) with “Sâmbătă” (Saturday)! Or maybe you planned a holiday for “iulie” (July), but you booked a flight for “iunie” (June) by accident!

Avoid this confusion by learning the Romanian calendar before you leave.

Now, as promised, the 15 phrases to help you make and discuss plans.

2. Talking About your Plans

Perhaps you’re working in Romania, or maybe you’re enjoying a prolonged holiday. Fabulous! Memorize these phrases so you can be sure to successfully negotiate meetings, appointments, dates, events, the list goes on!

1. Ce faci weekend-ul acesta?

“What are you doing this weekend?”

This question is usually a preamble to inviting someone somewhere. Given that it’s over the weekend, it probably means a casual get-together or another social event. (But not necessarily! A manager or boss could also ask this for entirely different reasons.)

It’s a handy phrase to know when you’ve made Romanian or expat friends in the country. Or, be the one doing the inviting. Then train your ear to learn the following phrases so you can understand the response.

2. Călătoresc în acest weekend.

“I am traveling this weekend.”

This could be a reply if you’re not available because you’re doing other fun stuff.

No matter why you are visiting Romania, do take the time to explore the country! It’s beautiful and it has so many wonderful, interesting spots ready to be visited.

3. Am de gând să stau acasă.

“I am planning to stay at home.”

Maybe you feel unwell, but don’t want to give too much information? Or maybe you have work to do? Perhaps you just need some quiet gardening time…it doesn’t matter. This response is polite and honest without oversharing.

It could also be a slightly open-ended response, depending on how you deliver it. Because hey, being home could still mean your plans are flexible, right?

That said – depending on your relationship with the inviter, nuances like these will probably not be so apparent in a foreign culture. So, best to use this excuse for declining an invitation only if you are truly set on staying in.

4. În această săptămână sunt ocupat.

“This week I am busy.”

Another polite phrase that gives a reason for declining an invitation but without oversharing details.

Don’t decline too many invitations, though! You don’t want people to think that you’re too busy to hang out with them. They will stop inviting you out, and you know how the saying goes – all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…! Being social is good for the soul.

5. Sunt liber mâine.

“I am free tomorrow.”

Yay! Perhaps you were approached by that person and they asked about your availability for a date. This would be a fine reply. Not too eager, but still indicating that you’re interested.

Or maybe you’re just replying to a colleague or manager’s request for a meeting. Polite, honest and clear.

Alternatively, you’re just busy right now, and plans are not going the way they were…well, planned. Compromise is a lovely thing! And this phrase sounds just like that.

Use it to indicate that you want to accommodate an invitation or the inviter’s plans, despite your current unavailability. Only if you are really free, of course.

6. Putem reprograma asta?

“Can we reschedule this?”

So, life happened and you are unable to meet obligations or attend a planned meeting. This is a suitable question to ask if you wish to indicate your willingness to still engage with whatever is on the table.

Obviously you should (ideally) not ask to reschedule a party or big meeting! (Unless you’re the boss or it’s your own party, of course.) But if there’s reasonable wiggle room regarding arrangements, then this one’s your question.

7. Voi avea suficient timp la sfârșitul lunii.

“I will have enough time at the end of the month.”

A go-to phrase when events or activities are likely to take up a lot of your time, such as going away for a weekend, spending the day at a local market, or writing your manager’s quarterly report (with 20 flow-charts in Powerpoint) – anything that won’t only take an hour or two.

8. Când este momentul potrivit pentru tine?

“When is the best time that suits you?”

Remember phrase #5? That was a possible reply to this question. Asked by your crush, very possibly! Or, it could be asked by any other person for any other reason, doesn’t matter.

If this is addressed to you, it usually means that the person respects your time and schedule, which is a good thing. It probably also means that their own schedule is flexible, another good thing.

This is also a polite question to ask when a manager or senior colleague wants to meet with you. Let them decide on the time, and be as accommodating as possible. This attitude shows respect for seniority – good for career building. (Within reason, of course. You don’t need to postpone your wedding or your paid-up holiday to Australia because your manager wants to see you.)

9. Această dată este ok pentru tine?

“Is this date OK with you?”

But – if the other party insists that you choose a time for a meeting, appointment, or date etc., then do so! Respond with this nice, somewhat casual question that leaves space for negotiation, but only needs a simple reply.

Suitable for friends, and casual acquaintances and colleagues.

10. Ești disponibil în acea zi?

“Are you available on that day?”

This is the a-bit-more-formal version of the previous question. Again, it has room for negotiation, but only needs a simple response – nice and neat!

Maybe this is the go-to question when you’re addressing your seniors at work, or a person much older than you.

11. Putem face acest lucru cât mai curând posibil?

“Can we do it as soon as possible?”

This question has an urgency to it that should preferably be responded to with the same. A simple reply will be good – yes or no. Less negotiable, this is still polite because it’s a question that gives you a choice.

But stand ready with one of the phrases in this article to help tie down a time and date!

12. Sunt disponibil în fiecare seară.

“I’m available every evening”

If you’re going to reply with this phrase, context is everything.

– If it’s your manager asking you to put in a bit of overtime, and you are available to – great reply! When deadlines are tight and everybody is stressing, your willingness to go the extra mile can only improve your relationship with your boss.

(Still, no need to be a doormat! If you get asked to work overtime too often, or if everyone else is goofing around while you have to graft, then re-evaluate the situation. And if you feel you’re being exploited a bit, don’t stress! Equip yourself with the diplomatic, yet assertive responses right in this article.)

– If it’s an old friend or longtime significant other asking to hang out – good reply. You know one another and appearances don’t matter any longer.

– If it’s a new crush who just asked when you’d be available for a date – stop. Not such a great reply. Tone down a bit! “Interested but not overly eager” is what you’re going for here.

Refer back to response #5, or use a counter-question, such as #1. Whatever suits you.

But if they – or anyone else – invite you to scale the Himalayas with them, then the next phrase will probably be the only sane response!

13. Trebuie să planific acest lucru cu mult timp înainte.

“I need to plan this well in advance.”

So, as said under #9, perhaps you’re invited to join someone conquer the Himalayas.

Or your company manager wants you to plan the Party that Tops All Year-End Parties Forever.

Simply – if you get asked to do something that you know will need a lot of thorough planning, this is a good phrase to respond with.

It’s an assertive phrase that demonstrates two things regarding your attitude:

a) That you know your own abilities, and respect your own schedule.
b) That your respect other people’s time and schedule too.

Then just be sure to actually do that planning well in advance!

14. Trebuie să găsim o altă dată.

“We need to find another date.”

So, you’re in negotiations regarding a date.

This is an assertive statement that should probably not be used with a “My way or the highway” attitude.

That stuff only works in the movies – think sharp-tongued Samuel L. Jackson. Or fierce Kristen Stewart. Yea, they can be scary, so tone down that tone.

Also, be mindful that fickle people who change plans all the time don’t keep friends! Taking others’ needs into consideration, while simultaneously having your way is a delicate art that takes proper cultivation. Use this phrase sparingly – we have better ones here to negotiate with.

