Romanian, with its Latin roots and Slavic influences, is a language that mirrors Romania’s diverse and layered history. Speaking Romanian, even just the basics, allows for a more authentic connection with local people.
It’s a gesture that’s really appreciated and opens doors to deeper cultural insights and experiences. Whether you’re wandering through the medieval streets of Sighișoara or relaxing by the Black Sea, these phrases will enhance your journey.
Basic Words in Romanian
Romanian is a Romance language, derived from Latin, and shares many similarities with its “siblings”, French, Spanish, and Italian. However, it has a unique character with several distinctive quirks.
Here are some useful words in Romanian:
- Bună – Hello
- La revedere – Goodbye
- Mulțumesc – Thank you
- Cu plăcere – You’re welcome
- Te rog – Please
- Da – Yes
- Nu – No
- Bună dimineața – Good morning
- Bună seara – Good evening
- Bună ziua – Good afternoon
- Mâncare – Food
- Apă – Water
- Baie – Bathroom
- Bine – Good
- Rău – Bad
- Mare – Big
- Mic – Small
- Prieten – Friend
- Familie – Family
- Muncă – Work
- Dragoste – Love
- Viață – Life
- Azi – Today
- Mâine – Tomorrow
- Ieri – Yesterday
Common Romanian Phrases
These common Romanian phrases are essential for navigating daily life. Ideal for casual chats, they’ll help you feel more integrated into Romanian culture.
- Ce faci? – How are you?
- Bine, mulțumesc – I’m good, thanks
- Încântat de cunoștință – Nice to meet you
- Mă numesc… – My name is…
- Îmi pare rău – I’m sorry
- Scuze – Excuse me
- Mă poți ajuta? – Can you help me?
- Ce frumos! – How beautiful!
- Ne vedem – See you
- Pe curând – See you later
- Noroc! – Good luck!
Basic Romanian Phrases for Travellers
These phrases are a must-have for any travellers to Romania. From the medieval towns to the Carpathian Mountains and the shores of the Black Sea, they’ll help you discover Romania’s unique charm.
- Am o rezervare – I have a reservation
- Unde sunt toaletele, vă rog? – Where are the bathrooms, please?
- _Cum ajung la __? – How do I get to ___?
- Cât costă acesta? – How much is this?
- Vorbiți engleză? – Do you speak English?
- Unde este cel mai apropiat hotel? – Where is the nearest hotel?
- M-am rătăcit. Mă puteți ajuta? – I’m lost. Can you help me?
- Este sigură această zonă? – Is this area safe?
- Este sigură această zonă noaptea? – Is this area safe at night?
- Mulțumesc pentru ospitalitatea dumneavoastră – Thank you for your hospitality
Useful Romanian Phrases for Information
When you need to know more in Romania, these phrases are invaluable. Simple and effective, they make asking questions and getting answers easy.
With practice, you’ll be better equipped to converse with locals and make your Romanian experience more engaging and enriching.
- Am o întrebare – I have a question
- Cum se numește asta în română? – What is this called in Romanian?
- Puteți vorbi mai încet, vă rog? – Can you speak slower, please?
- Nu vorbesc bine româna – I do not speak Romanian very well
- Nu înțeleg – I do not understand
- Puteți repeta asta, vă rog? – Can you repeat that please?
- Am nevoie de informații – I need information
- Unde este biroul de informații? – Where is the information office?
- Ce înseamnă asta? – What does this mean?
- Cât este ceasul? – What time is it?
- Care este adresa dumneavoastră de email? – What’s your email address?
- Cum se spune ____ în română? – How do you say ____ in Romanian?
- Ce este acesta/aceasta? – What is this/that?
- Pot folosi telefonul dumneavoastră? – Can I use your phone?
Useful Phrases for Directions in Romanian
Navigate Romania’s diverse landscapes with these direction phrases. Whether you’re exploring ancient castles, modern cities, or embarking on an epic road trip through Romania, they’ll help you find your way.
- Unde este…? – Where is the…?
- Cum ajung la…? – How do I get to…?
- Îmi puteți arăta pe hartă? – Can you show me on the map?
