Category: Romanian without Tears

Inflection-rich Romanian can be a real bother for foreign speakers who are supposed to use the language in real-life contexts. Possessive adjectives in Romanian have a rich paradigm, with different words used according to number and gender.

Here are some useful words:

Meu=My

Mea

Mei

Mele

Tau=Your

Ta

Tai

Tale

Sau=His/Her

Sa

Sai

Sale

Lui=His

Lui

Lui

Lui

Ei=Her

Ei

Ei

Ei

Nostru=Our

Nostri

Noastra

Noastre

Vostru=Your

Vostri

Voastra

Voastre

Dumneavoastra=Your

Dumneavoastra

Dumneavoastra

Dumneavoastra

And here are some of the words, used in meaningful sentences

Casetofonul meu s-a stricat.

My tape recorder is broken.

Unde este laptopul tau?

Where is your laptop?

Acestia nu sint pantofii mei.

These are not my shoes .

Da-mi sacosa, cheile si telefonul tau mobil!

Give me your bag, keys and cell phone!

Curtea noastra este mai mare decit curtea voastra.

Our courtyard is bigger than your courtyard.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

This week we bring you a basic set of words denominating household items, in case you may wish to be able to find your bearings, if your stay in Romania turned out to be longer than planned.

Here is a series of useful words and expressions:

Biblioteca=bookcase

Scaun=chair

Ceas=clock

Dulap=cupboard

Lumina=light

Cheie=key

Radio=radio

Canapea=sofa

Masa=table

And here are some meaningful sentence, including some of the words above:

Acum doua saptamini, mi-am cumparat o biblioteca noua.

Two weeks ago I bought a new bookcase.

Scaunul pe care stai este foarte vechi.

The chair you’ re sitting on is very old.

A apartinut bunicii mele.

It belonged to my grandmother.

Ceasul acesta este mostenire de familie.

This clock is a family heritage.

Mi-am cumparat doua costume noi si zece camasi.

I bought two new suits and ten shirts.

Am nevoie de un dulap mai mare.

I need a bigger cupboard.

Nu uita sa stingi lumina cind iesi din casa.

Don’t forget to switch off the light when you leave the house/on your way out.

Mi-am uitat cheia la birou.

I forgot my key at the office.

Am auzit la radio ca miine va ploua.

I heard on the radio it would be raining tomorrow.

Fa-te comod pe canapea.

Make yourself comfortable on the sofa.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

Romanian is unanimously viewed as a difficult language, by foreign speakers. And that, mainly because of its rich inflection paradigms. It’s about time you took a fresh take of Romanian grammar. Good old Grammar, as they say…Prepositions are a special area of study in Romanian morphology, mainly because, in terms of structure and usage, they are very different from the English prepositions and prepositional phrases. Today we deal with some of the prepositions that require the genitive in Romanian.

Here are some useful words and expressions:

Asupra=about, regarding

Contra=against

de la începutul=in the beginning

de la mijlocul=in the middle

de la sfârşitul=in the end

de-a lungul=along

Some of the words and expressions are used in the sentences below:

Discuţia asupra metodelor de analiza a durat aproximativ trei ore.

The discussion regarding the analysis methods lasted for about three hours.

Argumentele pe care decanul le-a adus impotriva ideilor mele nu au fost

convingătoare.

The arguments the dean brought against my ideas were not convincing.

Soloul de chitara de la începutul concertului a fost plicticos.

The solo guitar part in the beginning of the concert was boring.

Scena de la mijlocul actului trei m-a impresionat foarte mult.

The scene in the middle of the 3rd act impressed me a lot.

Liedul de la sfârşitul recitalului a fost minunat.

The lieder at the end of the recital was wonderful.

Am mers de-a lungul tarmului.

We walked along the sea shore.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

Speaking is the most creative level of the language continuum, so if you want to go deeper into learning Romanian, mastering some of the informal speech patterns is crucial, since being able to strike up a conversation using authentic speech might bring lots of friends around you.

Here ar some of the most habitual words and expressions:

Bine =Allright

Bine=Okay

Da, desigur!=Yes, of course!

Bineinteles ca nu!=Of course not!

Glumiti! =Youre joking! Formal

Glumesti! =Youre joking! Informal

Hows it going? =Cum sinteti?

Nici vorba! = No way!

And here are several meaningful sentences, including some of the words and expressions above:

Vrei sa vii miine dimineata cu mine la sala de gimnastica?

Bine.

Would you like to join me to the gymn tomorrow morning?

Allright/Okay.

