Learning Romanian can be an exciting and enriching experience, especially if you’re aiming to reach the A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At this stage, you should be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g., very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). To help you on your journey, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of Romanian words and phrases that are essential for A2 level learners.
Everyday Vocabulary
At the A2 level, you should have a solid foundation of everyday vocabulary. Here are some categories of words that you should be familiar with:
Family and Friends
1. **Familie** – Family
2. **Părinți** – Parents
3. **Tată** – Father
4. **Mamă** – Mother
5. **Frate** – Brother
6. **Sora** – Sister
7. **Bunic** – Grandfather
8. **Bunică** – Grandmother
9. **Prieten** – Friend (male)
10. **Prietena** – Friend (female)
Days of the Week
1. **Luni** – Monday
2. **Marți** – Tuesday
3. **Miercuri** – Wednesday
4. **Joi** – Thursday
5. **Vineri** – Friday
6. **Sâmbătă** – Saturday
7. **Duminică** – Sunday
Months of the Year
1. **Ianuarie** – January
2. **Februarie** – February
3. **Martie** – March
4. **Aprilie** – April
5. **Mai** – May
6. **Iunie** – June
7. **Iulie** – July
8. **August** – August
9. **Septembrie** – September
10. **Octombrie** – October
11. **Noiembrie** – November
12. **Decembrie** – December
Food and Drink
1. **Pâine** – Bread
2. **Lapte** – Milk
3. **Apă** – Water
4. **Cafea** – Coffee
5. **Ceai** – Tea
6. **Fructe** – Fruits
7. **Legume** – Vegetables
8. **Carne** – Meat
9. **Pește** – Fish
10. **Ou** – Egg
Common Verbs
1. **A fi** – To be
2. **A avea** – To have
3. **A face** – To do/make
4. **A merge** – To go
5. **A veni** – To come
6. **A vedea** – To see
7. **A auzi** – To hear
8. **A vorbi** – To speak
9. **A mânca** – To eat
10. **A bea** – To drink
Basic Grammar Structures
Present Tense Conjugation
Understanding how to conjugate verbs in the present tense is crucial for A2 level learners. Here are some examples using the verbs “a fi” (to be) and “a avea” (to have):
– **A fi**:
– Eu sunt – I am
– Tu ești – You are
– El/Ea este – He/She is
– Noi suntem – We are
– Voi sunteți – You (plural) are
– Ei/Ele sunt – They are
– **A avea**:
– Eu am – I have
– Tu ai – You have
– El/Ea are – He/She has
– Noi avem – We have
– Voi aveți – You (plural) have
– Ei/Ele au – They have
Negation
To form negative sentences in Romanian, you simply place “nu” before the verb:
– Eu nu sunt obosit – I am not tired
– Tu nu ai carte – You do not have a book
– Ea nu merge la școală – She does not go to school
Questions
Forming questions in Romanian often involves changing the intonation or adding a question word at the beginning:
– Mergeți la magazin? – Are you going to the store?
– Ce faci? – What are you doing?
– Unde este biblioteca? – Where is the library?
Useful Phrases for Daily Conversations
Being able to engage in basic conversations is a key part of reaching the A2 level. Here are some useful phrases:
1. **Bună ziua!** – Good day!
2. **Ce mai faci?** – How are you?
3. **Mulțumesc!** – Thank you!
4. **Cu plăcere!** – You’re welcome!
5. **Îmi pare rău!** – I’m sorry!
6. **Cât costă asta?** – How much does this cost?
7. **Unde este toaleta?** – Where is the bathroom?
8. **Mă numesc…** – My name is…
9. **Sunt din…** – I am from…
10. **Vorbiți engleza?** – Do you speak English?
