The Romanian alphabet is very similar to the English one as it contains all the 26 letters of it, plus five additional letters specific to Romanian, called diacritics: ă, â, î, ș, and ț. I know they might look a bit intimidating at first, but trust me, they’re not difficult at all.
Before diving in, you should know three things. First, Romanian have a clear pronunciation. Words pronounced exactly as they’re written, with no silent letters like in English. And again, unlike in English, where the "r" is soft, Romanian uses a rolled "r," similar to Spanish or Italian. Finally, you should be aware that the meaning of some words might alter depending on where the stress falls. "Copíi" translates to "children," while "cópii" means "copies." That's why pronunciation important. But don't panic if you make a mistake, because we can figure out what it's about from the context.
.png)
❗ Although they are part of the alphabet, there are no native Romanian words that start or even contain the letters q, w, and y. They only appear in borrowed words like quasar, quiz, web, weekend, western, yeti, yoga, etc.
Now, let's continue with the diacritics. These letters are important because they modify the pronunciation and in some cases are essential for correct spelling and meaning. For example, "fata" means "the/that girl", but the world "fața" means "the face".
Another aspect you need to know is that Romanian has some pronunciation rules for letter combinations involving "c" and "g" when followed by certain vowels (e and i) or the letter "h." They are: ce, ci, ge, gi, and che, chi, ghe, ghi. The letters are pronounced together as a sound, not individually, without any exception.
But let's start discussing the letter "c" first:
Let's move to the next one:
❗ These pronunciation rules apply only to these letter combinations mentioned above. When "c" and "g" appear before other vowels (a, ă, â, o, u), they follow their natural pronunciation.
- "C" like in "cape": câine (dog), casă (home), etc.
- "G" like in "game": găină (hen), gambă (calf of the leg), etc.
Vowel = a sound that can form a syllable on its own. It that can be pronounced by itself, without needing another sound, unlike a consonant, which always needs one. Romanian has 7 vowels, written with 8 letters (a, ă, â/î, e, i, o, u).
Semivowel = a sound that cannot form a syllable on its own and act as a "glide" between vowels. It's a short, weaker vowel that always accompanies another vowel (in diphthongs or triphthongs). Out of the 7 vowels, only 4 (e, i, o, u) can be semivowels or vowels, depending on the context. They usually act as semivowels in diphthongs or triphthongs.
To make it easier to remember, keep these in mind:
- A, ă, î, â are always act as vowels;
- A vowel between consonants remains a vowel;
- "E" is a semivowel before and after "a" and "o". So, in the word "ea" (she), "a" is a vowel, and "e" is a semivowel;
- "I" is usually a semivowel, especially when it comes before or after the letters a, ă, â, e, î, o, u. In the word "noi" (we), "i" is a semivowel, and "o" is a vowel;
- The sound "o" is a semivowel only when it stands in front of "a", like in the word "floare" (flower);
- The sound "u" is a semivowel before and after a, ă, â, e, î, and also after o;
- Doi (two): "o" is a vowel, "i" is a semivowel;
- Pâine (bread) → "â" is a vowel, "i" is a semivowel;
- Soare (sun) → "o" is a semivowel, "a" is a vowel;
- Creioane (pencils): "a" is a vowel, "i" and "o" are semivowels;
- Fata și-a uitat geanta acasă (The girl forgot her bag at home);
- Băiatul a cumpărat o pâine caldă (The boy bought a fresh loaf of bread);
- Șoarecele s-a ascuns sub dulap (The mouse hid under the cupboard);
- Țăranul lucrează pământul (The farmer works the land);
- În orașul acesta locuiesc mulți români (Many Romanians live in this city).
If you made it this far, I really have to thank you, and I appreciate it a lot!
If you want to practice the Romanian words that appear in this lessons, please click here. You will find tests, flashcards, and audio exercises. If you have any questions, drop a comment below. Also, feel free to share in the comments what other topics you’re curious about, and I’ll make sure to cover them.
See you next time!
Comentarii
Trimiteți un comentariu