One of the best things about learning Romanian as an English speaker is that there are so many words you already recognize.

Because Romanian is a Romance language (like French, Spanish, and Italian), it shares a lot of Latin roots with English. About 60% of Romanian vocabulary is Latin-based.

This means you can often guess the meaning of a word just by looking at it. Problemă means “problem,” acțiune means “action,” and student means “student.”

But sometimes, your intuition will betray you.

There is a group of words in linguistics called “false friends” (or faux amis). These are words that look and sound very similar to English words, but have completely different meanings.

If you aren’t careful, these can lead to some very confusing - and sometimes embarrassing - situations.

Here’s a guide to the most common Romanian false friends you need to watch out for.

Prezervativ vs. Preservative

This is the classic mistake that almost every language learner makes at least once, and it is definitely the most embarrassing one on this list!

If you go to a Romanian market and ask if the food has prezervativi, the shopkeeper will look at you very strangely.

What prezervativ actually means:

In Romanian, a prezervativ is a condom.

How to say “preservative”:

If you want to talk about the chemicals used to keep food fresh, the word you are looking for is conservant.

Librărie vs. Library

This is a very common mix-up because the words look nearly identical. However, the difference lies in whether you are buying the book or borrowing it.

What librărie actually means:

A librărie is a bookstore. It is a shop where you purchase books and stationery.

How to say “library”:

The place where you go to study or borrow books for free is called a bibliotecă.

Mizerie vs. Misery

If you walk into a room and say “it is such mizerie in here,” you aren’t saying the room is sad or depressing. You are saying it is dirty.

What mizerie actually means:

Mizerie refers to mess, dirt, squalor, or filth. If you drop your ice cream on the pavement, that is mizerie.

How to say “misery”:

To talk about a state of great unhappiness or suffering, you would use words like nefericire (unhappiness) or suferință (suffering).

Gimnaziu vs. Gymnasium

In English, a “gymnasium” (or gym) is a place where you exercise or play sports. In Romanian, the word is related to education.

What gimnaziu actually means:

Gimnaziu refers to middle school (usually grades 5 through 8, for students aged roughly 10 to 14). It is the school you attend before high school (liceu).

How to say “gym”:

If you want to work out, you go to the sală de sport (sports hall) or simply la sală.

Chef vs. Chef

If someone tells you they have “no chef today,” they don’t mean they fired their cook.

What chef actually means:

This word has two meanings in Romanian, and neither of them is a professional cook.

1. It means mood or desire to do something (e.g., nu am chef = I’m not in the mood).
2. It is a colloquial term for a party or a feast.

How to say “chef”:

A professional cook is called a bucătar.

Fabrică vs. Fabric

This is a confusion regarding materials versus the place where things are made.

What fabrică actually means:

A fabrică is a factory or an industrial plant.

How to say “fabric”:

For the material you use to make clothes, you use the word material or țesătură.

Sensibil vs. Sensible

These two words describe personality traits, but they are quite different.

What sensibil actually means:

Sensibil means sensitive. It describes someone who gets emotional easily or has delicate feelings. It can also mean physically sensitive (like sensitive skin).

How to say “sensible”:

To describe someone who is practical, rational, and has good judgment, you would use rațional or the phrase cu capul pe umeri (literally: with the head on the shoulders).

Eventual vs. Eventually

This is a subtle one, but it changes the meaning of a sentence regarding time and probability.

What eventual actually means:

Eventual means possibly or potentially. It indicates that something might happen, not that it definitely will happen later.

How to say “eventually”:

To say that something will happen in the end or after a long time, use în cele din urmă or până la urmă.

Summary table

Here is a quick cheat sheet to help you study these tricky words.

Don’t worry if you make these mistakes!

Native speakers are usually very understanding, and if you mix up librărie and bibliotecă, they will know exactly what you mean. (Though maybe be extra careful with prezervativ!).

Mistakes are a natural part of language acquisition, and often, the funniest mistakes are the ones that help us remember the correct words forever.