Learn to read Romanian
A short, active path into reading Romanian: decode real words from a small sound guide, learn why the word for “the” is welded onto the end of the noun, meet the past that fables are told in, and read a whole fable before opening your first book.
How sentences work
3 sectionsFirst sentences: greeting people and saying who you are
- Bună ziua greets anybody; Salut is for friends.
- Know six shapes of am / are / is: sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt.
- The verb says who, so “I” is usually absent.
- “My name is” is mă numesc, nearer “I call myself”.
- este shortens to e; both open with a y sound.
The first five
| English | Romanian | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| hello | Bună ziuaBOO-nuh ZEE-wah | anybody, till evening |
| hi | Salutsah-LOOT | friends only |
| good evening | Bună searaBOO-nuh SYAH-rah | anybody, evening on |
| thank you | Mulțumescmool-tsoo-MESK | Cu plăcerekoo pluh-CHEH-reh answers it |
| goodbye | La revederelah reh-veh-DEH-reh | to anybody |
Shortened to Bună it turns casual. Yes and no are dadah and nunoo.
Am, are, is
| English | Romanian | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| I am | sunt | soont |
| you are | ești | yesht(y) |
| he is, she is, it is | este | YES-teh |
| we are | suntem | SOON-tem |
| you are — more than one | sunteți | soon-TETS(y) |
| they are | sunt | soont |
Sunt is both “I am” and “they are”; the sentence settles which. In print and speech este shortens to eyeh. Both open with a y sound — “YES-teh”, never “ES-teh”.
I am Mina.
Sunt Mina.
soont MEE-nah
Neither word means “I”: Sunt is the being and the “I” at once. Words for I and you exist — eu, tu, el, eayew, too, yel, yah — but the verb has said who already.
Hello, my name is Dara.
Bună ziua, mă numesc Dara.
BOO-nuh ZEE-wah, muh noo-MESK DAH-rah
Word for word, “I call myself”. Of somebody else: se numeșteseh noo-MESH-teh“is called”.
Read the line before revealing it
- Sunt Mina.
Nothing here means “I”.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Sunt Mina.soont MEE-nah“I am Mina” - Ești Tobi?
Opens with a y sound.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Ești Tobi?yesht(y) TOH-bee“Are you Tobi?” - Mă numesc Tika.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Mă numesc Tika.muh noo-MESK TEE-kah“My name is Tika”