Romania is a country located north of the Balkan Peninsula on the western shores of the Black Sea. It is a country of great natural beauty and diversity and a rich cultural heritage.
Romania enchants visitors and international students with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoilt rural areas, but also with its historic cities and its busy capital. Over the last decades, it has seen significant development and is one of the most recent members of the European Union.
Romania is a country of contrasts: some cities are truly Western European whilst some villages look like they haven’t changed in decades. While it has significant cultural similarities with other Balkan states, Romania is regarded as unique due to its strong Latin heritage.
Things for which Romania is famous include: the Carpathian mountains, Constantin Brancusi, wine, medieval fortresses, Mircea Eliade, the electronic microscope, Dacia cars, Dracula, insulin, E. M. Cioran, stuffed cabbage leaves, multi-ethnic peace, the jet engine, Nadia Comaneci, the Black Sea, Gheorghe Hagi, sunflower fields, painted monasteries and the Danube Delta.
Studying in Romania is a magical experience.
Languages Spoken in Romania
The official language of Romania is Romanian, limba română, which is a Romance language and one of the closest contemporary spoken languages to Latin. Aromanian is the closest living relative (and only other member of the Italo-Eastern subdivision of Italic languages) to Romanian.
Aromanian is a minority language spoken in Macedonia (where it is one of two official languages), Greece and parts of Romania. In contrast to Romanian’s heavy Slavic, German and Hungarian influences, Aromanian takes many words from Greek. Some 10% of the Romanian vocabulary is of Slavonic origin and less than 5% is from Turkish, Hungarian or German.
Minority languages spoken in Romania are Hungarian, German, Turkish and Romany (the language of the Roma, or Gypsies), albeit most of these words have fallen out of use for a long time. Russian and Ukrainian can be heard in the Danube Delta as well. French used to be the second well-known language in Romania, since it used to be compulsory in every school; however, it has been mostly displaced by English.
A well-educated Romanian who graduated from an average university can usually speak English and another European language, such as French, German, Italian, Spanish (about 8%) or Russian. If you leave the common touristic routes, Romanian is the only way to ask for information. That won’t be such a problem; learn some basic words and ask them to write the answers.
Although some might speak Russian due to Romania’s past as a part of the Eastern Bloc, one should not count on it. About 7% of Romanians understand Russian but only about 4% are fluent in it. The chance of one doing so is very small, as the current administration and subsequent leaders made learning the language optional, rather than compulsory; and other languages (especially French, Italian or other Romance languages) took the place of Russian in schools.
Reasons to Study Romanian
- A family or romantic connection
- Moving to Romania for work, education or travel
- Have an interest in languages or the Romanian people/culture
Popular Places to Study
Bucharest, the capital of Romania and Braşov, located in south-eastern Transylvania, are the two most popular cities to study. Courses, accommodation and free time activities are great value for money compared to other European destinations. You can study as part of a group courses, choose private tuition or take online Romanian classes.
Basic Romanian Words and Phrases
Hello – Bună ziua
Hi – Bună
Good morning – Bună dimineaţa
Good afternoon – Bună ziua.
Good evening – Bună seara
Good night – Noapte bună
How are you? – Ce faci?
Nice to meet you – Încântat de cunoştiinţă
Thank you – Mulţumesc.
You’re welcome – Eşti binevenit(ă)
What’s your name? – Cum te numeşti?
My name is Maya. What’s your name? – Numele meu este Maya. Tu cum te numeşti?
Where are you from? – De unde eşti?
Yes – Da
No – Nu
I’m sorry – Îmi pare rău.
Excuse me – Mă scuzaţi
Please – Vă rog
Goodbye – La revedere
Thank you very much – Mulţumesc frumos
I’m fine – Bine