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A1.15 Romanian food & drinks vocabulary

In this online Romanian lesson you will find a list of useful vocabulary words for eating and drinking in Romania.
We will teach you how to say in Romanian:

A typical Romanian lunch would start with a soup as the first dish followed by a main dish (most of the times containing meat) with a salad and closing with a desert and a coffee.
The Romanian kitchen is largely based on meat products (ranging from soup with meat, to grilled pork, poultry...). Romanians like quite a lot grilled meat.

How do you say "enjoy your meal" and "cheers" in Romanian?

English Romanian
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Audio Phonetic
Transcription

Enjoy your meal

Literally: Appetite good

Poftă bu

/'pof.tə 'bu.nə/

cheers

as in English, "noroc" can be used for a toast, or for saying hi or goodbye)

noroc

/no'rok/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Romanian courses names

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starter

appetizer

In Romanian "aperitiv" refers most of the time to "starter" rather than an alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetizer. 

aperitiv

/a.pe.ri'tiv/

main dish

felul principal

/'fe.lul prin.t͡ʃi.pal/

second dish a synonym of "main dish" (felul principal)

felul doi

/'fe.lul doj/

dessert

desert

/de'sert/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Romanian tableware / dinning room vocabulary

English Romanian
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Audio Phonetic
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spoon

lingură

/'lin.gu.rə/

fork

furculiță

/fur.ku'li.t͡sə/

knife

cuțit

/ku't͡sit/

plate

farfurie

/far.fu'ri.e/

salt

sare

/'sa.re/

pepper

piper

/pi'per/

oil

ulei

/u'lej/

vinegar

et

/o't͡set/

napkin

șerveţel

/ʃer.ve't͡sel/

toothpick

scobitoare

/sko.bi'to̯a.re/

bread

pâine

/ˈpɨj.ne/

bread rolls

chifle

/'ki.fle/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Coffee & Tea - Romanian Vocabulary

English Romanian
translation
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tea

ceai

/ʧe̯aj/

coffee

cafea

/ka'fe̯a/

coffee with milk

cafea cu lapte

/ka'fe̯a ku 'lap.te/

Would you like to go for a coffee? (you can address both a man and a woman like this)

Ai vrea să mergem la o cafea?

 

/aʲ vre̯a sə 'mer.d͡ʒem la o ka'fe̯a/

capuccino

capuccino

/ka.pu't͡ʃi.no/

espresso

espresso

/es'pre.so/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Romanian soft drinks

English Romanian
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Audio Phonetic
Transcription

plain water

apă pla

/apə 'pla.tə/

sparkling water, or sodawater

Scientifically speaking, "apă minerală" is not the correct translation for "sparkling water" however many so Romanians (wrongly) use it, that you are bound to hear it.

apă minera

/apə mi.ne'ra.lə/

orange juice

suc de portocale

/suk de por.to'ka.le/

apple juice

suc de mere

/suk de 'me.re/

natural fresh juice

suc natural proaspăt

/suk na.tu'ral pro̯as.pət/

non sparkling (you are literally saying "without acid"; even though "acid" is obviously innappropiate in this context this is the popular way of saying in Romanian "not sparkling"

fără acid

/'fə.rə a't͡ʃid/

Coca cola

Coca cola

/'ko.ka 'ko.la/

Fanta

Fanta

/'fan.ta/

Peach Prigat 

Prigat is a popular softdrinks brand in Romania

Prigat de piersici

/pri'gat de 'pjer.sit͡ʃi/

2 Listening
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Alcoholic beverages - Beer - Romanian vocabulary

English Romanian
translation
Audio Phonetic
Transcription

beer

bere

/'be.re/

dark beer

bere bru

/'be.re 'bru.nə/

alcohol-free beer (even though low-alcohol beer is translated differently in Romanian than "bere fără aclool" it virtually means the same thing)

It is very important to know that driving in Romania imposes a virtually alcohol free percentage in your blood, thus no alcohol consumption before hitting the road. The rules are quite strict and the Romanian police are enforcing them. 

bere fără alcool

/'be.re 'fə.rə al.ko'ol/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Romanian Wine Vocabulary

English Romanian
translation
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red wine

vin roșu

/vin 'ro.ʃu/

white wine

vin alb

/vin alb/

rose wine

vin rose

/vin ro'ze/

dry

sec

/sek/

medium-dry

demi-sec

/'de.mi sek/

medium

demi-dulce

/'de.mi 'dul.'t͡ʃe/

sweet

dulce

/'dul.t͡ʃe/

2 Listening
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Liqueur, brandy... - Romanian distilled alcoholic beverages

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liqueur

(also known as schnapps, or cordial)

lichior

/li'kjor/

sour cherry brandy

This is a very common if not the most famous Romanian liqueur (also known as shnapps or cordial) made of sour cherries, sugar and alcohol. It is usually home made, thus it can be normal 30% alcohol or stronger (according to the house recepy).

