Although I’ve written about politeness and being on the receiving end of unexpected rude behavior, I thought I’d correlate all of this together in a more concise way. Over all the years I’ve lived here in Romania, traveling everywhere from Bucharest to living in a remote mountain village, I’ve been treated incredibly well. Yet often I hear many stories of visitors who come here and … Continue reading Rudeness
Sometimes words in Romanian are right on the cusp between slang and “standard” use, a blend between being considered informal, perhaps even vulgar use and an ordinary, common word. You wouldn’t use these words in a job application but it wouldn’t shock your grandmother to say them. One such adjective is the Romanian word fain, pronounced exactly like the English “fine”, based on a similarly … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Fain
As I mentioned in this post, the Romanian day is divided somewhat differently that in other places, with morning ending before noon and evening, more or less, beginning at dusk. These are critically important when referring to times. Maine (mwee-nay) – Tomorrow Ieri (yair) – Yesterday Astazi (ah-stoz) – Today Although this doesn’t immediately appear to be devolved from Latin, it is. It stands for … Continue reading Time To Learn About Time
Since Monday can be a depressing day, it’s a good time to cover a common Romanian noun known as belea (beh-leh-AH). It’s another one of those nouns that has a number of similar meanings, all adding up to add a layered nuance to the word. Def. 1: “An unforeseen incident that brings trouble, suffering or disharmony.” Def. 2: “A complicated and unpleasant situation.” In my … Continue reading Word Of The Day: Belea
Probably one of my favorite Romanian words of all time is chef (kef), which has a number of interlocking definitions. Let’s take them one at a time: 1. Petrecere zgomotoasă cu mâncare, băutură (și cântec). Meaning: A loud party with food, drink (and singing). 2. Stare de (ușoară) beție și de bună dispoziție a omului care a băut. Meaning: The condition of being slightly drunk … Continue reading Slang Word Of The Day: Chef
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