Romanian is a romance language, and understanding it's written version is relatively easy for anyone with a knowledge of Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese or indeed Latin. Where you may have trouble is understanding the spoken version, especially in Bucharest where words tend to be slurred into each other. But fear not: English of a fashion is spoken liberally (especially by the younger generation) throughout urban Romania.

If you want to try speaking Romanian yourself, try our mini-dictionary:

Basic Expressions

Hello - Buna ziua

Good morning - Buna dimineata

Good afternoon - Buna ziua

Good night - Buna seara

Yes - Da

No - Nu

OK - In regula

Perhaps - Poate

What - Ce

Where - Unde

When - Cand

Why - De ce

Niceties

Thank you - Multumesc

Please - Va rog

Excuse me - Ma scuzati

Sorry - Imi pare rau

The Menu

Supa - Soup

Ciorba - Sour soup

Ciorba de burta - tripe soup

Gustare calda/rece - warm-cold starters

Cascaval pane - fried breaded cheese

Creier pane - fried brains

Porc/pui/vita/miel - pork/chicken/beef/lamb

Tochitura - stew

Muschi - fillet steak

Mititei - spicy meat balls

Snilel - schnitzel

Sarmale - stuffed cabbage rolls

Mamaliga - polenta

Bulz - polenta with egg

Cartofi natur/piure/prajiti - boiled/mashed/fried potatoes

Legume - vegetables

Ciuperci - mushrooms

Pilaf - rice

Rosii - tomatoes

Castraveti - cucumbers

Varza - coleslaw

Ardei copti - grilled peppers

Muraturi - pickled vegetables

Papanasi - doughnuts

Clatite - pancakes

Înghetata - ice cream

Fructe - fruit

Apa - water

Bere - beer

Vin - wine

Tuica/palinca - plum brandy

Nota, va rog - The bill, please

Useful Words & Phrases

How are you? - Ce mai faceti?

Pleased to meet you - Ma bucur sa va cunosc.

Do you speak English, German Russian? - Vorbiti engleza/ /germana/rusa?

I speak English, German, Russian - Vorbesc engleza/germana/rusa.

I don't speak Romanian - Nu vorbesc româneste.

Where is the nearest shop/hotel/restaurant/bar/toilet? - Unde este cel mai apropiat magazin/hotel/restaurant/bar/ toaleta?

What's your name? - Cum va numiti?

My name is… - Numele meu este…

What time is it? - Cât e ceasul?

How much does it cost? - Cât costa?

This costs too much! - E prea scump!

I would like… - As dori…

...to smoke - sa fumez

...a smile - Un surâs

...a kiss - Un sarut

At the Reception

Do you have any rooms available? - Aveti camere libere?

I would like a single/double room for one night - As dori o camera cu un pat/doua paturi pentru o noapte

I would like the cheapest room - As dori cea mai ieftina camera

Does the room have… - Camera are...

…toilet? …toaleta?

…washbasin? … cada

…bath? …baie?

…shower? …dus?

…cable TV? …televiziune prin cablu?

…international telephone? …telefon international?

…minibar? …minibar?

Days of the Week

Monday - luni

Tuesday - marti

Wednesday - miercuri

Thursday - joi

Friday - vineri

Saturday - sâmbata

Sunday - duminica

Numbers

1 - unu

2 - doi

3 - trei

4 - patru

5 - cinci

6 - sase

7 - sapte

8 - opt

9 - noua

10 - zece

11 - unsprezece

12 - doisprezece

13 - treisprezece

14 - paisprezece

15 - cincisprezece

16 - saisprezece

17 - saptesprezece

18 - optsprezece

19 - nouasprezece

20 - douazeci

21 - douazeci si unu

22 - douazeci si doi

30 - treizeci

40 - patruzeci

50 - cincizeci

100 - o suta

200 - doua sute

1,000 - o mie

10,000 - zece mii

100,000 - o suta de mii