It is easily available in the bigger Romanian supermarkets (30% alcohol).

vișina

/vi.ʃi.na.tə/

blueberry brandy

Afinată is a Romanian liqueur made of bilberries (similar and a bit smaller blueberries), sugar and alcohol. It is similar to vișinată.

afina

/a.fi'na.tə/

Martini

Martini

/mar'ti.ni/

cocktail

cocktail

/'kok.tejl/

champagne

şampanie

/ʃam'pa.ni.e/

cognac

coniac

/ko'njak/

whisky

whisky

/'wis.ki/

vodka

votca

/'vot.ka/

2 Listening
3 Translate

Romanian starter (eating, food) - useful phrases

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fish roe salad

It's a spreadable salad made of fresh roe (usually carp) with sunflower oil with (or without) ognions and lemon juice

icre

/'i.kre/

salami

salam

/sa'lam/

yellow cheese

caşcaval

/kaʃ.ka'val/

Tripe soup (Ciorba de burtă) is one of the most popular Romanian traditional dishes. It is a white sour soup of tripe (beef) seasoned with garlic sauce and vinaigre/lemon.

ciorbă de burtă

/'ʧio̯r.bə de bur.tə/

beef sour soup

ciorbă de văcuţă

/'ʧio̯r.bə de və'ku.t͡sə/

chicken soup

(it could bewith a small sliced chicken meat, however and especially for the home made chicken soup, you can expect to find a chicken wing or drumstick in your plate)

supă de pui

/'su.pə de puj/

tomato soup

It is important to note that most Romanian soups are borth/bouillon type also called clear soup. This is why if you want to refer in Romanian to a soup which is mixed and cream like than you should add the word "cremă".

supă cremă de roşii

/'su.pə 'cre.mə de 'ro.ʃiʲ/

semolina dumplings soup (usually with chicken meat as well)

supă de găluşte

/'su.pə de gə'luʃ.te/

soup of the day

supa zilei

/'su.pa 'zi.lej/

pâté

a finely-ground spreadeable paste of meat (usually pork, gesses liver)

pateu

/pa'tew/

pastrami

A salty smoked piece of mutton, turkey, beef or turkey. seasoned with spices and herbs.

pastra

/pas'tra.mə/

eggs

o

/o.wə/

smoked

afumat

/a.fu'mat/

2 Listening
3 Translate

"Salata de icre" is most probably something that you haven't tried yet. If you would like to learn more about it including the Romanian recipe please watch the following video detailing the ingredients and how to reach the desired outcome. If you need the translation of the Romanian video transcript just drop us a comment at the bottom of this page and we'll translate it.

3 comments

Commenting on food

I want to be able to comment on food by saying such things as
"This is very good". "The meal was delicious" I liked the food very much" "Very tasty" "Delicious"

I also want to be able to as for hot water with some milk

I want also to ask for my coffee to be extra hot>

Thanks for your help

What to say after a meal in Romanian?"

Hi,

As a quick reply:
"This is very good" - "Este foarte bun". If you want to make it perfect it becomes more complicated, because "bun" refers to nouns (in this case referring to food) which are masculine. A sausage (cârnăcior) is masculine in Romanian whereas a soup is a she(feminine) in Romanian. For soup you should say "Este bună".

"The meal was delicious" - the natural way of saying this in Romanian would be "Mâncarea a fost gustoasă" which literally means the "Food was tasty".
"I liked the food very much" is translated as "Mi-a plăcut mâncarea foarte mult"
"Very tasty" - "Foarte gustos" for mascuilne nouns, or "Foarte gustoasă" referring to feminine nouns.
"Delicious" - "Delicios" for masculine , "delicioasă" for feminine Romanian nouns.
"I would like hot water with some milk" - "Aș vrea apă caldă cu lapte". You might need to repeat this as even if you might be pronouncing well this request is quite uncommon in Romania.
"I would like my coffee extra hot" - "Aș dori cafeaua fierbinte"

I have already some recordings on compliments after a meal in Romanian. I'll do my best to add them in the above lesson, and hopefully add the recordings of what I've just translated above. I'll post back here once that is done. In the meantime you have at least the written answer.

Happy to help

Romanian food - practice exercises

I have also added exercises at the end of the lesson to allow you to practice and help in remembering the Romanian food related vocabulary.

Happy to help

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