Of course, if your planned trip to the dentist falls on the same day as the only Billie Eilish concert close by…well, priorities are priorities. Feel free to call the dentist with this phrase. Or even better, use the next one.

15. Nu pot să o fac în acea zi.

“I cannot do it on that day.”

This is the low-key-but-still-firm cousin of the previous phrase. You’re stating a personal fact, and depending on your tone, this can be as non-negotiable as you prefer.

Again, only use this when you really mean it, if you’re visiting Romania or any other foreign country.

So, that’s it, folks! Which phrase did you find the most helpful? Let us know in the comments!

3. Can RomanianPod101 Help You In Other Ways Too?

Well yes, of course!

We think you will find these phrases easy to use when talking about dates and months in Romanian. But knowing how to employ them properly could help you avoid sticky situations!

RomanianPod101 is uniquely geared to help you with this and so much more.

This InnovativeLanguage.com initiative is one of many online language-learning courses. With us, you’ll find it easy and fun to learn a new language, and here are a few reasons why:

• Immediately upon enrollment, you’ll receive hundreds of well-designed lessons to get you going.
• Watch superb recordings of native Romanian speakers in cool slide-shows – the easy way to practice till you sound just like a native speaker yourself!
• Also immediately upon enrollment, you’ll get access to a huge library of free resources! These include extensive, theme-based Vocabulary Lists and a Word of the Day List (For free, hot bargains!) These alone are sure to give your vocab-learning boxing gloves.
• You’ll also immediately be able to use an excellent and free Romanian online dictionary. Necessary for quick, handy translations, no matter where you find yourself.
• For the serious learner, there are numerous enrollment upgrades available, one of which offers you a personal, online Romanian host. Allow us to hold your hand and support you in your learning!

If you’re serious about mastering Romanian easily yet correctly, RomanianPod101 is definitely one of, if not the best, online language learning platforms available. Talking about your plans or dates in Romanian need not ever spoil your stay.

So, hurry up—enroll today!

To some people, family means no one gets left behind.

To others, it just means tasty food.

Learning to talk about and understand the different words for family members in other languages can seem like a daunting task. There’s, what, a dozen words you’ve got to learn all at once? Two dozen?

But here’s why it’s worth it to learn about Romanian family traditions and terms in your Romanian studies.

Speaking clearly and correctly about a topic so integral to a culture like family is an important challenge to overcome. There are few things so closely tied to one’s identity as one’s family – just imagine the kind of gut reaction you would have if your sister called you “mom!”

In this article, you’ll learn how to say “family” in Romanian, the most important family vocabulary in Romanian, as well as some information on family members in Romanian culture.

And when it comes to Romania in particular, you have an interesting combination to deal with. For one, the concept of family itself is probably quite similar to your own, if you come from a Western culture. But for another?

Well, you’ll find that out in a moment. Let’s begin.

Table of Contents

1. The Family in Romanian Culture
2. Describing Your Immediate Family
3. Describing Your Extended Family
4. Your Family Through Marriage
5. Patronymics and Matronymics in Romanian
6. The Romanian Royal Family and Their Language
7. How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

1. The Family in Romanian Culture

Generally speaking, families in Romania aren’t very different from families in the rest of Europe and North America.

Marriages tend to be stable, and people living in big cities tend to have fewer kids. Young people are expected to be relatively independent when they reach adulthood, though that does bring us to one minor difference between Romanians and people from other cultures.

Simply put, the family unit is stronger in Romania. You know your cousins well, your parents rely on you for support in their old age, and you’re expected to be a loving and helpful parent to your own children.

Romanians tend to get together in large family reunions for holidays and important celebrations. It’s not unusual for teenage Romanians to travel to other cities or towns to help out their grandparents during the summer, whether that be on the farm, around the house, or at their small business.

Fortunately for someone outside the culture, these subtle differences don’t present huge challenges. And, as you’re about to see, neither does the language.

2. Describing Your Immediate Family

First things first: The words for “family” or familie in Romanian have no surprises. Pretty much every word maps directly onto its English equivalent, so there’s no need to worry that your conception of “brother” somehow doesn’t match up with the Romanians’.

Let’s start with parents, maybe the simplest family terms in Romanian for English speakers:

“Mother” is mamă, which makes plenty of sense. “Father” is tată, also not too far if you think of the English “daddy.” Interestingly, the informal, childlike word for “daddy” is, in fact, tati. And “parent” in general? That would be părinte.

There’s no single word for “sibling,” however, there is one for “twins.” It’s gemeni for “male twins” and gemene for “female twins.”

A “sister” is soră, and a “brother” is frate; you should recognize the Latin root from words like “fraternity” or “fraternize.” If you absolutely must include “brothers and sisters,” say exactly that: fraţi şi surori. Note that soră is irregular in the plural.

Romanian doesn’t have separate words for “older” or “younger.” Instead, you use mai mare after the word to indicate “older” and mai mic/mică for “younger.”

Onto children: The word in Romanian for “child” in a gender-neutral sense is copil, while a “son” is fiu and a “daughter” is fiică.

Remember, when talking about people in Romanian, we use the masculine plural for couples of mixed gender. So fraternal twins would be referred to as gemeni, and when speaking about your parents you’d use the male form părinți.

3. Describing Your Extended Family

And yet we’re just getting started. As mentioned above, the concept of an “extended” family is slightly different in Romania, but only because you’re expected to be closer to those family members.

Moving up a generation, we have your bunic, or your “grandfather,” along with your bunică or “grandmother.” To them, you’re probably a “grandson” or nepot, or a “granddaughter” or nepoată.

Suppose your parents have siblings as well? No problems here. An “aunt” is mătușă, and “uncle” should be a piece of cake for English speakers, as it’s unchi. These words don’t change if someone is an aunt or uncle by marriage or by blood. A “cousin” is văr, another word which is inherently gender-neutral.

Here, we actually can’t shift the perspective like we did with grandparent/grandchild. The word for “nephew” is nepot, the same as “grandson,” and “niece” fits the same pattern. To be specific, we can say something like “nephew of an uncle” which would be nepot de unchi.

And then when it’s time to get really extended, there’s a handy prefix to put on some of these words. The prefix is stră-, cognate to “extra” in English (and Latin, where it ultimately derives from). Take a word like străvechi which means “very old; ancient.” That’s made up of stră– +‎ vechi, or “extra” + “old.”

So in family terms, we can slap that prefix onto a few of the words we learned. So: străbunic, străbunică, strănepot, and strănepoată. Doing so gives us the “great” generation. That is, a “great-grandfather,” “great-grandmother,” “great-grandson,” and “great-granddaughter!”

It even gives us a general word for “ancestor“: străbun.

The only exceptions are when talking about great-aunts and great-uncles. To do that in Romanian, you need the phrase unchi de gradul doi or străunchi for “great-uncle” and mătușă de gradul doi or strămătușă for “great aunt.”

4. Your Family Through Marriage

Like English, Romanian has plenty of words for your family-by-marriage, also known as your in-laws.

Before you get to that stage in your relationship, though, you need some words for love.

One’s “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” is iubit or iubită, respectively. This is, naturally, related to the base verb “to love,” which is a iubi.