Numbers
Knowing numbers is essential for various everyday tasks. Here are the numbers from 1 to 20, along with some key multiples of ten:
1. **Unu** – One
2. **Doi** – Two
3. **Trei** – Three
4. **Patru** – Four
5. **Cinci** – Five
6. **Șase** – Six
7. **Șapte** – Seven
8. **Opt** – Eight
9. **Nouă** – Nine
10. **Zece** – Ten
11. **Unsprezece** – Eleven
12. **Doisprezece** – Twelve
13. **Treisprezece** – Thirteen
14. **Paisprezece** – Fourteen
15. **Cincisprezece** – Fifteen
16. **Șaisprezece** – Sixteen
17. **Șaptesprezece** – Seventeen
18. **Optsprezece** – Eighteen
19. **Nouăsprezece** – Nineteen
20. **Douăzeci** – Twenty
21. **Treizeci** – Thirty
22. **Patruzeci** – Forty
23. **Cincizeci** – Fifty
24. **Șaizeci** – Sixty
25. **Șaptezeci** – Seventy
26. **Optzeci** – Eighty
27. **Nouăzeci** – Ninety
28. **O sută** – One hundred
Describing People and Things
Being able to describe people and objects is an important skill. Here are some adjectives and related phrases:
Adjectives
1. **Mare** – Big
2. **Mic** – Small
3. **Frumos** – Beautiful/Handsome
4. **Urat** – Ugly
5. **Tânăr** – Young
6. **Bătrân** – Old
7. **Rapid** – Fast
8. **Încet** – Slow
9. **Fericit** – Happy
10. **Trist** – Sad
Descriptive Phrases
1. **El este înalt.** – He is tall.
2. **Ea are ochi albaștri.** – She has blue eyes.
3. **Această masă este mare.** – This table is big.
4. **Cartea este interesantă.** – The book is interesting.
5. **Mâncarea este delicioasă.** – The food is delicious.
Travel and Directions
When traveling or navigating a new place, knowing certain words and phrases can be incredibly helpful.
Common Travel Phrases
1. **Unde este gara?** – Where is the train station?
2. **Cum ajung la aeroport?** – How do I get to the airport?
3. **Cât costă un bilet de autobuz?** – How much is a bus ticket?
4. **La ce oră pleacă trenul?** – What time does the train leave?
5. **Am nevoie de o hartă.** – I need a map.
Directions
1. **Stânga** – Left
2. **Dreapta** – Right
3. **Înainte** – Straight ahead
4. **Înapoi** – Back
5. **La colț** – At the corner
6. **Lângă** – Next to
7. **Între** – Between
Shopping and Money
Understanding the vocabulary related to shopping and money is crucial for everyday transactions.
Shopping Phrases
1. **Cât costă asta?** – How much does this cost?
2. **Aveți mărimea mea?** – Do you have my size?
3. **Pot plăti cu cardul?** – Can I pay by card?
4. **Îmi trebuie o pungă.** – I need a bag.
5. **Căutați ceva anume?** – Are you looking for something specific?
Money
1. **Bani** – Money
2. **Monedă** – Coin
3. **Bancnotă** – Banknote
4. **Rest** – Change
5. **Card de credit** – Credit card
6. **Numerar** – Cash
Common Expressions and Idioms
Understanding common expressions and idioms can make your Romanian sound more natural and fluent.
1. **A avea chef** – To be in the mood
2. **A face un bine** – To do a good deed
3. **A avea noroc** – To be lucky
4. **A da o mână de ajutor** – To lend a hand
5. **A fi în al nouălea cer** – To be on cloud nine
Practice Makes Perfect
Reaching the A2 level in Romanian requires consistent practice and exposure to the language. Here are some tips to help you practice:
1. **Use Flashcards**: Create flashcards with the words and phrases listed in this article. Review them daily to reinforce your memory.
2. **Watch Romanian TV Shows and Movies**: This can help you get used to the natural flow and pronunciation of the language.
3. **Listen to Romanian Music**: Find Romanian songs that you enjoy and listen to them regularly. Try to understand the lyrics and sing along.
4. **Practice Speaking**: Find a language exchange partner or join a language learning group where you can practice speaking Romanian.
5. **Read Books and Articles**: Start with children’s books or simple articles and gradually move to more complex texts.
By incorporating these words, phrases, and tips into your daily routine, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Romanian at the A2 level. Happy learning!