Spending money is unavoidable on a trip, and it is also one of the friendliest ways to practice. A market vendor would much rather you try a few words than wave a banknote in silence. These phrases cover prices, paying, and a bit of gentle bargaining.
There are really two kinds of shopping in Romania, and they call for slightly different language. In a supermarket or a chain store, prices are fixed and the exchange is quick. At an open-air market or a craft stall, there is more room to talk, and a polite question about the price can turn into a small negotiation. Both are covered below.
How do you ask the price?
The core question is short, and you will use it dozens of times a day.
Paying and getting change
Once you know the price, settle how you are paying. Card is common in cities; cash still rules at markets.
The words for money
Romania uses the leu, and prices are quoted in its plural, lei. A few money words make the rest of the conversation click.
Bargaining at a market
At craft stalls and open-air markets, a polite back and forth is part of the fun. Keep it friendly and you may land a small discount.
A real exchange might run: it costs a hundred lei, that is too expensive, can you do better, eighty, and the deal is done. The vendor expects it.
At the exchange counter
If you need lei in the first place, these get you through the window.
A couple more words round out a shopping trip: the ones for cheap and expensive, which you will use to react to almost any price.
A note on bargaining etiquette: it belongs at markets and craft stalls, not at the checkout of a grocery store, where prices are set and haggling would feel out of place. When it is appropriate, keep it light and good-natured. A smile and a fair counteroffer get better results than pushing hard, and walking away slowly is itself part of the dance.
Numbers and prices come fastest when you have heard them spoken aloud, which is exactly what the Learn Romanian app drills, with native audio that works offline so you can prep before you hit the market. Your first 30 days are on the house.