After marriage (căsătorie) the happy couple becomes soț or “husband” and soție or “wife.”

And what about their families? Well, here we have a whole new set of words for relatives-in law. Your “parents-in-law” are your socru or “father-in-law” and soacră or “mother-in-law.” Your siblings by marriage? That would be your cumnat or “brother-in-law” and cumnată or “sister-in-law.”

Suppose your own child gets married? Their husband would be your ginere or “son-in-law,” and their wife would be your noră or “daughter-in-law.”

As the saying goes, soon comes a baby in a baby carriage. It turns out that names in Romanian sometimes follow family patterns as well…

5. Patronymics and Matronymics in Romanian

If you think of a “typical Romanian” name, what does it sound like?

Most likely, the last name is going to end in –scu, since that’s a feature of the majority of Romanian names. Why the popularity?

Well, the –escu or –scu suffixes actually mean “son of.” They’re what’s known as patronymics, or names passed down through the male line.

Matronymics aren’t quite so common. The pattern is roughly detectable by noting the preposition a and the genitive case marker –ei around a particular name, all formed into one word thanks to the passage of time. So a child of Maria would be a-Mariă-ei = Amariei.

This tradition doesn’t really happen very much anymore. In some countries—even in Europe—names will change every generation to reflect one’s ancestry. But nowadays, Romanian people tend to keep and pass down their last names.

6. The Romanian Royal Family and Their Language

Here’s an interesting bit of historical, political, and cultural trivia. Romania officially has no Familia Regală or “royal family.” So why does everybody know who they are?

Regele Mihai I, known as King Michael I in English, abdicated the throne in 1947. But he was still around, and although he lived for many years abroad, Romanians still knew who he was. By 2007, he had returned to the country and drafted some suggestions for how the modern parliament should treat the royal family—and they listened to him.

He outlined a line of succession, and that’s where we’ll get our final family-related vocabulary here today.

First, there hasn’t been a “queen” or regina for several hundred years—generally, kings are wed to princesses.

The word for “princess” is principesa, and as Michael had five daughters, there are currently five princesses. Traditionally, the word for “prince” is prinţ; however, Michael’s grandson is usually referred to as principele, a word that means the same thing but is noticeably different. Why’s that? Well, for various reasons, he’s been cut out of the line of succession!

7. How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

Reading this article is one thing. But what’s the best way to actually make sure you’re able to use and understand these words when they come up?

By using them.

Take a moment right now to look over the lesson materials right here on RomanianPod101.com and start locking those memories in. We offer an array of insightful blog posts, free vocabulary lists, and podcasts. Also check out our MyTeacher program for Premium Plus members if you’re interested in a one-on-one learning experience with your own personal Romanian teacher!

Then, the natural next step is to imagine yourself somewhere in Romania—a sunflower field, a friendly hostel, your country’s embassy—describing your own family in Romanian. Now what if somebody else you know was doing it?

And what if you were the king?

This kind of active imagination, combined with your ordinary studies, is a sure-fire way to really anchor new words into your memory. Some people even speak this stuff aloud and record it for later; you don’t have to share it with anyone!

When your Romanian skills have expanded to include any and all family matters, you’ll be prepared. So prepared, in fact, that you can walk right into a family reunion and leave everyone totally blown away.

We hope you found this article helpful. How are you going to practice these new Romanian family names? Let us know in the comments!

Traveling to foreign countries is nearly always an exciting, enriching, and beneficial experience. Yet, some things can be real downers, such as boredom on a lengthy flight to Romania. Really, binge-watching onboard movies can only be interesting for so long! And jet lag – another huge downer. Did you know that jet lag is more severe when you travel from the West to the East?

Well, we won’t know how to beat that, but there are fortunately plenty of remedies around to investigate.

To beat flight boredom, though, we may have the answer for you at RomanianPod101! Why don’t you take the time to study Romanian travel phrases? We make this super easy and fun, with great downloadables, like our PDF Cheat Sheets. Quickly memorize these, and impress your Romanian friends or travel guide with your flawless Romanian!

Table of Contents

1. Importance Of Learning Travel Phrases
2. 13 Must-Have Travel Phrases and Words
3. Good-To-Have Travel Phrases
4. Ways To Improve Communication in a Foreign Country
5. RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Travel Phrases Easily and Effortlessly!

1. Importance Of Learning Travel Phrases

Impressing Romanian people or your travel partners will be the least of the benefits you reap from learning these helpful phrases. These are greater ones:

1) Eliminate Travel Frustration: First of all, you’ll be able to cut out a good chunk of travel frustration and inconvenience due to language barriers.

Know how to pronounce and use at least the basic Romanian phrases, and then just look foreign. This should go a long way to help you get by and win you friends, because locals would be more inclined to help someone who took the trouble to learn a smidgen of their language.

2) Emergency Readiness: In case of an emergency, you will be able to get help a lot quicker if you know how to ask for what in Romanian. Imagine miming to a doctor or nurse that you have a sore ear but that you’re allergic to penicillin. Not so easy, right?

Rather, you should know basic emergency travel phrases, especially if you suffer from a serious condition. Also, information about life-threatening allergies you have should always be on your person in the language of the country you’re visiting.

3) Sight-Seeing Readiness: Hopefully, you also travel to learn more about a country’s culture. Visiting the main tourist sites in Romania will be more interesting if you know how to ask pertinent questions in Romanian.

In this blog, we’ll also be giving you important travel phrases to consider – from the 13 essential must-have phrases to ones that are just generally useful and good to know.

Let’s get cracking!

2. 13 Must-Have Travel Phrases and Words

Seasoned explorers of multiple countries will tell you that certain words and phrases are absolute must-knows in anyone’s travel vocabulary. Learning from them, we collated some of the most essential ones here for you.

If you know these travel phrases and words by heart in Romanian, you will be much better equipped for your visit than most of your movie-binging travel mates.

1) Mulţumesc (Thank you)

As a tourist, you will be relying on the kindness of strangers to get by. Repay them with a small acknowledgment of their friendly generosity – know how to say “thank you” in Romanian.

2) Vorbiți engleza? (Do you speak English?)

While it may be a bit of a cop-out, sometimes you just can’t figure out how to communicate. Maybe you’re blanking on one specific word you need, maybe they’re speaking with a heavy accent, or maybe it’s just really late and you really want to get to the hotel. In that case, try asking if they speak English, and hopefully you can make things a little bit simpler for yourself.

Don’t abuse this phrase, though! If you just try to get by without learning any of the local language, not only will you not learn anything – you’ll be out of luck if they can’t speak English!

3) Există un autobuz de la aeroport în oraș? (Is there a bus from the airport to the city?)

Public transit is usually cheaper, if slower, than taking a taxi or rideshare. Use this phrase to see if you can get where you’re going when you’re strapped for cash, or just when you’d like to take the scenic route into town!

4) Acesta este autobuzul care merge la aeroport? (Is this the right bus for the airport?)

Likewise, if you’re the kind of person who can get themselves moving early (or maybe you just have a late flight), maybe you want to take the bus to the airport rather than taking a cab. If that’s the case, you’ll want to be sure you’re actually heading the right way! You wouldn’t want to end up at a lookout point half an hour away, watching your flight take off in the distance, would you?

