Romanian phrasebook

Romanian (limba română) is a Romance language spoken mainly in Romania and Moldova (where it is sometimes called Moldovan, limba moldovenească) as well as in some parts of Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. It is useful to know the language if travelling in Romania, especially in rural areas.

Romanian is very similar to Italian, and, to a lesser extent, other Romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, etc.), so speakers of these languages are more at an advantage.

Note that in Romanian, there is a formal and informal form when addressing people. The informal is tu (you, singular) or voi (you, plural) and the formal is dumneavoastră (for both singular and plural). There is also a formal way of speaking about other people, not just when addressing them. When referring to she use dumneaei; for he use dumnealui; for you use dumneata; and for them use dumnealor. Note that the formal form should be used with the plural form of the verb, at the appropriate person. This is similar to the construction in most other Romance languages, and, to an extent, German, although Germans usually make less use of the informal forms. Use tu when addressing friends or people you know well. When addressing strangers or speaking about strangers, use the formal forms.