Learning Romanian language

Thread: Learning Romanian language

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  1. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    "...so - aşa... '

    so meaning 'very' or so meaning 'and' or 'therefore'?

    Doesn't "esti sa frumoasa" translate as "You are so beautiful"? Is that 'sa' with an 's' or an 'ş'? And may I ask what accounts for the forms 'sa' as compared with 'aşa'? Is sa just a shortened form of aşa or is there more to it than meets the eye?

    Very interesting stuff!

    (p.s. Happy Birthday to you, Soso!)
     
  2. dya said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    "...so - aşa... '

    so meaning 'very' or so meaning 'and' or 'therefore'?
    aşa is hard to translate in english in just one word. It basically means: "like this"
    Īmi place aşa==I like it like this
    Fă aşa!--- Do like this!

    But in contexts like "(esti )aşa frumoasă" it is translated with "so": (you are) so beautiful

    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    Doesn't "esti sa frumoasa" translate as "You are so beautiful"? Is that 'sa' with an 's' or an 'ş'? And may I ask what accounts for the forms 'sa' as compared with 'aşa'? Is sa just a shortened form of aşa or is there more to it than meets the eye?
    Esti așa frumoasă. That's the sentence. The sentence you wrote is not correct, it doesn't mean anything.
     
  3. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    "...Esti așa frumoasă. That's the sentence. The sentence you wrote is not correct, it doesn't mean anything..."

    Okay, now I am confused again; it comes from these lyrics by Holograf, the song Asa Frumoasa, I believe:

    Esti sa frumoasa si daca m-ai iubi,
    As atinge luna si timpul s-ar opri
    Esti sa frumoasa
    Si ne-am iubi o viata intr-o zi

    ...and is where my question partly originated from.

    ?
     
  4. dya said:

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    Ești așa frumoasă și dacă m-ai iubi,
    Aș atinge luna și timpul s-ar opri
    Ești așa frumoasă
    Și ne-am iubi o viață īntr-o zi

    This is what they sing, this is the only correct way to say it. Your confusion comes from the fact that there were typos in the lyrics And nobody corrected them when translating the song. It happens. Sometimes when I translate a song I don't mind the typos in the Romanian text because I can understand it with or without typos. Especially if I know the song I don't even pay too much attention to what's written.
     
  5. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    lol, my confusion and my embarrassment. Now I understand the puzzled looks I kept getting when trying to show off my new verbal skills when I'd say "esti 'sa' frumoasa..."---but no one ever corrected me!

    How am I ever going to learn this if Romanians insist on being so polite?!



    Thanks, dya, and yes, I know it happens, but I am ill-equipped to know when it has---or exactly how it's all supposed to sound many times when listening to the audio along with the lyrics.

    Okay, I'd better get back to my other job again....
     
  6. dya said:

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    Just a hint: tell your friends to correct you and assure them you don't mind, you don't take it personally and you're not offended by it.

    When someone is trying to learn our language(which incidentally is not an international one and does not arise too much interest usually) we are simply glad, proud and honoured so we have no intention of discouraging that person by correcting mistakes at every step. We know it's a difficult language and we don't want to make that person think about giving up, if we keep correcting every word.

    So make that clear with the people you speak on messenger/phone. Insist that this is how you'll learn and that they would do you a favour by correcting you.

    It should work
     
  7. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Thanks for the tip, dya, it is indeed working.

    It has also made my Romanian friends feel much more open to laughing at me!
    lol...A lot!

    Which in this case is a good thing. Because now I'm making real progress (I hope).

     
  8. dya said:

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    Well, I'm glad it worked

    And it will be progress, cause once "activated", your friends will probably do their best into showing you "the best way"
     
  9. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    One Christmas surprise I received over the weekend is finding out that my neighbors, a young couple (they have a baby) who I generally see only in passing very quickly as they go their way & I go mine....speak Romanian.

    The lady, who is from Moldava, says anytime I have a question about the language, just ask. Nice!

    But now I have some questions and no one else is around to ask....