5) Scuzați-mă, cât e tariful? (Excuse me, what’s the fare?)

If you are paying for a cab, you’ll want to know how much. Most legal taxis will have meters, but when dealing with a currency you’re not familiar with, it can be worth asking just to double check that you’re paying the right amount – especially if the currency has cents.

6) Am o rezervare (I have a reservation)

This one you can expect to use at least a few times throughout your trip, unless you’re the kind of person who travels by the seat of their pants and just goes to whatever hotel, motel, or hostel has rooms available.

7) Aveți camere libere în seara asta? (Do you have any vacancies tonight?)

If that’s the case, you’ll definitely be using this phrase instead. Quite possibly a lot, depending on how lucky you are!

8 ) Unde este stația de tren? (Where is the train station?)

If you’re in a country with an expansive commuter rail system (or maybe just a fan of other types of locomotives), you may want to know where the closest station is. Just don’t go looking for pennies on the rails!

9) Sunt alergic la alune (I am allergic to peanuts)

Replace “peanuts” with whatever the word for your allergen may be. If your allergy is serious, you probably already know the importance of stating this very clearly in Romanian.

If the condition is life-threatening, be sure to have a letter or prescription from a medical professional in Romanian on your person at all times. Consider getting a medical alert bracelet specially made in Romanian if your stay will be longer than a month or so.

10) Aveți mâncăruri vegetariene? (Do you have any vegetarian dishes?)

If you dislike eating certain things, or you have certain dietary restrictions, it would be best if you knew how to convey this clearly in Romanian.

Remember, though, that saying “I’m vegan” or “I’m diabetic” may not be enough to get you what you want. The rules for veganism and vegetarianism are not standard everywhere in the world. Also, your patron might not understand what “diabetic” means. If you have a medical condition, it would be best to research some in-depth vocabulary beforehand.

11) Aș putea primi o hartă? (Could I get a map?)

Planning on exploring your destination? Hopelessly lost? Maybe just an amateur cartographer? No matter the reason, this phrase is sure to come in handy. That said, you’re more likely to get use out of it at some sort of tourist or travel center than you are asking a random passerby on the street.

12) Cât costă aceasta? (How much is this?)

Even if you’re not a big shopper, you’re probably going to need this phrase at some point. Knowing how to count in Romanian will, of course, help a lot with purchases too.

13) Acceptați cardul de credit? (Do you take credit card?)

This is another travel phrase that will smooth your monetary transactions considerably.

3. Good-To-Have Travel Phrases

Unlike the previous phrases, these are not really essential so much as they are useful. Yet, knowing these will still smooth over some bumps on your journey, more than just knowing the crucial phrases would.

1) Este Wi-Fi gratuit? (Is the Wi-Fi free?)

If you’re abroad, your normal cellular plans probably won’t have any service, and you’ll be totally reliant on publically available Wi-Fi while you’re out and about. Just ask a server, clerk, or attendant, and they’ll be happy to let you know. Just make sure you’re paying attention when they tell you the password!

2) Ați putea să îmi faceți o poză vă rog? (Could you take a picture of me please?)

What would a trip be with no photos to commemorate the event? Just be sure to ask this of someone who actually looks like they’d be willing to, unless you’re willing to risk being given the cold shoulder or worse. If you’re at a tourist attraction, you’ll find that most people are more than happy to take one for you, so long as you take one of them as well!

3) Ai unele recomandări? (Do you have any recommendations?)

Eating alone in a restaurant? Or going out with new Romanian friends or business colleagues? Let them help you decide what to have.

4) Aș dori un loc pentru nefumători, vă rog (I’d like to have a non-smoking seat, please)

Though smoking has gone out of fashion in some places, it’s still popular in others. In the event you’re at a restaurant where smoking is allowed on premises, you can always ask this question to the staff and be seated elsewhere.

5) Apă, vă rog (Water, please)

If you’ve emptied your glass, or are cutting yourself off after a few drinks, you can always ask for some water. It can be especially useful if the restaurant is busy to the point you need to call out to someone to get service.

6) Îmi faceți nota de plată? (Could I have the check?)

To finish off the restaurant related phrases, if you’re eating with friends or really want to impress your colleagues, taking the bill can be a nice treat for them. Of course, this phrase could come in handy as well if you’re eating alone and you’re just impatient to leave.

7) Ce ați recomanda pentru un suvenir? (What do you recommend for a souvenir?)

Now that your trip is over, what better way to cap it all off than a memento, or maybe a gift for friends and family at home? It’ll be nicer to have something recommended by the locals than a cheap bauble from the airport store, so go ahead and ask someone you’ve met what they think.

4. Ways To Improve Communication in a Foreign Country

When traveling, it’s possible to keep communication smooth when you don’t share a language.

Do so by keeping these five tips in mind. They are aimed to help you communicate with those who cannot speak English very well, and also to keep your traveling experience pleasant!

1. Keep your English simple and easy to understand.
If the person you are talking to speaks very little English, use basic verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and keep sentences short.

However, don’t patronize them by talking in pidgin or like you would address a child. Keep your speech simple but natural, and use the correct grammar.

For instance, don’t say: “You come when?”. If you say: “When will you come?”, you will very likely be understood, and may even help someone who wants to improve their English.

2. Ask someone to write information down.
Apply Rule 1 first at your hotel, where the staff is very likely to be able to speak some English. Get them to write down, in their native language, things like: “I would like to go to the airport, please,” “Please take me to the beach,” or “Where is the closest bathroom?”

These written questions are something you can then give to taxi drivers or any other people who are willing and able to help you. This simple step could make your life a lot easier when you travel to a foreign country!

3. Avoid asking leading questions!
If you want the correct information from a non-native English speaker, that is.

When you need directions, for instance, don’t ask: “To get to the bus stop, do I need to turn left here?” If the person didn’t really understand you, you will probably just get a smile and a “Yes,” which could possibly make you miss your bus.

Rather, you should ask: “Where is the bus stop?” If they understand you, you will get the correct directions.

4. Pick the right person to ask for help.
Time to look at people and think a bit about their appearance! A younger person who looks like they might be a student is more likely to have English skills than the friendly but ancient lady smiling at you from a fruit stall.

If you don’t see anyone like that, head into town to the nearest bank, hospital, pharmacy, or hotel. The staff at those places usually speak a bit of English.

5. Know when to quit.
If you stuck to the above rules, but the person you are talking to only stares at you blankly, say thank you and leave. Hanging around hoping someone will suddenly understand and respond is just wasting your time, and may irritate them as well. Go find someone else.

5. RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Travel Phrases Easily and Effortlessly!

So, reader, have you found this article helpful?

Do you feel comfortable enough to use some essential travel phrases in Romanian? We’d also love to hear if you think we left out important travel phrases. Leave your suggestions and opinions in the comments!

RomanianPod101 takes the lead with many free learning tools to help you master Romanian reading and speaking easily, and in fun ways.

