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### Buying time: păi

**Păi** is the *well…* that opens a spoken answer — while you think, or when the answer seems obvious to you. It belongs to conversation, not to writing.

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### Not knowing: oare, habar n-am

**Oare** turns a question into one you ask yourself — *I wonder…*. It usually comes first, before the question word; in a yes/no question it simply opens the sentence. **Habar n-am** means *I have no idea*; only the verb changes with the person: *habar n-ai* (you have no idea), *habar n-are* (he/she has no idea).

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### Of course, just, it seems

| word | use | example |
|---|---|---|
| **bineînțeles** | of course; can take **că** + a clause | *Bineînțeles că vin.* |
| **tocmai** + past | just (a moment ago) | *Tocmai a plecat.* |
| **tocmai** + noun/pronoun | exactly, precisely | *Tocmai asta…* |
| **parcă** | it seems, I feel like | *Parcă plouă.* |

**Parcă** softens a statement you are not quite sure of — about the weather now, or about something in the past.

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You already know **ba da**: the *yes* that contradicts a negative question.

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### Slang: mișto, baftă

**Mișto** is informal *cool, great*, and it never changes form: *un film mișto, o mașină mișto*. **Baftă!** is the friendly way to wish someone luck; *succes* is the neutral one. *A avea baftă* means to be lucky.

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### Sentence adverbs: how sure, how lucky

These open or close a sentence and comment on all of it: **cu siguranță** (certainly), **într-adevăr** (indeed — it confirms what was just said), **din fericire** (fortunately), **din nefericire** (unfortunately; a little more formal than *din păcate*). **În niciun caz** is a firm *no way*; inside a sentence it keeps the *nu* of Romanian double negation: *în niciun caz nu plec*.

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### Asking for agreement: nu-i așa?

Where English needs *isn't it, didn't you, aren't they*, Romanian uses one tag for every sentence: **nu-i așa?**

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Well, I wonder, no idea (păi, oare, habar n-am)

adjective

adverb

adverbial phrase

auxiliary

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The verb to be and definite articles (a fi, -ul, -le)

Feminine definite articles (-a, -ua)

Indefinite articles (un, o)

Negative sentences (nu)

Question words (ce, unde, cine)

The verb to have (a avea)

Masculine plural nouns (-i, -ii)

Feminine plural nouns (-e, -i, -le)

Neuter plural nouns (-uri, -e, -le)

Adjectives and agreement

Present tense of regular -a verbs

Present tense of -a verbs with suffix (-ez)

Present tense of regular -i and -î verbs

Present tense of -i and -î verbs with suffix (-esc / -ăsc)

Present tense of -ea and -e verbs

Reflexive pronouns (mă, te, se, ne, vă)

Accusative prepositions (în, la, pe, din, cu)

Likes and dislikes (îmi place)

Possessive adjectives (meu, tău, său)

Third-person possessives (lui, ei, lor)

Possessive articles (al, a, ai, ale)

Formal politeness (dumneavoastră)

Demonstrative adjectives (acest, acel)

Numbers 1 to 10

The number two (doi, două)

Numbers 11 to 20

Counting by tens to 100

Quantifying large numbers (de)

The subjunctive (să)

Third-person subjunctive (să)

Direct object pronouns (îl, o, îi, le)

Personal direct objects (pe)

Days of the week

Telling time (e ora...)

Months of the Year (January to June)

Months of the Year (July to December)

The Four Seasons

Weather Conditions

Rooms in a House

Basic Body Parts: Upper Body

Basic Body Parts: Limbs

Everyday Clothing

Basic Foods: Groceries

Fruits and Vegetables

Around Town

Getting Around

Setting the Table

A Colorful World

Common Animals

In the Wild

Jobs and Careers

Everyday Tech

Describing people (tânăr, bătrân, înalt)

Asking when and why (când, de ce, care)

Hello and goodbye (bună ziua, la revedere)

Coming and going (intra, sta, trece)

Where is it? (sub, lângă, între)

Knowing and thinking (știu că, cred că)

Sorry, welcome, congratulations (îmi pare rău, la mulți ani)

Introducing yourself (mă numesc, sunt din România)

How much and how many (puțin, prea, doar)

Can and may (pot merge, pot să merg)