    I'm wondering what the Romanian equivalents might be for these phrases & ideas:

    1) wishful thinking

    2) want me to give you a hint?/let me give you a hint (I can't find a word for 'hint' in my dictionary and no one seems to understand what I'm getting at when I try to substitute the word 'clue')

    3) that's the impression I got/you gave me

    4) making a fool of yourself/I don't want to make a fool of myself

    5) I didn't expect that at all/I wouldn't have expected that

    And that's enough play time...fell a bit behind in my studies over the Christmas weekend---too many nieces & nephews who still believe in Santa Claus (who of course is quite real)---but today I am, and will be for several hours, trying to make up for lost time.
     
  10. dya said:

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    Merry Christmas, everybody

    Wolver, let's proceed:

    1) wishful thinking---The only equivalent expression I can come up with now is "gândire pozitivă"-- positive thinking. We tell people: "gândești pozitiv" in the same way you refer to "wishful thinking", usually with an ironic shade

    2) want me to give you a hint?/let me give you a hint - vrei să-ți dau un indiciu/ lasă-mă să-ți dau un indiciu (or stai să-ți dau un indiciu)

    3) that's the impression I got/you gave me--asta-i impresia pe care am avut-o/pe care mi-ai lăsat-o/dat-o

    4) making a fool of yourself/I don't want to make a fool of myself-- a te face de râs/ nu vreau să mă fac de râs

    5) I didn't expect that at all/I wouldn't have expected that- nu m-am așteptat deloc la asta/nu m-aș fi așteptat la asta

    Hope I helped
     
  11. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Thank you, dya, you did, very much so; and Merry Christmas to you, too.

    Hmmm....wishful thinking, at least the idea I had in mind, means more along the way of hoping things will go the way you want them to, or have made up your mind to expect them to, even though they probably aren't going to happen that way at all. Just in case that helps...no wonder I can't make myself understood with my English-Romanian dictionary all the time...I thought I maybe could, but as it turns out, that was just so much---wishful thinking!

    One more toughie, if I may: my family bought a puppy as a gift for my mother this Christmas...it is a mixed breed, part German Shepherd, part collie (and she's really foarte frumoasa and a real sweetie!)

    Is there a best way to convey this puppy's mixed-breed status to my Romanian friend who is sure to ask later tonight? Thanks in advance yet again.
     
  12. dya said:

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    So: gândire pozitivă as an expression is meant to refer to exactly what you said.

    It's just that, besides this meaning, we also use the expression in an ironic way, especially with the verb in it: Îmi place că gândești pozitiv! (I like it that you think positively----what I actually want to say is: I like that even if there's NO way for this to happen, you still "see" the way!)

    As for the puppy issue I didn't understand what exactly you need? How to say "mixed-breed status"? That is(and the word used in any other context than referring to animals is insulting) :corcitură.

    How to say German Shepherd? That is "ciobănesc german". Collie has no equivalent in Romanian. We use the same word. Or we say " Lassie" !!!

    Alltogether, if you want to say that the puppy is a mixed breed, part german sheperd, part collie, you'd say: "este o corcitură între/de ciobănesc german si collie".
     
  13. mister Xazos's Avatar

    mister Xazos said:

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    Hey Wolver and Dya.
    I saw I missed the lines a little.
    I'm very suprised how faster you learn Romanian. It's interesting. And the questions you're asking are not ordinary. For instance, I met a person who asked me If in Romania we speak Russian as a mother language. I remained something like : W*TF ?
    Congratz my friend for beeing such a good student and of course to your teacher, DYA ! (sorry I skip classes, I'm in a rough periode)
    Hugs and kisses to all .
    Πάρε φιλιά, πάρε καρδιά και μη νοιαστείς για μένα.
    Πάρε ό,τι ζει κι άσε με εκεί
    μόνο στο τίποτα...
     
  14. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Hey there! I missed some lines too..Hmmm..and this is not good..So,I will continue a bit later with the romanian lessons
    Kisses..Pupici!:*
     
