Learn Hardcore Romanian: Vrei apă sau lapte?

Romanian forms yes/no questions by intonation or punctuation, not by adding an auxiliary. The main verb (vrei) carries the person and tense, so no extra “do” is needed to ask a question.

What is the form and meaning of vrei?

vrei is the second person singular present indicative of the verb a vrea (to want). It literally means you want, so “Vrei apă?” = “Do you want water?”

Why isn’t there a pronoun tu before vrei?

In Romanian, the verb ending already shows the subject (you). Subject pronouns like tu are dropped unless you want to add emphasis:
• Vrei apă? = “Do you want water?” (neutral)
• Tu vrei apă? = “You want water?” (with emphasis on “you”)

Why is apă used without an article? Shouldn’t it be o apă?

When offering or requesting something uncountable (like water), Romanian often omits the article.
• Vrei apă sau lapte? = “Do you want (some) water or (some) milk?”
If you mean “a glass of water,” you’d say o apă or specify un pahar de apă.

How do you pronounce the ă in apă?

The letter ă is a schwa [ə], similar to the ‘a’ in the English word “sofa.” So apă sounds roughly like “AH-puh” (IPA [ˈa.pə]).

What’s the difference between sau and ori for “or” in Romanian?

Both sau and ori can mean “or,” but:
• sau is the everyday conjunction for offering choices.
• ori is more formal or poetic and can also appear in fixed expressions (e.g., ori… ori… “either… or…”).

Is lapte masculine or feminine? How can I tell?

lapte is a masculine noun. A quick clue: most Romanian nouns ending in a consonant are masculine. Its indefinite form is un lapte (“a milk/one milk”).

How would I ask the same question formally or more politely?

Use the polite 2nd person plural or a more formal verb:
• Vreți apă sau lapte? (polite “Do you want…?”)
• Doriți apă sau lapte? (slightly more formal)
You can also add vă rog at the end to soften it: Vreți apă sau lapte, vă rog?