Ai vrea sa sa ma ajuti in gradina in dupa-amiaza aceasta?

Da, desigur!

Would you like to help me in the garden this afernoon?

Yes, of course!

Te-as ruga sa vii la birou duminica aceasta. Ai vrea sa vii?

Bineinteles ca nu!

I should like you come to the office this coming Sunday. Would you like to come?

Of course not!

Cineva mi-a furat portofelul asa ca am neaparata nevoie de bani. De fapt, as avea nevoie de 600 dolari.

Glumesti!

Somebody stole my wallet, so I am dire need of money. Actually, I need 600 dollars!

You’re joking!

Care este adresa ta de email?

What is your email address?

Iata adresa mea de email.

Here is my email address.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

For all its (still) dire economic condition, Romania boasts a rich cultural heritage. Our daily programs proudly provide extensive coverage of events hosted by museums across the country and especially in Bucharest, the country’s capital city. And, since learning a language can hardly be separated from learning the essentials about its customs, habits and culture, starting this unit, every so often we shall take up a culture-based approach to learning Romanian.

Here is a bunch of useful words and expressions.

Cladire=building

Colectie=collection

Colectie bogata=rich collection

Museum=museum

Muzeu national=national museum

Muzeul National al Taranului Roman= The National Romanian Peasant Museum

Arte populare=traditional arts

Traditii populare= traditional habits and customs

Ministerul Culturii= The Ministry of Culture.

Monument istoric= historical monument

Stil arhitectonic=architectural style

Stil neo-romanesc=neo-Romanian style

And here are some sentences, in which some of the words and phrases above have been used.

Muzeul National al Taranului Roman se inscrie in familia Europeana a Muzeelor de Arte si Traditii Populare.

The Romanian National Peasant Museum is part of the European Family of Folk Arts and Traditions.

Muzeul se mindreste cu o colectie deosebit de bogata de obiecte traditionale.

The museum boasts an extremely rich collection of traditional items.

Cladirea muzeului este monument istoric.

The building of the museum is a historical monument.

Muzeul a fost construit in stil neo-romanesc.

The museum was built in a neo-Romanian style.

In 1996, muzeul a primit un important trofeu European.

In 1996, the museum got an important European trophy, the EMYA=the European Museum of the Year Award.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

Between the wars, the Romanians were, among other things, known for the amount of energy they invested in talking politics. These days, the Romanians focus their energy on getting involved in the media, whether its the radio, the TV or the Internet. Heres some useful media-related language.

For starters, here is a bunch of relevant words and phrases.

Radio=radio

La radio=on the radio

Sofer=driver

Transport public=public transport

Autobuz=bus

Greva=strike

A face greva= to go on strike

Taxi=taxi

Cu taxiul=by taxi

Ziar=newspaper

Pauza de prinz=lunch break

Dimineata=morning

Astazi/azi dimineata=this morning

A se incalzi= to get warm

Now let us use some of the words in meaningful sentences:

Azi dimineata am auzit la radio ca soferii din transportul public vor face greva.

This morning I heard ON the radio that drivers in the public transport would go on strike.

Am ajuns la servici cu metroul.

I arrived at the office by subway.

In pauza de prinz, am citit in ziar ca autobuzele vor circula incepind cu ora 4.

During my lunch break, I read in the newspaper busses will roll again starting 4 pm.

Seara, am vazut la televizor ca soferii din alte orase din tara au fost si ei in greva astazi/azi dimineata.

In the evening, I saw on TV drivers from other cities across the country have also gone on strike this morning.

Am vazut pe Internet ca vremea se va incalzi incepind de luni.

I saw on the Internet weather would be getting warmer starting Monday.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

If Romania and the Romanians have grown into something of interest for you, if you have been keen on taking your command of the language beyond survival, basic level, then you might as well sport striking up a conversation about music and musical instruments in Romanian.

Here is a bunch of words and phrases expressing music instruments:

acordeon=accordion

flaut=flute

chitara=guitar

pian=piano

a cinta=sing

a cinta la un instrument=play an instrument

saxofon=saxophone

muzica=music

muzica de jazz=jazz music

muzica clasica=classical music

trombon=trombone

trompeta=trumpet

vioara=violin

And here are some meaningful sentences including some of the words above: Fratele meu cinta la acordeon de la virsta de sase ani.

My brother has been playing the accordion ever since he was six.

Imi place jazzul/muzica de jazz din vremea cind eram adolescent.

I like jazz/jazz music ever since I was a teenager.

Unchiul meu cinta la saxofon cind era tinar.

