Basic Nouns

1. Apă

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water; works with pointing

   Grammar Note

   Headwords have no article. The Romanian definite article is suffixed: apă → apa, bilet → biletul.

2. Mâncare

   Food

   Usage

   The general word when you are looking for something to eat

3. Bani

   Money

   Usage

   Comes up when paying or changing currency

   Grammar Note

   "Bani" is plural; the singular ban means the subunit coin.

4. Toaletă

   Toilet

   Usage

   The word alone is enough to ask for directions

5. Șervețele

   Tissue

   Usage

   For asking at a shop or a diner

6. Medicament

   Medicine

   Usage

   The core word at a pharmacy, paired with your symptom

7. Bagaj

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, picking up, or storing bags

8. Cheie

   Key

   Usage

   For collecting or returning it at hotel reception

9. Bilet

   Ticket

   Usage

   The base word for transport and admission tickets

10. Pașaport

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at every check-in and border control

11. Telefon

    Phone

    Usage

    Refers to the device and to making a call

12. Încărcător

    Charger

    Usage

    When you want to borrow one at a hotel or café

13. Gară

    Station

    Usage

    The easiest landmark to name when asking directions

14. Spital

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Poliție

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; the word alone gets help

16. Magazin

    Shop

    Usage

    The general word when hunting for somewhere to buy things

17. Cameră

    Room

    Usage

    For negotiating a stay or confirming a room number

18. Drum

    Road

    Usage

    Used when asking directions, often over a map

19. Familie

    Family

    Usage

    Comes up in small talk about who you are travelling with

20. Nume

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. Cap

    Head

    Usage

    Body part for showing where it hurts; point at your own head as you show it

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; "cap" also means a cape or tip, but pointing at your body removes the ambiguity

22. Ochi

    Eye

    Usage

    Point at this for eye pain, redness, or something in your eye

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun with identical singular and plural: "un ochi" / "doi ochi"

23. Dinte

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point at this for toothache; a dentist is "dentist"

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; plural "dinți"

24. Gât

    Throat

    Usage

    Romanian "gât" covers both the throat and the neck — touch the front of your throat or the back of your neck to show which you mean; "Mă doare în gât" specifically means a sore throat

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; plural "gâturi"

25. Burtă

    Belly / stomach

    Usage

    Point at this for stomach ache; the organ itself is "stomac". Note the dish "ciorbă de burtă" uses the same word for tripe, so point at your body

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun

26. Spate

    Back

    Usage

    Point at this for back pain

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; "în spate" also serves as the positional phrase "behind"

27. Șale

    Lower back

    Usage

    Point at this for lower-back pain; "Mă doare în șale" means "my lower back hurts"

    Grammar Note

    A feminine noun used only in the plural; the back as a whole is "spate"

28. Picior

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Romanian "picior" covers both the leg and the foot — point at the exact spot on your own body

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; plural "picioare"

29. Mână

    Hand

    Usage

    Point at this for hand pain or injury; the arm is "braț"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; plural "mâini"

30. Piept

    Chest

    Usage

    Point at this for chest pain or tightness — a high-priority symptom

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; chicken breast is likewise "piept de pui"

31. Hotel

    Usage

    Show it to a taxi driver or passer-by as your destination

32. Aeroport

    Airport

    Usage

    Your destination word in a taxi; Bucharest's main airport is Otopeni

33. Stație de autobuz

    Bus stop

    Usage

    Ask where the bus stop is; "stație" alone could be read as a rail station too

34. Metrou

    Subway / metro

    Usage

    Show it when hunting for a metro entrance; Bucharest stations carry a blue "M" sign

35. Ambasadă

    Embassy

    Usage

    Show it if you lose your passport or get into trouble

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; a consulate is "consulat"

36. Bancomat

    ATM

    Usage

    Ask where to withdraw cash; in Romania "bancomat" is better understood than "ATM"

37. Casă de schimb valutar

    Currency exchange

    Usage

    Show it when looking for a bureau de change; shopfronts usually read "SCHIMB VALUTAR"

38. Spălătorie

    Laundromat

    Usage

    Show it when looking for somewhere to wash clothes; self-service is "spălătorie automată" and dry cleaning is "curățătorie"

39. Mașină de pompieri

    Fire engine

    Usage

    The fire engine that comes to a fire; a firefighter is a "pompier"

    Grammar Note

    A collocation: "mașină" (vehicle) + "de pompieri" (of firefighters). Official documents also write "autospecială"

40. Consulat

    Consulate

    Usage

    Where to go for a replacement passport or emergency help; an embassy is "ambasadă"

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun, plural "consulate"; a consul is a "consul"

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