There’s a common misconception about Romanian. People often say it’s the “odd one out” of the Romance languages and that its grammar is too difficult for a beginner. But the truth is: Romanian is much easier than you might think.

If you already speak English, you’ve got a solid head start. And if you’ve ever studied another Romance language like Spanish, Italian, or French, you’re going to be shocked by how much you already know!

Let’s look at exactly what makes Romanian easy, what makes it a little tricky, and how you can start learning it today.

The romance language advantage

The biggest myth about Romanian is that it’s a Slavic language like Russian or Polish. It isn’t!

Romanian is actually a Romance language. It evolved directly from Latin, just like Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Because of this, a huge percentage of Romanian vocabulary will look and sound very familiar to you.

If you already know a few words in Spanish or Italian, you’ll be able to guess the meanings of many Romanian words. Let’s look at a few basic examples in this table:

As you can see, you won’t be starting from scratch when it comes to Romanian vocabulary.

Romanian grammar: the tricky parts

While the vocabulary is easy, Romanian grammar does have a couple of features that beginners find challenging. But don’t worry, they’re easy to get used to with a little practice.

The first tricky part is that Romanian is the only Romance language that still uses noun cases. This means a noun can change its spelling slightly depending on its role in the sentence (for example, whether it’s the subject of the sentence or showing possession).

The second tricky part is the definite article (the word “the”).

In English, Spanish, and French, we put “the” before the noun (e.g., the boy). In Romanian, the word for “the” is attached to the end of the noun.

Here’s how that works:

• Băiat = Boy

• Băiatul = The boy

• Fată = Girl

• Fata = The girl

It takes a little while to get used to reading the “the” at the end of the word, but soon it becomes second nature.

Here’s an example of it in action:

Pronunciation and spelling

Here’s some fantastic news: Romanian is a phonetic language.

This means words are pronounced exactly as they’re spelled. Unlike English, where words like “read” and “lead” or “though” and “tough” can confuse you, Romanian rules are very strict and consistent. Once you learn the alphabet, you can read any Romanian word out loud perfectly.

There are five special letters (diacritics) in the Romanian alphabet that you need to learn. They look like normal letters with little hats or commas on them:

• ă – Sounds like the “a” in the English word “about”.
• â / î – These two make the exact same sound. It’s a deep, guttural vowel sound that doesn’t quite exist in English, similar to the “oo” in “book” but deeper in the throat.
• ș – Sounds like the “sh” in “shoe”.
• ț – Sounds like the “ts” in “cats”.

Once you memorize these five sounds, Romanian pronunciation is a breeze!

Regional variations to keep in mind

If you’re planning to travel around Romania, you might notice that people speak slightly differently depending on where you are.

There are three main historical regions, and each has its own flavor:

• Wallachia (South): This includes the capital, Bucharest. The Romanian spoken here is considered “Standard Romanian.” This is what you’ll learn in books and apps.
• Transylvania (Central/West): People here tend to speak a bit slower and more melodically. They also use fun regional words, like saying fain instead of bun for “good.”
• Moldova (East): The accent here is softer, and they sometimes pronounce the letter “e” more like an “i”, or “p” more like a “k”. (Note: This refers to the region of Moldova in Romania, though the neighboring country of Moldova also speaks Romanian!).

As a beginner, don’t worry about these dialects. If you learn Standard Romanian, absolutely everyone in the country (and in the Republic of Moldova) will understand you perfectly.

Tips and resources for beginners

So, is Romanian hard? Not at all! It just takes a little dedication and the right approach.

Here’s exactly how to learn Romanian faster:

• Focus on common phrases first. Don’t spend your first month memorizing complicated grammar tables. Learn how to say hello, ask for directions, and order food.
• Listen to Romanian music and podcasts. Because the pronunciation is phonetic, listening to native speakers will help your brain map the sounds to the letters very quickly.
• Don’t stress over cases. Native speakers make grammar mistakes too. If you get a noun case wrong, people will still understand exactly what you mean. The goal is connection, not perfection!
• Find a language partner. Use websites to find a native Romanian speaker who wants to learn English. Romanians are incredibly proud of their language and are usually thrilled when foreigners try to learn it.

Learning Romanian gives you access to a rich culture, beautiful landscapes, and some of the warmest people in Eastern Europe.