These tools include:

– An extensive vocabulary list, regularly updated
– A new Romanian word to learn every day
– Quick access to the Romanian Key Phrase List
– A free Romanian online dictionary
– The excellent 100 Core Romanian Word List
– An almost limitless Lesson Library for learners of all levels

You will also have access to topic-specific recordings like our Before You Travel: Survival Phrases lesson.

Learn even more efficiently with the help of a personal tutor, after taking an assessment test to personalize and tailor your training.

Getting a tutor is also a good option if you meet challenges in your learning, or need to fast-track correct pronunciation and diction. Your very own friendly, Romanian-speaking teacher will be only a text away on a special app, anywhere, anytime – an excellent option for business persons!

Using a guided learning system that was developed by experts in language and online education, you’ll receive personal feedback and constant support to improve in no time. You’ll also be tasked with weekly assignments in reading, writing, and speaking to hone your Romanian speaking skills.

Imagine how impressed your Romanian friends or colleagues will be when you display your excellent conversational skills! With RomanianPod101, getting there will be easy and fun.

On Bukovina Day, Romanians commemorate the joining of Bukovina to Romania in 1918. Bukovina is considered a significant city within the country, and has quite a history.

In this article, you’ll learn a little bit about that history, as well as how this acquisition is celebrated in Romania today. In learning about this momentous occasion in Romanian history, you’ll be gaining much insight into the overall culture of the country and see it through a clearer lens.

At RomanianPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative!

Let’s get started.

1. What is Bukovina Day in Romania?

Bukovina is an important city within the country, and is divided into Northern and Southern Bukovina, both of which have strong historical significance rooted in World War II.

Bukovina Day marks the date in 1918 that the region of Bukovina voted to be joined with Romania. Prior to this, Bukovina was a part of Moldavia, and for 144 years leading up to its vote, suffered many abuses and severe freedom limitations. Seeing Romania as an escape and liberation from these wrongs, Bukovina (headed by Iancu Flondor) made the decision to be joined “unconditionally and forever,” to Romania.

However, the June 1940 Soviet Ultimatum created another obstacle. The Soviet Union demanded that Romania hand over Northern Bukovina to it, in order to compensate for the Soviet Union’s heavy losses during Romania’s control of Bessarabia. In the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, Romania was made to give up the Northern Bukovina to the USSR.

Today, over half of what was Northern Bukovina is now the Chernivtsi Oblast in Ukraine. Southern Bukovina is still very much part of Romania.

2. When is Bukovina Day?

Each year, Bukovina Day is observed on November 28, the date in 1918 that Bukovina’s people voted to be united with Romania.

3. Bukovina Day Celebrations & Observations

1- Great Union Day

There are no extravagant celebrations to commemorate Bukovina Day on November 28.

Rather, Romanians celebrate a more well-known and inclusive holiday called Great Union Day each year on December 1. On this day, which is also a national holiday, Romanians celebrate the overall expansion of its territory following the First World War.

Not only did Bukovina become (officially) a part of Romania on this date, but so did Transylvania and Bessarabia. Having added these three territories, all of which had populations consisting mostly of Romanians, Romania became two times larger!

2- Celebrations

Celebrations and traditions for Great Unity Day vary from region to region, with the largest and most popular celebrations being in Bucharest and Alba Iulia (where the document confirming the union of Transylvania to Romania was read to many people).

Common traditions that thread through Romania include military parades and performances, religious ceremonies, aircraft shows, free museum admissions, music concerts, and fireworks. Television networks capture footage of numerous events, particularly the parades.

4. Bessarabia & Transylvania

Bessarabia’s reunion to Romania following WWI was brief, and today most of what was Bessarabia belongs to Moldova.

Transylvania was the most significant gain to Romania during the Union, and is today considered a historical region within the country.

5. Vocabulary You Need to Know for Bukovina Day

Here are some vocabulary words you should know for Bukovina Day!

• Albastru — Blue
• Munte — Mountain
• Pădure — Forest
• Turist — Tourist
• Biserică — Church
• Pictură — Painting
• A diviza — Divided
• A alipi — Join
• Frescă — Fresco
• Necunoscut — Unknown
• Peisaj — Landscape
• Fag — Beech

Hear the pronunciation of each word, and read them alongside relevant images, by visiting our Romanian Bukovina Day word list!

Final Thoughts

What are your thoughts on this holiday, and the Great Union Day holiday? What’s your country’s national day? Let us know in the comments; we always love to hear from you!

Learning about a country’s history and culture may be the most fascinating and enriching aspects of trying to master its language. If you enjoyed this article, you may want to check out other culture-related pages on RomanianPod101.com:

• All About Romanian Culture and Society
• Tourist Attractions in Romania
• Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker
• Top Five Things You Need to Know About Romanian Pop Culture
• National Holidays

At RomanianPod101, we make every effort to make your language-learning process as painless and effective as possible. That means practical and relevant information on numerous topics, fun and simple learning materials, and multiple ways to learn Romanian based on your needs and goals.

If you’re serious about advancing your Romanian skills, be sure to create your free lifetime account today!

It’s a numbers game out there.

No matter what you say in Romanian, sooner or later you’re going to run into a handful of Romanian numbers. Phone numbers, prices, ages… How are you going to react?

Are you going to freeze up and sheepishly say the number in English with a Romanian accent? (I’ve seen it happen!)

Or are you going to smoothly and serenely rattle off a tongue twister like șapte sute douăzeci și cinci (seven-hundred and twenty-five)?

It sounds beautiful—and in this article, we’ll break down how these numbers are formed and how you can use them correctly every single time.

Table of Contents

1. How Romanian Got its Numbers
2. The Cardinal Numbers
3. The Ordinal Numbers
4. Phone Numbers
5. Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

1. How Romanian Got its Numbers

Language enthusiasts know that Romanian is not the “purest” of the Romance languages. Quite a few words in everyday life have been borrowed from Slavic or other neighboring languages of the area. Numbers, though—numbers are Latin through and through.

Even substantial sound changes like decem → zece and quattuor → patru fit right into the models of how we know languages evolve. And by the way, all these numbers are related to the English numerals as well, since they all end up coming from Proto-Indo-European, spoken more than 3,000 years ago!

2. The Cardinal Numbers

One of the most obvious features of Romanian when comparing it to other languages is its noun gender. Romanian nouns have one of three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Neuter nouns are interesting because they act masculine in the singular form, and feminine in the plural.

For our purposes in this article, we’ll just mention that unu and doi are the masculine forms of those numbers. The feminine forms are una and două, respectively. And above two, you don’t need to worry about that sort of declension!

When it comes to talking about zero, things work exactly like in English. We say “one degree” and “zero degrees,” and in Romanian, the plural is obligatory as well: un grad, zero grade.

Let’s move on to eleven through nineteen. If you’ve learned other European languages before, get ready for a little surprise…

They’re all regular! None of this eleven, twelve nonsense that exists in all the other European languages. Each of these comes from the base number, the word spre meaning “toward” (it used to mean “over,” which makes more sense), and zece meaning “ten.”