  15. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    VERBS:

    to be = a fi
    to have=a avea
    to go,to walk=a merge
    to do,to make=a face
    to read=a citi
    to work-a lucra
    to write=a scrie
    to eat=a mānca
    to drink=a bea
    to sleep=a dormi
    to run=a fugi
    to return= a se īntoarce
    to arrive=a ajunge
    to become=a deveni
    to try=a īncerca
    to love=a iubi
    to speak=a vorbi
    to sing=a cānta
    to dance=a dansa
    can=a putea
    to know=a şti
    to understand=a īnţelege
    to hear=a auzi
    to come=a veni
    to say=a spune
    to ask( question)=a īntreba
    to answer=a răspunde
    to start=a īncepe
    to finish=a termina
    to buy=a cumpăra
    to translate=a traduce
    to know(somebody)=a cunoaşte
    to explain=a explica
    to prefere=a prefera
    to ask(for something)=a cere
    to send=a trimite
    to let=a lăsa
    to pay=a plati
    to put=a pune
    to take=a lua
    to need=a avea nevoie
    to live=a trai
    to die=a muri
    to live(somewhere)=a locui
    to get in=a intra
    to go out=a ieşi
    to pass=a trece
    to sit=a se aşeza
    to stand=a se ridica
    to search=a căuta
    to find=a găsi
    to keep=a pastra
    to give=a da
    to bring=a aduce
    to forget=a uita
    to dream=a visa
    to learn=a īnvaţa
    to help=a ajuta
    to open=a deschide
    to close=a īnchide
    to remember=a īşi aduce aminte(a-şi aduce aminte),a īşi aminti (a-şi aminti)
    to suffer=a suferi
    to cry=a plānge
    to forgive=a ierta
    to smile=a zāmbi
    to laugh=a rāde
    to meet-a se īntālni
    to turn on=a aprinde(the lamp),a porni(the radio)
    to turn off=a stinge(the lamp),a opri(the radio)
    to feel=a simţi
    to wear=a purta
    to burn=a arde
    to look (to something)=a privi,a se uita
    to look (like)-a arata
    to smell= a mirosi
    to lose=a pierde
    to win=a cāştiga
    to hate=a urī
    to swimm=a īnota
    to jump=a sări
    to fly=a zbura
    to play=a se juca
    to tremble=a tremura
    to cut=a tăia
    to push=a tăia
    to pull=a trage
    to get mad=a se enerva
    to invite=a invita
    to touch=a atinge
    to hurt=a răni
    to hide-a (se) ascunde

    Enjoy!!!!
     
  16. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Thanks, Cristina...I was ust finishing up chatting with someone in Bucuresti and wanted to say 'I need to sleep.'

    Would this be: 'Vreau a dormi' ?

    Anyway, buna seara when your afternoon is done, and noapte buna even later than that.

    Me....time for Dreamland. And thanks dya for the puppy talk, it went very well!
     
  17. lollipop's Avatar

    lollipop said:

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    Hello!
    As this thread is educational and useful, and this way also questions about grammar come in one place, I have made this thread to a Sticky.

    I wish you all happy educating and learning!
     
  18. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    Thanks, Cristina...I was ust finishing up chatting with someone in Bucuresti and wanted to say 'I need to sleep.'

    Would this be: 'Vreau a dormi' ?

    Anyway, buna seara when your afternoon is done, and noapte buna even later than that.

    Me....time for Dreamland. And thanks dya for the puppy talk, it went very well!
    Not really the verbs I put in the list are in the infinitive mode(like you find them in the dictionary).We didn't talk about the times or modes yet..
    In the sentence "I need to sleep" the verb "sleep" is not in the infinitive mode,it is subjunctive so the translation for "to sleep" is "să dorm"..We will talk about this but step by step..
     
  19. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    PRESENT TENSE for to be and to have

    to be-a fi

    I am=Eu sunt
    You are=Tu eşti
    He is=El este
    She is=Ea este
    It is=El/ea este
    We are=Noi suntem
    You are=Voi sunteţi
    They are=Ei sunt (masculine)
    Ele sunt (feminine)


    to have=a avea

    I have=Eu am
    You have=Tu ai
    He has=El are
    She has=Ea are
    It has=El/ea are
    We have=Noi avem
    You have=Voi aveţi
    They have=Ei au
    Ele au
     
  20. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Conjugation of the verbs in romanian:

    Romanian verbs are categorized into four large conjugation groups depending on the ending in the infinitive mood(mode).

    First conjugation: verbs ending in –a, such as a da (to give), a cānta (to sing), a lucra (to work)

    Second conjugation: verbs ending in –ea (only when ea is a diphthong), such as a putea (can), a cădea (to fall),a vedea (to see)

    Third conjugation: verbs ending in –e, such as a vinde (to sell), a crede (to believe),a merge (to go)

    Fourth conjugation: verbs ending in –i or –ī, such as a veni (to come), a urī (to hate).