Week 1: Building the Foundation

Day 1-2: Introduction to Romanian

Start by familiarizing yourself with the Romanian alphabet and pronunciation. Romanian uses the Latin alphabet, but it includes some special characters: ă, â, î, ș, and ț. Understanding these letters and their sounds is crucial.

– **ă** sounds like the ‘a’ in “sofa.”
– **â** and **î** sound like the ‘e’ in “roses.”
– **ș** sounds like the ‘sh’ in “shoe.”
– **ț** sounds like the ‘ts’ in “cats.”

Next, learn basic greetings and common phrases:
– Bună (Hello)
– La revedere (Goodbye)
– Te rog (Please)
– Mulțumesc (Thank you)
– Da (Yes)
– Nu (No)

Practice these phrases out loud to get comfortable with the pronunciation.

Day 3-4: Basic Grammar and Sentence Structure

Romanian sentence structure is generally Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), similar to English. Start with simple sentences:
– Eu sunt student. (I am a student.)
– Tu ești profesor. (You are a teacher.)

Learn the personal pronouns:
– Eu (I)
– Tu (You)
– El/Ea (He/She)
– Noi (We)
– Voi (You all)
– Ei/Ele (They)

Study the present tense of the verb “to be” (a fi):
– Eu sunt (I am)
– Tu ești (You are)
– El/Ea este (He/She is)
– Noi suntem (We are)
– Voi sunteți (You all are)
– Ei/Ele sunt (They are)

Day 5-7: Vocabulary Building

Focus on expanding your vocabulary. Start with essential categories like numbers, days of the week, and family members.

Numbers:
– Unu (One)
– Doi (Two)
– Trei (Three)
– Patru (Four)
– Cinci (Five)

Days of the week:
– Luni (Monday)
– Marți (Tuesday)
– Miercuri (Wednesday)
– Joi (Thursday)
– Vineri (Friday)
– Sâmbătă (Saturday)
– Duminică (Sunday)

Family members:
– Mamă (Mother)
– Tată (Father)
– Frate (Brother)
– Soră (Sister)
– Bunic (Grandfather)
– Bunică (Grandmother)

Use flashcards or language apps to reinforce your new vocabulary. Practice using these words in sentences to better retain them.

Week 2: Expanding Your Skills

Day 8-10: More Grammar and Verb Conjugations

Expand your understanding of Romanian grammar by learning the present tense conjugations of regular verbs. Romanian verbs fall into four conjugation groups. Here is an example from each group in the present tense:

– **a cânta** (to sing) – Group I
– Eu cânt (I sing)
– Tu cânți (You sing)
– El/Ea cântă (He/She sings)
– Noi cântăm (We sing)
– Voi cântați (You all sing)
– Ei/Ele cântă (They sing)

– **a merge** (to go) – Group II
– Eu merg (I go)
– Tu mergi (You go)
– El/Ea merge (He/She goes)
– Noi mergem (We go)
– Voi mergeți (You all go)
– Ei/Ele merg (They go)

– **a dormi** (to sleep) – Group III
– Eu dorm (I sleep)
– Tu dormi (You sleep)
– El/Ea doarme (He/She sleeps)
– Noi dormim (We sleep)
– Voi dormiți (You all sleep)
– Ei/Ele dorm (They sleep)

– **a citi** (to read) – Group IV
– Eu citesc (I read)
– Tu citești (You read)
– El/Ea citește (He/She reads)
– Noi citim (We read)
– Voi citiți (You all read)
– Ei/Ele citesc (They read)

Practice conjugating these verbs and using them in sentences.

Day 11-14: Listening and Speaking Practice

Immerse yourself in the language by listening to Romanian music, podcasts, or watching Romanian TV shows and movies. Pay attention to the pronunciation and try to mimic it.

Engage in speaking practice by finding a language partner or tutor. Use language exchange platforms or local language groups. Practice simple conversations, focusing on the vocabulary and grammar you’ve learned.

Example conversation:
– Bună! Cum te cheamă? (Hello! What is your name?)
– Mă cheamă John. Pe tine? (My name is John. And you?)
– Eu sunt Maria. Ce faci? (I am Maria. How are you?)
– Bine, mulțumesc. (Good, thank you.)

Week 3: Deepening Understanding

Day 15-17: More Vocabulary and Phrases

Expand your vocabulary further by learning words related to food, travel, and daily activities.

Food:
– Pâine (Bread)
– Apă (Water)
– Lapte (Milk)
– Fructe (Fruits)
– Carne (Meat)

Travel:
– Tren (Train)
– Avion (Airplane)
– Mașină (Car)
– Hotel (Hotel)
– Bilet (Ticket)

Daily activities:
– A mânca (To eat)
– A bea (To drink)
– A lucra (To work)
– A studia (To study)
– A se juca (To play)

Practice creating sentences with these new words and phrases.

Day 18-21: Reading and Writing Practice

Begin reading simple Romanian texts, such as children’s books, news articles, or short stories. Focus on understanding the main ideas and looking up unfamiliar words.

Start writing short paragraphs or journal entries in Romanian. Describe your day, your plans, or your thoughts on a topic. This will help reinforce your grammar and vocabulary.

Example paragraph:
Astăzi am fost la piață. Am cumpărat pâine, lapte și fructe. După aceea, am mers la bibliotecă și am citit o carte interesantă. Seara, am studiat limba română și am exersat vocabularul nou.

Day 22-24: Advanced Grammar Concepts

Learn about more advanced grammar concepts, such as past and future tenses, and the use of prepositions.

Past tense (perfect compus):
– Eu am vorbit (I spoke)
– Tu ai vorbit (You spoke)
– El/Ea a vorbit (He/She spoke)
– Noi am vorbit (We spoke)
– Voi ați vorbit (You all spoke)
– Ei/Ele au vorbit (They spoke)

Future tense:
– Eu voi vorbi (I will speak)
– Tu vei vorbi (You will speak)
– El/Ea va vorbi (He/She will speak)
– Noi vom vorbi (We will speak)
– Voi veți vorbi (You all will speak)
– Ei/Ele vor vorbi (They will speak)

Prepositions:
– În (In)
– Pe (On)
– Sub (Under)
– Lângă (Next to)
– Cu (With)

Practice forming sentences using these tenses and prepositions.

Week 4: Putting It All Together

Day 25-27: Speaking and Listening Intensive

Engage in intensive speaking and listening practice. Participate in language exchange sessions, speak with your tutor, or practice with a language partner daily. Focus on fluency and confidence.

Listen to more complex audio materials, such as interviews, podcasts, or radio shows. Try to understand the context and details without translating every word.

Day 28-29: Cultural Immersion

Learn about Romanian culture, traditions, and history. Explore Romanian cuisine by trying out recipes or visiting a Romanian restaurant. Listen to traditional Romanian music and learn about famous Romanian artists, writers, and historical figures.

Understanding the cultural context will enhance your language learning experience and provide you with more conversation topics.

Day 30: Review and Celebrate

Review everything you’ve learned over the past month. Go through your notes, flashcards, and practice exercises. Identify areas where you need more practice and make a plan to continue improving.

Celebrate your progress! You’ve accomplished a lot in just 30 days. Treat yourself to something special and set new language learning goals for the future.

Conclusion

Learning Romanian in 30 days is an ambitious but achievable goal. By following this structured plan, you’ll build a strong foundation in the language, expand your vocabulary, and develop your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Remember, consistency and practice are key to language learning success. Happy studying, and mult noroc (good luck)!