Greetings are the first thing you’ll use and the first thing locals notice. Get these right and a lot of doors open. Here are the twelve Romanian greetings worth learning first, with a plain pronunciation guide and a note on when each one fits.
How do you say hello in Romanian?
The safe, polite hello is Bună ziua. It works in shops, with older people, and any time you’re not sure how formal to be. With friends, drop down to Bună or Salut.
Greetings for the time of day
Romanian changes its greeting with the clock, much like English “good morning” and “good evening.”
How to say goodbye
For a polite goodbye, use La revedere. With friends, Pa is the easy, everyday choice.
A few words that build the greetings
Notice that bună on its own means “good” (in the feminine), which is why it shows up in so many greetings. A couple more building blocks:
Quick tips that save you
- When in doubt, go formal. “Bună ziua” is never wrong with a stranger.
- Romanians often add a small smile and eye contact with a greeting. It counts as much as the words.
- “Bună” doubles as “hi,” so you’ll hear it constantly. It’s the fastest win in the language.
Say each line out loud a few times before you move on. Greetings are short, so a couple of minutes of speaking practice is usually enough to make them stick.