And what’s the deal with that third column? Well, you may have already noticed that sprezece is a bit of a mouthful. So in colloquial speech, you’ll very often just hear that ending as șpe. You wouldn’t want to write it in anything formal, and you might get made fun of by stuck-up grammarians, but in reality, everybody uses these short forms.

Take another look at that word for “eighteen.” That’s actually the word in Romanian with the most consonants all in one row: ptspr. Because of that inconvenience, you’ll often hear the variant optisprezece, which makes things easier by adding a vowel. Again, that’s not considered correct enough to write down.

After nineteen, things keep getting easier. We take the root number and stick on zeci, the plural of zece.

So “twenty” is douăzeci, made from două + zeci. “Forty” is patru + zeci on the same principle. The only strangeness is “sixty,” which doesn’t follow the pattern exactly. The regular form șasezeci is nowhere to be found, and instead șaizeci is what comes up.

For a construction like “twenty-five,” the phrasing is literally “twenty and five”: douăzeci și cinci. Nothing to it!

These words also have a simplified pronunciation: the whole zeci bit contracts to ș or zeș, so that “fifty-one” comes out to cincizeci și unu → cinzeșunu.

Also, when we count things after twenty, we add the word de meaning “of.” So we literally have “twenty of something” instead of “twenty somethings.” Observe:

• Ali Baba Şi Cei Patruzeci De Hoţi
  Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves (Ali Baba and The Forty of Thieves)

Once we get above ninety-nine, the sky’s the limit. Just like in English, we simply say each part of the number: so 365 is trei sute șaizeci și cinci, or literally “three hundreds sixty and five.”

And yes, I said “hundreds.” “Hundred” is sută, and the plural is sute, which is obligatory.

There’s one last thing to be appreciative of: In other Romance languages, the word for 1000 is something like mil, which is confusing for an English speaker, who thinks “million.” In Romanian, 1000 is simply mie, which is far enough away that there’s no reason to get confused!

3. The Ordinal Numbers

So we’ve got a good handle on how to count, and how to count things, in Romanian. What about listing things?

That’s where ordinal numbers come in, and they’re a total cinch.

The word for “first” in Romanian is the only irregular one; it’s primul for masculine and prima for feminine. All ordinal numbers have regular masculine and feminine variants, since what you’re actually saying is “the first [something].”

So for a masculine ordinal, you add -lea to the base number word. For a feminine ordinal, you just add -a.

“The third” becomes al treilea / a treia. Pretty cool, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite as regular as that since there are a couple of vowel deletions and additions. Here’s a chart for you:

Have a look at that last one. Anything ending in -zece is going to follow the same pattern as zece itself. So all the numbers from eleven to nineteen (and 111 – 119, 211 – 219, etc) have the same endings.

• al doisprezecelea / a douăsprezecea
  The twelfth (masculine / feminine)

Once we get to twenty, a new pattern emerges. As we already know, multiples of ten end in -zeci. This will regularly turn to ­-zecilea (masculine) and -zecea (feminine).

So we’d eventually get to al treizecilea / a treizecea meaning “the thirtieth” and al cincizecilea / a cincizecea meaning “the fiftieth.”

Further, when we’re not counting even multiples of ten, we only modify the very last digit of the number. Just like in English, we don’t say “the fortiethfifth.” We say “the forty-fifth,” which in Romanian is al patruzeci și cincilea / a patruzeci și cincea.

With this information, you should be able to count pretty much anything. Even if you can’t remember the last time you mentioned “the seventy-seventh” of something, you now know the rules behind forming them!

There’s one last thing to consider: reversed forms.

When we talk about floors in a building, we switch the order like so:

• etajul al cincilea
  the fifth floor (literally the floor the fifth)

The same switcheroo happens for certain historical figures:

• Carol al Doilea
  Carol The Second

It happens in a few more places, but these are the most common, by far. When you go to a museum and the exhibit for Carol the First is on the sixth floor, you’ll know how to describe it.

4. Phone Numbers

Let’s take a few moments to look at one of the most common uses of numbers in daily Romanian life: the telephone. Romania’s country code is +40, read as plus patru zero.

For a long time, international calls could not be made out of Romania unless you were in government. In the 1990s, things started opening up, but there was still a complicated system for phone numbers, where some counties got longer and shorter numbers depending on their population.

Now, though, everyone’s number is nine digits long, plus a mandatory zero at the beginning. Don’t forget it! To ask for someone’s number, simply say:

• Îmi puteți da numărul de telefon?
  Can you give me your phone number?

5. Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Master Romanian

Learning to say numbers fluently in a foreign language sometimes feels like a thankless task. After all, when was the last time you thought a foreign speaker of your language did a particularly good job with numbers?

That ability just slips right by undetected.

But the good news is that, for a language with regular numbers like Romanian, you don’t need to spend a ton of time on it. Once you learn the base numbers and the rules for forming the other numbers, all you need is just a little bit of deliberate practice.

And then before you know it, you’ll be a numbers whiz in any language you want.

What did you think about counting and numbers in Romanian? Are there some you’re still struggling with? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

Learn how to apologize in Romanian – fast and accurately! RomanianPod101 makes it easy for you to make amends. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Romanian Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. Common Ways to Say Sorry in Romanian
2. How To Refuse Something Politely in Romanian
3. Audio Lesson – Survival Phrases “How to Say Sorry”
4. Why You Will NOT Be Sorry For Learning Romanian through RomanianPod101

1. Common Ways to Say Sorry in Romanian

Nobody’s perfect, not anywhere in the world. Everybody makes mistakes, and does and says regrettable things. Then it’s time to apologize, as saying ‘I’m sorry’ is not in vain. It can be very healing! Did you know that hearing a sincerely-meant apology can have a noticeable effect on a person’s body? Research has shown that it slows down breathing and heart rate, and even causes a drop in blood pressure.

Sometimes we cannot fix what’s broken, but we can make the experience a bit easier for anyone who suffered on account of our thoughtless actions or words.

Here are a number of ways to say sorry in Romanian. In any language, just make sure you really mean it! An insincere apology will not go down well with anyone.

Îmi pare rău.
I’m sorry

These words should precede anything else you have to say. Use them sincerely and whenever you are clearly in the wrong. Acknowledging your guilt and apologizing for any wrongdoing will lift your spirits too! Often, remorse can eat away at us, and a simple ‘I’m sorry’, in Romanian or any other language, can open the door for forgiveness and resolution of a bad situation. It can be a true gift!

Aș vrea să-mi cer scuze.
I would like to apologize.

This is a slightly more formal way to say ‘I’m sorry’ in Romanian. Use this phrase if you’re addressing your superiors and/or elders.

Îmi cer sincer scuze.
I sincerely apologize.

If you feel strongly about your apology, this is another slightly more formal phrase to use. Keep it handy for graver errors, or you might come across as insincere!

Nu am să mai fac.
I won’t do it again.

A promise you can only make if you intend to keep it! Few things feel as bad as having to hear repeated apologies from someone for the same behavior – it means the ‘sorry’ is not sincere. Don’t be that person!

Mă voi asigura că nu voi face din nou această greșeală.
I’ll make sure not to make this mistake again.

