One of the easiest and most colorful slang words in use today in Romania is mișto (meesh-toe), which is an all-purpose adjective meaning “fun, nice, enjoyable” or sometimes “funny”. I think if I had to choose one English word to universally translate misto as, it would be “delightful” although “cool” would probably be equally common. This is a direct borrowing from the “gypsy” language (rroma), … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Misto
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
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
If you’ve carefully read over the sidebar of my blog, you’ll notice that there’s a phrase “Cel Mai Tare Din Blogging Parcare”, which comes from a memory I have years ago. I was listening to the radio (trying to learn Romanian) when I heard an advertisement for some contest where the grand prize was a car. The tag line was that the winner (with his/her … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Tare
In your conversations in Romania you’re going to hear the word “fraier” (fry-air) sooner or later and so it’s important to know what it means. Generally speaking it is the complete opposite of smecher, or perhaps better said, “fraier” is the counterpart to “smecher”. Think of it this way: the smecher uses his/her cunning and craftiness to profit at the expense of the fraier. The … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Fraier
All Things Romania 