Until you speak Romanian more or less fluently, I do not recommend you use the word tanti (tawn-tee) but you may hear it and wonder what it means.

As you can see at the link, it’s a word that’s used to address a woman, particularly an “older” woman. It would never, ever be used for a young woman in any situation. It comes straight from the German for “aunt” and is a kind of informal way to address a woman you don’t know.

The only places where people speak English and address unknown, elderly women as “auntie” is in Singapore and India so it’s a little difficult to describe when to use this word. If you are ever in a situation where you want to maintain respect, i.e. meeting someone’s family member or a work colleague, you would never, ever use the word tanti.

On the other hand, it’s not an offensive word either. It’s a word you’d use in quasi-informal situations with elderly women, such as someone on the bus/subway or someone you have a minor interaction with on the street.

AND NOW YOU KNOW!