My uncle used to play the saxophone when he was young.

Trompeta este unul dintre instrumentele mele favorite.

Trumpet is one of my favorite instruments.

La virsta de sase ani, am incercat sa invat sa cint la vioara.

When I was six, I tried to take violin lessons.

Cintatul la vioara mi s-a parut foarte greu.

I found playing the violin very difficult.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

It was still an exploit to find a vacant room in a hotel or a guest house in Romania, in 1990. twenty-five years on, things have changed for the better. You have a lot to choose from, if you feel like going places and visiting the country. Here is some basic vocabulary related to finding accommodation in Romania:

camera libera=available room

asternuturi=bedsheets

patura=blanket

patura in plus=extra blanket

linistit=quiet

mai linistit=quieter

ieftin=cheap

mai ieftin=cheaper

And now, here is a bunch of sentences including some of the words above:

Aveti camere libere?

Do you have any rooms available?

Cit costa o camera pentru o persoana?

How much is a room for one person?

Cit costa o camera pentru doua persoane?

How much s a room for two people?

Aveti asternuturi in camera?

Does the room come with bedsheets?

Esta camera prevazuta cu o patura in plus?

Does the room come with another blanket?

Exista televizor in camera?

Does the room come with a TV set?

Pot sa vad camera mai intii?

May I see the room first?

Aveti ceva mai linistit?

Do you have anything quieter?

Aveti ceva mai mare?

Do you have anything bigger?

Aveti ceva mai ieftin?

Do you have anything cheaper?

Bine. Iau camera

Okay. I’ll take the room.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

Being able to express human characteristics in Romanian makes your conversation meaningful and more accurate. Today you will learn some basic vocabulary related to human characteristics.

Amuzant =amusing

Atent =careful

Batrin = old

Deprimat =depressed

Dezamagit = disappointed

Haios = funny

Lenes = lazy

Neplacut = nasty

Nervos = nervous

Neplacut = nasty

Rabdator = patient

Trist = sad

Here are several meaningful sentences including some of the words above:

Palaria de paie a lui Mihai este foarte amuzanta.

Mihai’s straw hat is very amusing.

Adela nu a luat examenul de Matematici speciale, si din aceasta cauza este foarte deprimata.

Adina failed in the special Mathematics exam, so she is very depressed.

Cu camasa lui galbena si cu sandalele roz, George este intr-adevar foarte haios.

With his yellow shirt and pink sandals, George is indeed very funny.

Mihaela si Daniel s-au despartit recent, iar Daniel este foarte trist din aceasta cauza.

Mihaela and Daniel have broken up recently, and Daniel is very sad because of that.

Andrei asteapta rezultatul de la examenul de admitere la engleza, si este foate nervos din cauza aceasta.

Andrei is waiting for the results in the English entrance exam, and is very nervous because of that.

Marian nu s-a mai antrenat la sala in ultimele trei luni. A devenit un pic cam lenes si s-a cam ingrasat.

Marian has stopped going to the gym in the last three months. He has become a little bit lazy and put on a bit of weight.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Bye for now!

Family ties

If you make friends in Romania, and you’re invited to spend time with them, chances are that you’ll meet their families. Here are some basic family-related terms in Romanian.

As usual, we begin with a set of useful words and phrases:

Familie=family

Parinti=parents

Grandmother= bunica

Grandfather=bunic

Tata= father

Mama=mother

Frate=brother

Sora=sister

Sot=husband

Cumnata=sister-in-law

Cumnat =brother-in-law

Bine-platit=well-paid

Now let us use the words in meaningful sentences:

Sint fericit ca provin dintr-o familie numeroasa.

I am happy I come from a large family.

Tot membrii familiei mele traiesc inca.

All the members of my family are still alive.

Bunica mea si bunicul meu sint casatoriti de 50 ani.

My grandmother and my grandfather have been married for 50 years.

Sora mea si sotul ei traiesc la Londra de 20 ani.

My sister and her husband have lived in London for 20 years.

Cumnatul meu are a slujba bine platita la Londra.

My brother-in-law has a well-paid job in London.

M-au invitat sa petrec Craciunul cu ei anul acesta.

They invited me to spend Christmas with them this year.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

If your stay in Romania turns out to be longer than planned, you’re sure to have made a couple of friends in capital city Bucharest, or elsewhere across Romania, since you must have been going places, visiting the country, making the most of your trips to the mountains or your holidays at the seaside.

Romanians still have a reputation for being hospitable and approachable, so some of your friends will by all means enjoy being invited to your place for dinner.