A beautifully strong phrase! Again, say this only if you mean it – not just in the moment, but always! A bit more formal, this is an especially good phrase to use when apologizing to superiors and/or elders. It will make an especially good impression at the workplace, where accountability is an excellent quality to display!

Nu am vrut să iasă aşa.
I didn’t mean that.

This is a tricky one… What did you mean, then?! Clear up any confusion with sincerity. Also, use this phrase only if the harm done or mistake made was due to an accident, and then admit to thoughtlessness on your part, if appropriate.

E vina mea.
It’s my fault.

If the fault is really yours, own up to it. You will gain respect in the eyes of others! However, don’t take the blame when it’s not truly yours. It won’t be good for you, and ultimately you will not be respected much for it.

Îmi pare rău că am fost egoist.
I’m sorry for being selfish.

This is a good phrase to keep handy, especially for your close relationships. It is difficult to admit you’re selfish, isn’t it?! However, it’s good to know when to be honest. We get used to our loved ones, which often means we forget that they need our good manners and unselfish behavior just as much as strangers do.

Sper să mă ierți.
I hope you will forgive me.

This is a polite and gentle wish that can smooth over many harsh feelings. It also shows that the other person’s opinion and forgiveness are important to you.

Îmi asum întreaga responsabilitate.
I take full responsibility.

This strong statement is similar to admitting that an error or transgression was your fault. It speaks of courage and the willingness to take remedial action. Good one to use…if you mean it!

Nu aș fi făcut așa ceva.
I shouldn’t have done it.

This phrase is fine to use if you did or said something wrong. It shows, to an extent, your regret for having done or said what you did, and demonstrates that you understand your role in the mistake.

Îmi pare rău că îți returnez banii cu întârziere.
Sorry for giving your money back late.

It’s rotten to have to loan money! Yet, it’s equally rotten to have to ask for the repayment of a loan. So, do your best not to pay late in the first place, but if it can’t be helped, this would be a good phrase to use!

Vă rog să nu fiți supărat pe mine.
Please don’t be mad at me.

Well, this is not a very advisable phrase to use if you are clearly in the wrong. If someone is justifiably angry with you, asking them not to be mad at you would be an unfair expectation. However, if you did something wrong by accident, and if the consequences were not too serious, this request would be OK.

Scuze că am întârziat.
Sorry I’m late.

Punctuality is valued in most situations, but if you really cannot help being late, then apologize! This way you show respect for your host, and win their approval.

Îmi cer scuze că am fost rău cu tine.
I apologize for being mean to you.

Acknowledging your own meanness towards someone is no small thing, so good for you! Use this apology only if your intention is to seriously address your mean tendencies, or these words could become meaningless over time.

2. How To Refuse Something Politely in Romanian

Congratulations! Now you know how to apologize in Romanian! After you have apologized for a mistake, focus on fixing whatever you can, and don’t punish yourself over something that cannot be taken back or reversed. That’s healthy for you! Regret can eat away at the soul, and even destroy it. It is ultimately a useless emotion if it consumes you.

However, in language, we use apologies not only when we’ve transgressed or made mistakes. They come in handy in other situations too, when there has been no wrongdoing. Sometimes we need to express regret for having to refuse a gift, an offer, or an invitation. This can be somewhat tricky. Learn from specialists at RomanianPod101 about how to use the correct Romanian words for this kind of ‘sorry’!

3. Survival Phrases “How to Say Sorry”

On the run and need a quick lesson on how to say sorry in Romanian? Don’t fret, just listen and repeat! Click here for a recorded short lesson and learn how to give the perfect apology, with perfect pronunciation in Romanian. A little can go a long way, and you will sound like a native!

4. Why You Will NOT Be Sorry For Learning Romanian through RomanianPod101

Online learning is here to stay, that’s a fact. In 2015, the Digital Learning Compass Partnership released a report based on surveys to determine online enrollment trends in US institutions for higher education. Thirty percent of all their students learned online! And the number is growing! However, how can you be sure you will not regret your choice of an online language learning school? First, look at the school’s credentials and what it has to offer…

• Fun and Easy Learning: It’s a commonly-known fact that when learning is made easy and fun, student motivation rises. And as motivation rises, so does the effort to learn – what a beautiful cycle! RomanianPod101’s language learning system is designed to get you speaking from the onset. Learn at your own convenience and pace with our short, effective and fun audio podcast lessons. Our Learning Center is comprehensive and state-of-the-art, with a vibrant user community to connect to! Our lessons are recorded with native hosts and voice actors, providing a diverse range of dialects in your lessons. You can be confident that native speakers will understand you when speaking Romanian!
• Innovative Learning Tools and Apps: We make it our priority to offer you the best learning tools! These include apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac OSX; eBooks for Kindle, Nook, and iPad; audiobooks; Roku TV and so many more. This means that we took diverse lifestyles into account when we developed our courses, so you can learn anywhere, anytime on a device of your choice. How innovative!
• Free Resources: Sharing is caring, and for this reason, we share many free resources with our students. For instance, start learning Romanian with our basic online course by creating a lifetime account – for free! Also get free daily and iTunes lessons, free eBooks, free mobile apps, and free access to our blog and online community. Or how about free Vocabulary Lists? The Romanian dictionary is for exclusive use by our students, also for free. There’s so much to love about RomanianPod101…!
• Live Hosts and One-on-One Learning: Knowledgeable, energetic hosts present recorded video lessons, and are available for live teaching experiences if you upgrade. This means that in the videos, you get to watch them pronounce those tongue-twisters, as if you’re learning live! Add octane to your learning by upgrading to Premium Plus, and learn two times faster. Your can have your very own Romanian teacher always with you, ensuring that you learn what you need, when you need to – what a wonderful opportunity to master a new language in record time!
• Start Where You Are: You don’t know a single Romanian word? Not to worry, we’ve absolutely got this. Simply enroll in our Absolute Beginner Pathway and start speaking from Lesson 1! As your learning progresses, you can enroll in other pathways to match your Romanian level, at your own pace, in your own time, in your own place!

After this lesson, you will know almost every ‘sorry for’ in Romanian, but don’t let it be that you’re sorry for missing a great opportunity. Learning a new language can only enrich your life, and could even open doors towards great opportunities! So don’t wonder if you’ll regret enrolling in RomanianPod101. It’s the most fun, easy way to learn Romanian!

Is it really possible to effectively study slang?

The very idea of sitting down and studying what the kids are saying nowadays can sound like a cringeworthy exercise in futility, especially when internet slang in Romanian dictionary settings comes to mind.

I remember finding some ESL textbooks abroad that had awful, made-up text abbreviations that were definitely out-of-date before the ink hit the paper.

But the thing is, our Romanian slang dictionary isn’t a textbook. And when you head into the comment sections of Romanian videos or articles, you’ll see words all over the place that aren’t to be found in any copy of Easy Romanian in a Week.

So what I’m writing here about Romanian slang in texting and online is what’s current this very moment, and if one day it ceases to be, the principles outlined herein will still be helpful.

Table of Contents

1. Characteristics of Informal Romanian Online
2. Abbreviations
3. Other Informal Terms
4. Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Stay Cool

1. Characteristics of Informal Romanian Online

So, the Romanian alphabet has got a lot of diacritics, or special marks floating around consonants and vowels. They’re important—leave them out or switch them around, and there will be times that your meaning isn’t clear.

