Learning Romanian language

Thread: Learning Romanian language

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  1. mister Xazos's Avatar

    mister Xazos said:

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    Hmmm... Yes, Moldova make part from Big Romania, they still want as much as us to come back to Romania, but... (I won't tell further) There are some links for learning Ro. I'll search today to find them.
    Another possibility is to come in Iasi, is close to Moldova, and I guess we have in university classes for forreigners (I have doubts If you must fallow an University here to be able to learn Ro).
    Anyway, when I'll go to my school I'll stop a little to University.
    Greatings my friend.
    Πάρε φιλιά, πάρε καρδιά και μη νοιαστείς για μένα.
    Πάρε ό,τι ζει κι άσε με εκεί
    μόνο στο τίποτα...
     
  2. Klaudis's Avatar

    Klaudis said:

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    I think that this learning is a great idea! thanks for all teachers
     
  3. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Buna to all! I am very interested in learning to both speak & read Romanian fluently--I am planning a visit there late next year, in fact--so I am probably going to be quite active in this thread for some time to come.

    Time is short for me this week, however, so, if it's all right, I would like to begin by asking the English meanings of a couple of things I have been unable to decipher with the help of my dictionary.

    1. bau bau -- Does this mean monster, of the kind we imagine when we are small children? I saw someone using it for their nickname, and then again in some YouTube talk about Cleopatra Stratan's work, I think.

    2. m-a luat valu -- I have no idea about this one but someone used it in a chat but left before I could ask its meaning. I have heard since then that it is also from a song.

    Thanks.
    Last edited by wolver99; 12-04-2007 at 11:30 AM.
     
  4. dya said:

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    Very quick answer(preparing to eat )

    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    1. bau bau -- Does this mean monster, of the kind we imagine when we are small children? I saw someone using it for their nickname, and then again in some YouTube talk about Cleopatra Stratan's work, I think.
    Yes, that's the "monster" we use to scare children. "Bau Bau is gonna come if you don't eat your soup!!!".

    Also Bau! is said to scare someone, it's the equivalent of BOO! (if that's how it's spelled in english)

    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    2. m-a luat valu -- I have no idea about this one but someone used it in a chat but left before I could ask its meaning. I have heard since then that it is also from a song.
    this expression means: "I got carried away". Literally it means I was taken by the wave, meaning, I forgot my initial intention in a given situation and I got carried away with the discussion ending up in a very different point than the one intended.

    Also, when you get angry, really angry and lose control you can use the same expression, tomean: I got so involved in it that I lost control.
     
  5. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Thanks, dya. I wondered why the word 'wave' was in that expression, that really baffled me.
     
  6. mister Xazos's Avatar

    mister Xazos said:

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    I read your posts Wolwer and I understood you want to come here in Romania. Nice to know that. From where your passion for Romanian Language ?
    Learn very well our alphabet, write a lot of words to be familiar and after this get ready for grammar.
    I have here some links for you. Have a look :
    1. http://www.learnromanian.ro/english/index.php
    2. http://www.dictionare.com/
    3. http://www.freewebs.com/invata_limba...troduction.htm

    Hope to make an idea with these
    Πάρε φιλιά, πάρε καρδιά και μη νοιαστείς για μένα.
    Πάρε ό,τι ζει κι άσε με εκεί
    μόνο στο τίποτα...
     
  7. dya said:

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    Multumesc Soso I remembered I found some links but I didn't write them here for everybody to see:

    http://www.romanianlessons.com/ -- Basics, organized in 10 lessons

    http://www.101languages.net/romanian/-- Basic vocabulary, organised in categories of interest. My advice is to learn the Romanian pronounciation and to try and pronounce the words/phrases according to your knowledge, because if you are to follow the pronunciation instructions from here, you have a real chance to...give up!!
     
  8. gossip-girl's Avatar

    gossip-girl said:

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    Wow, multumesc foarte mult pentru linkuri (is it the right plural form of it? )
     
  9. dya said:

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    Cu plăcere, gossip-girl Yes, that's the right plural
     
  10. gossip-girl's Avatar

    gossip-girl said:

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    I think I asked about it somewhere but now... I cannot find my post
    What does "pe tine te am ales" mean?
     
  11. dya said:

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    You asked, indeed, and i answered but I don't know what the hell happened with the posts/threads from the last two days. Everything is gone. And not only from the Romanian section. From all sections.

    A lot of work was lost

    Coming back:

    Pe tine te-am ales means I chose you. Literally: (it's) you I chose
     
  12. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Words for describing position

    in front- īn faţa
    behind- īn spate

    up- sus
    down- jos

    inside- īnăuntru
    outside- afară

    to the left- la stānga
    to the right- la dreapta

    far- departe
    near- aproape

    on the- deasupra or pe (on the table-pe masă or deasupra mesei)
    under- dedesubt or sub (under the table=sub masă->this the most used; but we can have under the table- dedesubtul mesei)

    near (close to,next to)- lāngă
     
  13. mister Xazos's Avatar

    mister Xazos said:

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    Good morning World !
    I'm having my cofee and I'm really enjoying my cigarettes Such a special day before tomorrow... I'm hoing to school and everybody will sing me "Happy birthday" for tomorrow, 'cause we finish school today.
    I want to share my happiness with you and to wish you a goood day !
    Greatings from Iasi girls and all from here ! :* ><
    Πάρε φιλιά, πάρε καρδιά και μη νοιαστείς για μένα.
    Πάρε ό,τι ζει κι άσε με εκεί
    μόνο στο τίποτα...
     
  14. wolver99's Avatar

    wolver99 said:

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    Cristina I am finding your word lists very useful, multumesc.