If and whether (dacă)

At school and university

Irregular verbs in the present (vrea, lua, da, bea, sta)

Free time and sport

How much is it? (cât costă, câți, câte)

Before and after (înainte, după, până)

At the doctor (mă doare)

Meals of the day (micul dejun, prânzul, cina)

At the restaurant

Ability and permission (a putea să)

Obligation and necessity (trebuie să)

Desires and intentions (a vrea să)

Impersonal statements (se)

Adverbs of frequency (adesea, uneori)

Conjunctions for reasons and links (pentru că, deci)

Stressed accusative pronouns (pe mine, pe tine)

Indefinite pronouns (cineva, ceva)

Negative pronouns and double negation (nimeni, nimic)

The past tense auxiliary (am, ai, a)

The past tense (am, ai, a)

Regular past participles (-at, -it)

Regular past participles (-ut, -s, -t)

Negative past tense (nu am)

Question	Answer
well… (starting a reply)	păi
Are you coming tonight? — Well, I don't know yet.	— Vii diseară? — Păi, nu știu încă.
Why were you late? — Well, there was a lot of traffic.	— De ce ai întârziat? — Păi, era mult trafic.
Well, let's go, then!	Păi, atunci hai să mergem!
It's nice today, isn't it?	E frumos azi, nu-i așa?
You went to the concert, didn't you?	Ai fost la concert, nu-i așa?
I wonder (question particle)	oare
Where did I put the keys, I wonder?	Oare unde am pus cheile?
I wonder if it'll rain tomorrow.	Oare o să plouă mâine?
I have no idea	habar n-am
I wonder what Maria is doing now. — No idea.	— Oare ce face Maria acum? — Habar n-am.
Where's Radu? — I have no idea.	— Unde e Radu? — Habar n-am.
I have no idea how this device works.	Habar n-am cum funcționează aparatul ăsta.
cool, great (informal)	mișto
Don't you like it? — I do, it's cool!	— Nu-ți place? — Ba da, e mișto!
The movie was cool.	Filmul a fost mișto.
You have a really cool phone.	Ai un telefon foarte mișto.
How was the concert? — Great, I really liked it.	— Cum a fost concertul? — Mișto, mi-a plăcut mult.
of course (naturally)	bineînțeles
Will you help me? — Of course!	— Mă ajuți? — Bineînțeles!
Of course I'm coming to your wedding.	Bineînțeles că vin la nunta ta.
Of course, he forgot again.	Bineînțeles, a uitat din nou.
just (a moment ago); exactly	tocmai
He just left.	Tocmai a plecat.
I was just about to call you!	Tocmai voiam să te sun!
That's exactly the problem.	Tocmai asta e problema.
Weren't you there? — Yes, I've just come from there.	— N-ai fost acolo? — Ba da, tocmai am venit de acolo.
it seems, as if (it seems that…)	parcă
It looks like it's raining.	Parcă plouă.
I feel like I've seen you somewhere before.	Parcă te-am mai văzut undeva.
It seems warmer today.	Parcă e mai cald azi.
good luck! (informal)	baftă
I have an exam tomorrow. — Good luck!	— Mâine am examen. — Baftă!
Good luck with the interview!	Baftă la interviu!
You got lucky!	Ai avut baftă!
certainly, for sure	cu siguranță
Are you coming tomorrow? — Definitely!	— Vii mâine? — Cu siguranță!
It's definitely going to rain today.	Cu siguranță va ploua azi.
indeed, really	într-adevăr
You're right, it really is expensive.	Ai dreptate, într-adevăr e scump.
Indeed, the movie was cool.	Într-adevăr, filmul a fost mișto.
fortunately	din fericire
Fortunately, I found the keys.	Din fericire, am găsit cheile.
Fortunately, the train wasn't late.	Din fericire, trenul nu a întârziat.
unfortunately (more formal)	din nefericire
Unfortunately, the store is closed.	Din nefericire, magazinul este închis.
Unfortunately, I can't come to the wedding.	Din nefericire, nu pot veni la nuntă.
no way, under no circumstances	în niciun caz
Will you give me the car? — No way!	— Îmi dai mașina? — În niciun caz!
There's no way I'm leaving without you.	În niciun caz nu plec fără tine.

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