But only sometimes. You see, Romanians already speak Romanian. They know the context and they know what the Romanian slang words are probably referring to, even if—as an outside learner—you’re left in the dark when you don’t know for sure if it should be an ă or an â.

For that reason, it’s extremely common to see informal Romanian typed out without any special letters at all, just the plain old twenty-six letters you already know.

You’ll also see a copious amount of English. All over the world, it’s trendy now to sprinkle your native language with English, especially when you’re trying to appeal to the youth. That means you’ll see this quite often in ads, such as this promo for a concert:

• unul din cele mai fun festivaluri ever!
  One of the most fun festivals ever!

All lowercase, all without diacritics. Is there anything untouched? Just one thing: the humble dash.

The dash mark “-” is used as a contraction in Romanian in the same way that the apostrophe is used in English to better represent connected speech. That stays put, even if someone doesn’t write the diacritics (though again, people would understand even without it).

When loanwords (or just imported English words) appear, the dash mark is also usually included to preserve the original spelling. Keeping this in mind for internet slang terms for Romanian language, you’ll see video-ul, instead of videoul, to mean “the video.”

2. Abbreviations

From English to Romanian internet slang, the most common factor is abbreviation. That said, there are some Romanian slang tendencies that are confusing to English-speakers.

By far, the most confusing thing that Romanians do to their language online (until you get used to it) is taking out all the extra letters. Most English speakers don’t do this in their Internet conversations, but the practice remains alive and well in Europe, making it a vital language venture if you want to learn Romanian internet slang words.

Let’s have a look here at the most common Romanian slang expressions and abbreviations you’ll find and what they mean.

1- vb

This Romanian text slang in chatting is a shortening of vorbesc, meaning “to talk.” This actually works out pretty well in Romanian—you’d think that a language with a lot of complicated conjugations would have trouble with shortening verbs, but all the conjugations still have the vorb– root so it’s always interpreted correctly.

2- ms

Here’s one we could be using in English if things had gone a little bit differently in the past. It’s a contraction of mersi, which to anyone who’s ever taken French will be evident as meaning “thank you.” Instead, the homegrown English version is “thx.” The textbook Romanian word for “thank you” is longer and more formal, but mersi is acceptable online and off.

3- Cnv

This is a shortening, plain and simple, though for a learner it’s far from transparent. Cineva just means “somebody,” and so when time is of the essence, it gets cut down. Come to think of it, this is rather similar to how English speakers might write “sb.”

4- pt

With just these two letters, this Romanian internet slang in chatting could mean anything! But it’s only another typical shortening; pt is short for pentru, which means “for” as in “This is for you,” or “How much for breakfast?”

5- pwp

Here’s a cute and uniquely Romanian internet slang from SMS slang. The word for “kiss” in Romanian is pup, and it expresses the idea of a childlike peck on the cheek. It got transformed into pwp to make it sound even shorter, just the sound of the kiss itself.

6- kkt

Here’s a short form of căcat, meaning, well, “excrement.” But in a ruder sense. Compare with Spanish caca, but note that it’s more offensive in Romanian.

KKT is the most offensive we’re going to get in this article in order to keep up professional standards. But there are a number of more vulgar terms that you can find in slang form online, in forums and comment sections. Simply have a look at this Wikipedia article on Romanian profanity and imagine the phrases written without any vowels, and you’ll be most of the way there.

3. Other Informal Terms

There’s still more internet text slang in Romanian language that you should be aware of to fully integrate into Romanian online social circles. Look over our short list of Romanian to English internet slangs to become better acquainted!

1- frumiiii

This is far from the only word that gets this treatment, though it’s one of the most common. The word frumi means “beautiful,” and usually appears with just the one I. Online, any word you like can be made into a long and musical exclamation by simply adding as many vowels as you deem necessary. Usually two to four extras will do it, and anything above that risks coming off as over exuberant. “Yippeee?”

2- Bă

Here’s a simple way to say hello—it’s kind of equivalent to “hey man” or “hey guys!” Start off your sentence with bă for an immediately casual, informal tone. Now and then, you’ll see it written online as băăăă (or even longer), just like you might read “bă is used only for masculine, when you’re talking with a boy or a man.

3- mda

This one’s hidden in plain sight. The word for “yes” in Romanian is da, but adding the m in front of it makes it sound more casual and off-the-cuff. In English we actually do this too, with the word “mmyeah,” although that indicates hesitancy, where there’s none in the Romanian equivalent.

4- Mișto

This is kind of a unique example. As mentioned before, English words are quite trendy in Romanian. Plenty of people near border regions and in big cities snatch little bits of language from other “cool” languages such as Italian or German.

But the humble mișto (which means “cool” as if there weren’t enough synonyms for that already) actually comes from the Romani language of the gypsy peoples—tracing its roots all the way back to India, from the Hindi word miithaa meaning “good!”

5- Nașpa

Here’s an interesting slang word that dates back to just about the beginning of the internet days, though it doesn’t have any meaning related to internet stuff. It means something like “low-quality,” and it’s usually used to describe objects or situations, but not people. Although it doesn’t look out of the ordinary,keep in mind that it never declines or changes its form to fit other grammatical rules—it barges right through the rules and stays the same regardless of where it is in the sentence.

Conclusion: How RomanianPod101 Can Help You Stay Cool

The fear is real. Suppose you end up like your uncle at family gatherings who still does the three-finger “whatever” sign like it’s 2005.

The best way to master this sort of language nuance is to first get a ton of exposure. You’ll find tons of it in Internet comments—make sure you watch the same kinds of videos in Romanian that you do in your native language. Surprise, surprise: people tend to say the same kinds of things.

If you’re cringing at the thought of intentionally reading online comments as a study tool, relax.

I’ve always found that bad jokes take on whole new dimensions of hilarity through a language barrier, and bad opinions or trolls never seem as effective when you’re using them as sources of vocabulary.

Then just slowly ease yourself into the community. The thing about online communication is this: nobody’s really going to care if you don’t use slang.

So use your textbook language first, and as you become more and more comfortable with the variants that you see, start sliding in some of the slang words: an English word here or a pwp there. Before you know it, you’ll be fluent.

And on the way, you’ll notice that your understanding of all Romanian is better and better. You won’t be looking up words as often, since you’ll just understand what they mean.

The journey to language fluency doesn’t happen overnight. As we’ve seen in this article, there are many untold layers of style and nuance that simply take a long time to pick up.

And one last piece of advice: don’t bring online slang into the “real world” without having seen plenty of other people do so first. That can fall flat real fast, and in rare cases could paint you as someone who, though speaking good Romanian, is the type of person who can’t seem to stay offline.

But don’t let any of that get in your way. Learning Romanian is about learning everything that comes with it, with all the ups and downs that that implies. I hope that I was able to teach you more than the average internet slang in Romanian dictionary, and that you took away something valuable from this article.

Which slang words are you excited to try out? What do you think of reading online comments as a study tool? Let us know in the comments!