Food & Drinks

1. Un meniu, vă rog

   un me-NIU vuh rog

   A menu, please

   Usage

   Used to request a menu at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "meniu" is masculine (definite: "meniul"). "vă rog" is the formal "please"

2. Nota de plată, vă rog

   NO-ta de PLA-tuh vuh rog

   The bill, please

   Usage

   Used to ask for the bill after eating

   Grammar Note

   "nota" with definite article "-a" = "the note". "de plată" means "for payment"

3. Sunt vegetarian / vegetariană

   sunt ve-je-ta-ri-AN / ve-je-ta-ri-A-nuh

   I am vegetarian (male / female)

   Usage

   Used to inform about dietary restriction. Male: vegetarian, female: vegetariană

   Grammar Note

   Romanian nouns have gender: male form ends in "-an", female in "-ană"

4. Mămăligă cu brânză

   muh-muh-LI-guh ku BRUHN-zuh

   Cornmeal porridge with cheese (traditional Romanian dish)

   Usage

   Romanian national dish — cornmeal porridge similar to polenta, often served with cheese and sour cream

   Grammar Note

   "mămăligă" is feminine. "ă" is the central vowel /ə/ (schwa-like); this word has three of them

5. Ciorbă de burtă

   CHOR-buh de BUR-tuh

   Tripe soup (sour Romanian soup)

   Usage

   Famous Romanian sour soup made with beef tripe and vinegar

   Grammar Note

   "ciorbă" is the Romanian sour soup, from Turkish "çorba" (cognates are common across the Balkans). "de" is a preposition indicating contents

6. Vreau o apă minerală

   vreow o A-puh mi-ne-RA-luh

   I want a mineral water

   Usage

   Used to order mineral water at a restaurant or shop

   Grammar Note

   "o" is the feminine indefinite article ("apă" is feminine). "minerală" is the feminine adjective form

7. Fără gluten, vă rog

   FU-ruh GLU-ten vuh rog

   Without gluten, please

   Usage

   Used to request gluten-free food for dietary restrictions

   Grammar Note

   "fără" (without) directly precedes a noun. Can substitute: "fără carne" (no meat), "fără lapte" (no dairy)

8. Este delicios!

   ES-te de-li-CIOS

   It's delicious!

   Usage

   Used to express that the food is delicious

   Grammar Note

   "delicios" shares Latin roots with English "delicious". "Foarte delicios!" means very delicious

9. Pot plăti cu cardul?

   pot pluh-TI ku KAR-dul

   Can I pay by card?

   Usage

   Used to check if card payment is accepted

   Grammar Note

   "cardul" = "card" + definite article "-ul" (masculine). "cu" is a preposition meaning "with"

10. Ce recomandați?

    che re-ko-man-DATS

    What do you recommend?

    Usage

    Used to ask the waiter or owner for their recommendation

    Grammar Note

    "recomandați" is the formal 2nd person form. Informal: "Ce recomanzi?" (What do you recommend?)

11. Orez fiert

    o-REZ fyert

    Cooked rice

    Usage

    Ordering cooked rice; plain "orez" also means uncooked rice, so "fiert" (boiled) pins it down

12. Pâine

    PUH-ee-neh

    Bread

    Usage

    The basic word for asking for bread; works with pointing

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; with the definite article it becomes "pâinea"

13. Tăiței

    tuh-ee-TSAY

    Noodles

    Usage

    Refers to thin noodles; Italian-style pasta in general is "paste"

14. Picant

    pee-KAHNT

    Spicy hot

    Usage

    Chilli heat; say "fără picant" to avoid it. The synonym "iute" also means "fast", so this word is the safer one to point at

15. Dulce

    DOOL-cheh

    Sweet

    Usage

    Describes sweetness; pairs with "fără zahăr" (no sugar)

16. Crud

    KROOD

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    Use it to check whether something is cooked; ask for "bine gătit" if you want it cooked through

    Grammar Note

    Feminine form "crudă"

17. Supă

    SOO-puh

    Soup

    Usage

    A clear soup; Romania's sour soups have their own name, "ciorbă"

18. Brânză

    BRUHN-zuh

    Cheese

    Usage

    Cheese in general — in Romania it usually means the white sheep's-milk cheese; yellow aged cheese is "cașcaval"

19. Unt

    OONT

    Butter

    Usage

    For ordering butter, or for checking when avoiding dairy

20. Miere

    MYEH-reh

    Honey

    Usage

    For asking for honey; beekeeping is widespread in Romania and markets sell it everywhere

21. Iaurt

    YA-oort

    Yogurt

    Usage

    For buying or ordering yogurt

22. Tofu

    TOH-foo

    Usage

    Understood under this spelling in Romania; sold in large supermarkets and organic food shops

23. Fructe

    FROOK-teh

    Fruit

    Usage

    The general word for fruit — note that "fructe de mare" means seafood, so show this word on its own

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