- Mergeți drept înainte – Go straight ahead
- Virați la dreapta/stânga – Turn right/left
- Este aproape/departe – It’s near/far
- Este chiar după colț – It’s around the corner
- Acesta este colțul – This is the corner
- În ce direcție este…? – Which way is it to…?
- Pot să merg pe jos sau am nevoie de un taxi? – Can I walk there or do I need a taxi?
Basic Romanian Phrases for Transportation
When travelling around Romania, it’s useful to know a few key phrases related to transportation. This becomes even more so once you venture outside of the larger cities and tourist areas.
These transport-related phrases will have you navigating Romania’s train and bus network like a pro.
- Unde pot găsi un taxi? – Where can I get a taxi?
- Cât costă să merg la…? – How much does it cost to go to…?
- Vreau să merg la… – I want to go to…
- Unde este stația de autobuz? – Where is the bus stop?
- Unde este stația de autobuze? – Where is the bus station?
- La ce oră pleacă următorul tren? – What time does the next train leave?
- Cât timp durează să ajung la…? – How long does it take to get to…?
- Cum ajung la aeroport? – How do I get to the airport?
- Acest autobuz merge la…? – Does this bus go to…?
- Am nevoie de un bilet dus-întors – I need a round trip ticket
- Unde pot cumpăra bilete? – Where do I buy tickets?
Basic Romanian Phrases About Accommodation
Romanian landlords and hosts don’t always speak English. But don’t worry – these phrases should help you communicate your accommodation needs, ensuring you have a comfortable and memorable stay.
- Aveți camere disponibile? – Do you have any rooms available?
- Cât costă pe noapte? – How much does it cost per night?
- Aș vrea să închiriez acest loc pentru o săptămână – I would like to rent this place for one week
- Micul dejun este inclus în preț? – Is breakfast included in the price?
- Am nevoie de o cameră dublă – I need a double room
- Există o cameră cu două paturi? – Is there a room with two beds?
- Aș dori o cameră cu o priveliște frumoasă – I want a room with a nice view
- Există Wi-Fi gratuit? – Is there free Wi-Fi?
- Există aer condiționat? – Is there air conditioning?
- Unde este liftul? – Where is the elevator?
- Unde este sala de fitness? – Where is the gym?
- Aș dori să rezerv o cameră – I would like to book a room
- Aveți room service? – Is there room service?
- Camera este murdară – The room is dirty
- Mă simt în siguranță în acest hotel – I feel safe in this hotel
- Aveți adaptor pentru priză? – Do you have a plug adaptor?
- Există un seif în cameră? – Is there a safe in the room?
- Mă puteți trezi la ora (șapte) dimineața? – Can you wake me up at (seven) a.m.?
- Am nevoie de un pătuț pentru copil – I need a crib for the baby
- La ce oră este check-out-ul? – What’s the check-out time?
Helpful Romanian Phrases for Shopping
Make shopping in Romania a delightful experience. These phrases will ease your interactions with the local vendors and help you find what you need.
- Caut… – I am looking for…
- Cât costă? – How much does it cost?
- Există vreo reducere? – Is there any discount?
- Cât este reducerea? – How much is the discount?
- Este prea scump – That’s too expensive
- Puteți reduce prețul? – Can you lower the price?
- Pot plăti cu cardul de credit? – Can I pay with a credit card?
- Doar numerar – Cash only
- Aveți asta într-o mărime mai mare? – Do you have this in a larger size?
- Aveți asta în altă culoare? – Do you have this in another colour?
- Vreau să returnez asta – I want to return this
- Unde sunt cabinele de probă? – Where are the fitting rooms?
- Scuzați-mă, unde este supermarketul? – Excuse me, where’s the supermarket?
- Unde este magazinul de haine? – Where’s the clothing store?
- Am nevoie de o geantă – I need a bag
- Unde pot găsi produse locale? – Where can I find local products?
Helpful Phrases for Dining Out in Romania
Romanian restaurants, with their wide array of meaty delicacies, vegetable dips, and indulgent desserts are great places to experience Romania’s rich culinary culture.
