In Romanian, when speaking to strangers, elders, authority figures, or in professional settings, it is important to use the formal register. You do this by replacing the casual tu (you, singular) with the formal pronoun dumneavoastră.
Verb Agreement
The most important rule for formal politeness is that dumneavoastră always takes the 2nd person plural verb form—exactly the same form you use for voi (you all), even when you are only speaking to one person.
Titles and Direct Address
To respectfully get someone's attention or address them directly, use titles like domnule (sir) or doamnă (madam). You can drop the pronoun dumneavoastră when the plural verb ending already makes it clear who you are talking to.
Polite Requests and Commands
To say "please", use the phrase vă rog. This translates literally to "I ask you", using the formal/plural object pronoun vă.
You will often pair vă rog with the formal verb puteți (can / are you able to) to make polite requests, or use it to soften instructions.
Expressing Thanks
Similarly, to formally express gratitude, use the phrase vă mulțumesc (literally, "I thank you").
