Most people you stop in the street will be glad to help, especially if you try a few words of Romanian first. This guide covers the questions to ask, the answers you will hear, and the words for buses, trams, trains and tickets. The questions use the polite form, which is right with any stranger.
Asking the way
Start with Scuzați-mă (Excuse me), the polite form that works with any stranger, then ask with unde (where) or cum (how).
Scuzați-mă, unde este gara?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Cum ajung la centru?
How do I get to the centre?
Este departe?
Is it far?
Mă puteți ajuta?
Could you help me?
Swap in any place: Unde este hotelul? (Where is the hotel?), Unde este o farmacie? (Where is a pharmacy?), Cum ajung la muzeu? (How do I get to the museum?). Notice la after ajung: you get to a place with la.
Left, right, straight on
la stânga
(on the) left
la dreapta
(on the) right
drept înainte
straight on
înapoi
back
la colț
at the corner
la semafor
at the traffic lights
Directions come as instructions, so you will hear the imperative. A stranger will normally use the polite form, ending in -ți; a friend will use the tu form.
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Mergeți drept înainte. | Go straight on. (polite) |
| Mergi drept înainte. | Go straight on. (tu) |
| Luați-o la stânga. | Turn left. (polite) |
| Faceți la dreapta. | Turn right. (polite, everyday) |
| Întoarceți-vă. | Turn back. (polite) |
| Traversați strada. | Cross the street. (polite) |
Near, far, next to
aproape
near, close
departe
far
lângă
next to
vizavi
opposite, across the road
Lângă is followed by the plain noun: lângă bancă (next to the bank). În fața (in front of) and în spatele (behind) take the genitive, the of form explained in the guide to Romanian noun cases.
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| lângă bancă | next to the bank |
| în fața gării | in front of the station |
| în spatele hotelului | behind the hotel |
| vizavi de parc | opposite the park |
| aproape de centru | near the centre |
| la doi pași | very close, a short walk (literally "two steps away") |
Getting around
autobuz
bus
tramvai
tram
troleibuz
trolleybus
metrou
metro, underground
tren
train
taxi
taxi
gară
railway station
stație
stop (bus, tram), metro station
aeroport
airport
bilet
ticket
To say by bus or train, use cu and the noun with its article. English drops the article here; Romanian keeps it.
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| cu autobuzul | by bus |
| cu trenul | by train |
| cu metroul | by metro |
| cu mașina | by car |
| pe jos | on foot |
In, to and from a city
Three small prepositions do most of the work when you talk about where you are, where you are going and where you come from.
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Locuiesc în Cluj. | I live in Cluj. |
| Merg la București. | I'm going to Bucharest. |
| Vin din Iași. | I'm coming from Iași. |
| Sunt din Anglia. | I'm from England. |
| Plec la mare. | I'm going to the seaside. |
În is in, la is to (and also at), and din is from. With la, the noun usually has no article: la mare, la munte (to the mountains), la gară (to the station).
Tickets and departures
Un bilet pentru Cluj, vă rog.
A ticket to Cluj, please.
dus-întors
return (ticket)
La ce oră pleacă trenul?
What time does the train leave?
Unde trebuie să cobor?
Where do I need to get off?
A single ticket is doar dus (literally "only going"). On a bus or tram, Coborâți la următoarea? asks the person in front of you whether they are getting off at the next stop. For the times themselves, see the guide to days, months and telling the time.
Further reading
- dexonline (opens in a new tab), the free online dictionary of Romanian, for place and transport words.
- Institutul Limbii Române (opens in a new tab), the Romanian Language Institute.