If you speak any kind of Latin-based language, it’s pretty easy to recognize the Romanian word plaja to mean “beach”, as in the sandy strip of shoreline next to a body of water such as an ocean. But what is face plaja or “to do the beach”? In Romanian this is a very common expression and all it means is to “tan oneself” or “lay … Continue reading Expression of the Day: Face Plaja
The other day I was racking my brain trying to think of a few words that people learning Romanian might hear but might be difficult to find in the dictionary as they are a kind of slang or euphemistic speech. And then this came across my Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/DeWeekendRo/status/68277315414671360 Yes! What does razna mean, and what does it mean to “take” it? Plainly put, “o … Continue reading Word of the Day: Razna
Lately I’ve been seeing this expression contra cost pop up a lot and I really didn’t understand it. After all, contra means “against”, so did it mean free (no charge)? Or did it mean something akin to “at a minimum cost”? No. Turns out it’s related to a euphemism for prostitution and “contra cost” means to do something for money. It doesn’t necessarily have to … Continue reading Word of the Day: Contra Cost
Earlier today, I was walking down the rainy streets of the unicorn-laced metropolis of Cluj-Napoca when a man stopped me to ask me (in Romanian) for directions to the “Mitropol”. I asked him if he meant the religious term or a casino or what it was as I didn’t know to what he was referring. He kept insisting it was a restaurant close by and … Continue reading Word of the Day: Habar
Well yesterday I used a word that some of you had probably never heard before. I do indeed hope you never hear it during your time in Romania or while speaking to Romanians. Sadly, however, it is a word that’s all too regularly employed. I am referring to țeapă (tZOPP-uh). Sometimes you’ll see it spelled online as “tzeapa” or even “tzapa” due to the inability … Continue reading Slang Word of the Day: Ţeapă
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