How to Learn Romanian, Step by Step

To learn Romanian, start with its five extra letters and its sounds, then learn how the ends of nouns change. About 22 million people spoke Romanian as their first language in 2020, and it is an official language of Romania, Moldova and the European Union. Romanian has a 31-letter alphabet, and words are spelled almost the way they sound, so you can read out loud early.

How to Learn Romanian, Step by Step

Steps 1 to 3 cover your first few weeks, and steps 4 to 6 carry on after that.

• 🔤Learn the Five Extra LettersRomanian adds five letters with marks: ă, â, î, ș and ț. Two of them make sounds you already know, since ș sounds like sh and ț like ts. Practice ă and â with audio, and î sounds the same as â.
• 👂Learn Each Word With Its StressRomanian doesn't mark stress in writing, so play the audio for each new word and copy which part the speaker says loudest.
• 🔚Watch the End of Each NounRomanian puts “the” on the end of a noun, and the ending changes again for “of,” as in cartea (the book) and cărții (of the book).
• 🔍Look Up Every Form of a WordWhen an ending confuses you, look the word up in a dictionary that lists all its forms, then read its sentence again.
• 📖Read and Listen at Your LevelSpend most of your study time on stories and podcasts you can mostly follow. Romanian Weekly posts a new story each week, marked A2 or B1.
• 🗣️Talk With a PersonTalk with a tutor or exchange partner once a week, and tell them about a story you read.

For steps 2 and 4, dexonline gives each word's pronunciation and all of its forms. For step 5, Duostories has 20 Romanian stories with audio, and the guide to Romanian you can follow lists more for each level. For step 6, italki lists Romanian tutors.

Find Where You Are

Bubblegum is a language app with Romanian lessons at six levels, each with audio. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes every lesson about a topic you pick. Find your sentence below and follow its row.

1. Level 1

   I'm just starting out or know only a few words.

   Read short greetings and introductions with the audio on, and say each line after the speaker.

   A Level 1 lesson about greetings →
2. Level 2

   I can handle simple exchanges.

   Read short stories with audio, and write a few lines about your week.

3. Level 3

   I follow conversations on familiar topics.

   Listen to a podcast with transcripts, like Romanian Weekly, and start talking with a tutor or partner.

4. Level 4

   I understand most content but miss some nuance.

   Listen to the news on Radio România Actualități, and note two phrases a week to use with your tutor.

5. Level 5

   I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.

   Watch one Romanian interview a week, and retell its main point to your tutor.

6. Level 6

   I can read almost anything.

   Read a Romanian novel with a reading group or tutor, a chapter a week.

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