If you visit Moldova, Romania you will have to be able to greet others in Romanian. Romanian is a Romance language with both formal and informal approaches, so be sure to determine the most appropriate greeting based on the context you are in. You can say "bună ziua" if you have doubts.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Say "hello"
Step 1. Say “hello” in Romanian by saying “bună ziua”
This literally means "good morning" or "good afternoon" and is the standard greeting in formal situations. "Bună ziua" is suitable from morning to afternoon.
You can pronounce it as: bu-na zí-a
Step 2. Say “hello” in the morning by saying “bună dimineața”
It is also appropriate to say "bună ziua!" at that moment.
You can pronounce it as: bu-na di-mi-néa-ta
Step 3. Say “hello” in the afternoon or at night saying “bună seara! ”. This is a time when it is less appropriate to say "bună ziua!".
- You can pronounce it as: bu-na si-ra.
- Although "noapte bună" translates to "good night", you should not use that word to say "hello" as it means that you are going to go straight to sleep. Instead, say "bună seara!".
Step 4. Answer the phone with a “bună ziua” or “alo! ”. "Alo" means "hello", but it is only used to answer the phone.
You can pronounce it as: a-ló
Step 5. Say “hi” by asking someone how they are doing
Greet a formal acquaintance with a "Ce mai faceţi?". Say it when you greet an older person, a person you don't know well, or more than one person.
You can pronounce this question as: chí mai fa-che-ti
Step 6. Greet an informal acquaintance with a “Ce mai faci? ”. This means "how are you doing?" and it is only appropriate for greeting one person at a time.
You can pronounce this question as: chí mai fa-chi
Method 2 of 2: Say “Hello” Informally
Step 1. Greet friends, family, and friends casually
There are words like "servus!" or "ceau!" which mean "hello" and "goodbye."
You can pronounce them as: sér-vus and chó
Step 2. Greet your friends with a “bună! ”. This word literally means "good" and is short for "bună ziua".
You can pronounce it as: bu-na
Step 3. Greet your friends with a “salut! ”. This casual greeting literally means "greetings."
You can pronounce it as: sal-lut
Advice
- Use formal greetings when saying "hello" to more than one person, someone you don't know well, or someone you want to show respect to.
- Use informal greetings if the other person is a good friend, family member, or child.
- When pronouncing words in Romanian, pronounce the letters clearly. In general, each letter corresponds to a sound.