    Here are 3 sentences from a chat among some friends that I wonder if someone here might translate into English---

    1) nu mai vb cu tine...uite asa
    2) ca nu vb cu mine
    3) pai daca tu nu vb cu mine...eu arat ce am

    The commonality is the 'vb' which I assume is short for some form of vorbesc or vorbiti? Or is it the same in all 3 samples (it goes by too fast in chat for me to interrupt and ask anyone)?

    These probably look like very very simple statements for native speakers but it is this very thing that is most difficult for me at this point, because I don't yet have a handle on how all of those ca cu nu tu ce am eu 2-letter words (yes, I know what they mean individually but in context it's a whole different thing) work contextually within the 'structure' of colloquial, everyday Romanian. Let alone all of the 'n-are' sau 'vb' sau 'n-am' sau 'mi-am' sau 'asta-i' shortcuts &/or contractions that show up constantly in written Ro.

    And sentences like those will form the basis of my next question later about more complex sentence forms & how the variations within them seem to work; ie all of the apparent many ways there are to say the same thing in Romanian using what look, to someone like me, like almost non-existent changes in what's being said or written.

    p.s. Yes, dya, a lot of work was lost; luckily I made hardcopies of most of what you, Soso, & Cristina posted that I found helpful before things went haywire here.

    More English colloquialisms that I wonder how are expressed in everyday Romanian---

    Do you think so?
    That doesn't even make sense
    Why do you say that?
    I value (or treasure) (that/it/those/your input)
    What were you thinking?
    I need some (paper etc); I need more/less ____
    At least (tell me why/give me a hint)

    TIA.
     
  15. dya said:

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    Good morning. For those of us who enjoy the morning part of the day

    Good evening, Wolver

    Soooo: vb is a "shortcut" for the verb "a vorbi" but I have to guess from the context in which person is it used in your phrases.

    1) nu mai vb cu tine...uite asa(I assume the person is referring to him/herself): I don't talk to you anymore... just like that/just because!
    2) ca nu vb cu mine--(I assume this is addressed to the other person) Because you don't talk to me
    3) pai daca tu nu vb cu mine...eu arat ce am: well, if you don't talk to me...I show(display) what I have
     
  16. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sosollikos View Post
    Good morning World !
    I'm having my cofee and I'm really enjoying my cigarettes Such a special day before tomorrow... I'm hoing to school and everybody will sing me "Happy birthday" for tomorrow, 'cause we finish school today.
    I want to share my happiness with you and to wish you a goood day !
    Greatings from Iasi girls and all from here ! :* ><
    Happy birthday,Soso!!!! La multi ani! Sa fii iubit!!!!
    Pupici de la Tm.
     
  17. dya said:

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    And for the rest:

    Do you think so?-- Crezi? or Așa/Asta crezi?(this literally means: That's what you think?)

    That doesn't even make sense- (asta)Nici măcar n-are sens ( It doesn't make sense= n-are sens)

    Why do you say that?--De ce spui asta?

    I value (or treasure) (that/it/those/your input)--Apreciez ***

    What were you thinking?---La ce te g&#226;ndeai?

    I need some (paper etc);-- Am nevoie de niște (h&#226;rtie, etc)

    I need more/less ____ ---- Am nevoie de mai mult/mai puțin_______(uncountable noun)

    At least (tell me why/give me a hint)-----Cel puțin/Măcar (spune-mi de ce/ dă-mi un indiciu)

    In the expressions where english uses "that' (Why did you say that? for example) in Romanian we actually use the equivalent of "this" (De ce ai spus asta?)

    Now, the literar form/the norm is: aceasta(fem, sg), acesta(masc, sg), acestea(fem, pl) aceștia(masc, pl)

    But in colloquial speech uwe use the short forms(which are NOT the norm--we teach pupils NOT to use them, but we are using them all the time!! LOL)

    asta(fem, sg)
    ăsta)masc, sg)
    astea(fem, pl)
    ăștia(masc, pl)

    *** Usually we use this verb alone when we want to say "I value (or treasure) (that/it/those/your input)" If you really want to say:

    I value that-- Apreciez asta.

    I value your input--According to what you exactly mean:
    Apreciez intervenția ta- I appreciate your intervention
    Apreciez răspunsul tău/reacția ta- I appreciate your answer/your reaction
    Apreciez ajutorul(tău)-- I appreciate your help

    and so on
     
  18. dya said:

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    Soso, noi iti cantam "La multi ani" maine

    Pana atunci insa distractie placuta azi la scoala si ai grija sa nu exagerezi cu cinstitul colegilor LOL! Cine-i nascut in ianuarie...la, la, la ( mereu am zis ca astia nascuti in decembrie beau cel mai mult la cantecul asta, ca ei inchina cate-un paharel pentru toti ceilalti!!!)

    Pupici de la Bucuresti
     
  19. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by wolver99 View Post
    Cristina I am finding your word lists very useful, multumesc.

    Your wellcome... Dya already answered your questions
     
  20. Cristina's Avatar

    Cristina said:

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    Some prepositions(prepozitii) /short useful words in a sentence

    on- pe
    under- sub
    at,to- la
    for- pentru
    about- despre
    in- īn
    and- şi
    if- dacă
    but- dar
    because- deoarece, pentru că
    like,as- ca
    with- cu
    in front- īnaintea
    behind-īn spatele
    between- īntre
    among- printre
    around- īn jurul
    without-fără
    until-pānă
    from...to- de la...pānă la
    after-după
    toward-spre
    in order to-pentru a
    above-peste
    just- doar
    so- aşa
    before- īnainte
    beyond- peste
    by- lāngă
    during- īn timpul
    than- decāt