These dining phrases will help you navigate menus, order dishes, and tuck into the rich flavours of Romanian cuisine.
- Pot obține o masă pentru doi? – Can I get a table for two?
- Îmi puteți arăta meniul, vă rog? – Can you please show me the menu?
- Care este felul zilei? – What is the dish of the day?
- Aș dori… – I would like…
- Puteți să-mi sugerați ceva? – Could you suggest something for me?
- Ce recomandați să mâncăm? – What do you recommend to eat?
- Sunt alergic la… – I’m allergic to…
- Acest fel conține…? – Does this dish contain…?
- Aveți opțiuni vegetariene/vegane? – Do you have vegetarian/vegan options?
- Nu mănânc carne/pește/lactate – I don’t eat meat/fish/dairy
- Este acesta potrivit pentru vegetarieni? – Is this suitable for vegetarians?
- Sunt alergic la alune – I’m allergic to nuts
- Ce este asta? – What is this?
- Îmi place – I like it
- Pot avea nota de plată, vă rog? – Can I have the bill, please?
- A fost delicios! Mulțumesc – It was delicious! Thank you
Romanian Question Words
Deepen your understanding and conversations with these Romanian question words. Perfect for engaging with locals and exploring the many layers of Romanian culture.
- Ce? – What?
- Unde? – Where?
- Când? – When?
- Cine? – Who?
- De ce? – Why?
- Cum? – How?
- Care? – Which?
- Cât? – How much?
- Câți? – How many?
- Al cui? – Whose?
- Cât/Câți? – How much/How many?
- Este…? – Is it…?
- Pot…? – Can I…
- Va…? – Will…
- Ce este asta? – What is this?
- Cine este acela/acea? – Who is that?
- Cum este? – How is it?
- De ce este așa? – Why is it?
- De ce acesta/aceasta? – Why this?
- Ce este în…? – What is in …?
- Unde este…? – Where is …?
- Există…? – Is there a …?
Numbers in Romanian
Understanding the Romanian numbering system is useful in a wide range of scenarios, especially when it comes to transactions, discussing times, and navigating transportation.
Below is a list of simple numbers along with some larger ones:
- Zero – 0
- Unu – 1
- Doi – 2 (masculine) / Două – 2 (feminine)
- Trei – 3
- Patru – 4
- Cinci – 5
- Șase – 6
- Șapte – 7
- Opt – 8
- Nouă – 9
- Zece – 10
- Unsprezece – 11
- Doisprezece – 12
- Treisprezece – 13
- Paisprezece – 14
- Cincisprezece – 15
- Șaisprezece – 16
- Șaptesprezece – 17
- Optsprezece – 18
- Nouăsprezece – 19
- Douăzeci – 20
- Treișizero – 30
- Patruzeci – 40
- Cincizeci – 50
- Șaizeci – 60
- Șaptezeci – 70
- Optzeci – 80
- Nouăzeci – 90
- O sută – 100
- O mie – 1,000
- Zece mii – 10,000
- O sută de mii – 100,000
- Un milion – 1,000,000
To form numbers between these, combine the tens and units. For instance:
- “Twenty-one” is Douăzeci și unu (20 + 1)
- “Thirty-two” is Treișizero și doi (30 + 2)
For numbers in the hundreds and thousands, state the hundreds or thousands followed by the remaining numbers. For example:
- “One hundred and twenty-three” is O sută douăzeci și trei
- “Two thousand and nineteen” is Două mii nouăsprezece
See Also
Check out some of my other posts on learning languages for travel:
- Basic French Phrases For Travel
- Basic Italian Phrases For Travel
- Basic Portuguese Phrases For Travel
- Basic Spanish Phrases For Travel
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to order food, ask for directions, or even make some new friends, having a handful of Romanian phrases up your sleeve will go a long way.
I hope this post helps you communicate with more people, have more memorable experiences, and make the most out of your time in this beautiful Balkan country.
Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone and start testing out some of these Romanian phrases today. With a bit of practice, you’ll be speaking Romanian in no time!
Finally, if you want to take your Romanian learning to the next level, you’ll find lots of excellent resources on RomanianPod101.