Here is some basic vocabulary you may use when you have guests for dinner:

Aperitiv= starters

Bucatarie=kitchen

Masa=table

Farfurie=plate

Felul intii=main course

A pune masa=lay the table

Mincare=food

A minca=eat

A servi=have

Prinz=lunch

Legume=vegetables

Supa=soup

Supa de legume=vegetables soup

Smintina= sour cream

Pofta buna=enjoy your meal!/enjoy

And here are some meaningful communicative patterns you may also find useful:

Elena intră în bucătărie. Ea pregateste masa pentru prietenii ei, Dorina si Mihai.

Elena enters the kitchen. She prepares dinner for her friends, Dorina and Mihai.

Sint patru farfurii pe masa.

There are four plates on the table.

Elena pune masa.

Elena lays the table.

Ea pune mincarea in farfurii.

She puts the food on the plates.

Ca aperitiv, servim cascaval cu rosii si ardei.

For starters, we have pressed cheese with tomatoes and peppers.

La felul intii, servim supa de legume cu smintina.

For the main course, we have vegetables soup with sour cream.

Poftă bună!

Enjoy!

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us. Good Bye! La revedere!

Expressing complex functions in Romanian is a step you need to take in your bid to master the language, supposing you need to relate to a native Romanian in a complex situational context. Offering help, giving or asking for directions, or expressing a wish can be very useful in real communication.

Here is a bunch of useful words and phrases:

Vorbi=speak

Pentru un moment=for a moment

Incerca=try

Raspunde=answer

Intrebare=question

Studia=study

Devreme=early

Tired=oboist

Veni=come

Dori=want

Muzeu=museum

Merge=go

Now let us use some of the words in meaningful communicative patterns:

Vreau sa vorbesc cu tine pentru un moment.

I want to speak with you for a moment.

Am sa incerc sa raspund la aceasta intrebare pentru tine.

I will try to answer that question for you.

S-a dus in Romania pentru a studia Limba romana.

He went to Romania to study Romanian.

Ea a plecat devreme pentru ca era obosita.

She left early because she was tired.

Daca doresti, poti sa vii cu mine.

If you want, you can come with me.

Sa mergem la muzeu acum.

Let’s go to the museum now.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us.

Today we take you to the chemist’s in Bucharest. The weather is still unseasonably warm throughout the country; however, mornings and evenings are quite cold and that may catch some of you unawares, and you may need something to cure or maybe stave off any form of flu for the coming winter.

As usual, we begin wits a series of useful words and phrases.

Farmacie=chemist’s

Client=customer/client

Picatura=drop

Nas=nose

Picaturi de nas=nose drops

Copil=child

Adult=adult/grown-up

Amindoi/amindoua=both

Reteta= prescription

Recomanda=recommend

Pastila=tablet

Fiola=phial

Now, let us some some of the the words in meaningful conversation patterns:

Buna ziua! Cu ce va putem servi?

Good afternoon! How may I/we help you?

As dori aspirina calcica si picaturi de nas.

I should like some calcium aspirin and some nose drops, please.

Pentru copii sau pentru adulti?

For children or for adults?

Pentru copii, dar prefer sa-mi preparati picaturile de nas dupa reteta.

For children, but I’d like you to prepare the nose drops according to a prescription.

Totul va fi gata dupa-amiaza aceasta.

Everything will be ready this afternoon.

Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us.

Becoming familiar with various ways of expressing opinion in Romanian gives you the inopportunity to maintain a conversation on a level where communication becomes efficient.

Here are some useful expressions and phrases:

Cred ca=I think that

Consider ca=I believe that

Personal, cred ca=I personally think that

Dupa parerea mea= In opinia mea

Mi se pare ca=It seems to me that

Înteleg=I understand

Înclin să cred că= I tend to believe that

Now let us use some of the expressions in meaningful sentences:

Asta e si convingerea mea

Thats my conviction, too.

Si eu cred la fel.

Im of the same opinion.

Sunt de aceeasi părere / opinie

Sunt de acord că

I agree that…

Sunt de acord cu tine

I agree with you (informal)

Sunt de acord cu dumneavoastră.

I agree with you (formal).

Opinia / părerea mea este că.

My opinion is that..

Nu stiu ce crezi tu, dar eu.

I dont know what you think, but I (informal)

Nu stiu ce credeti dumneavoastră, dar eu

I dont know what you think, but I (formal)

That’s all we had time for in today’s Romanian Without Tears. Thank you ALL for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on learning Romanian with us.