Interesting topic!

I only know a few words and phrases - just enough to travel alone and find my way around. I have trouble making complex sentences. Verb tenses are difficult to learn.

Pronounciation is VERY difficult. I'm not accustomed to making the right sounds. I tried to learn from books, and I was shocked to find that almost NOTHING is pronounced using the same rules we have in english.

I'm taking lessons here in Toronto. I get better everyday because I'm very motivated to communicate with all my Romanian friends!

I think the best way to learn Romanian is to fall in love with one :)

Heh.. the transfer from English to Romanian is quite a difficult one. If you know some Spanish, it will seem easy.

For my second trip to Romania I knew I was going to meet my friend's wife and daughter. Over several days, I practiced these two phrases:

Imi pare bine de cunoştinţă. (For his wife)

Ce mai faci? (For his daughter)

These two phrases set the tone for a very nice visit!

1st phrase is a formal greeting: "It is nice to meet you."
2nd phrase is informal: "How are you?"

My favorite Romanian word: Prieten (Friend)

my favourite Romanian word is "naspa" LOL

So Cobie, with the right motivation, everything is possible, right?:) Good luck with your studying!:)

"naspa" :):):):) a very commom word here :D i use it alot too :P

Brian, yo have the special romanian characters too.. wow.. that's something!

those "ş" "ţ" are hard to pronunce for you?!

@Lili: I found a website that had an audio recording of each phrase :)

Can't remember the website now...

I'm an american and spent 2.5 years in Romania. I felt some degree of fluency after a few weeks, and completely comfortable after a few months. I know it is possible to learn Romanian quickly. Especially if you already know Spanish, or Italian, or French, etc.... My favorite romanian word is Dumneavoastra. I love the way it just rolls off of the tongue. Of course the natives pronounce it more like "D'nastra." Cheers. Cory.

I'm trying to learn Romanian right now, I'm going there in a week. Just wanted to ask you guys, what books or tapes you would recommend, above others, what to stay away from, etc.

Thanks Simon.

ahh.. finally some life in this group.. welcome bacl, i guess?

Simon Templar... (nice reference to The Saint by the way).. The best Romanian book I found was colloquial Romanian by Dennis Deletant (sp?). Its a good reference for the grammar and such. If you're just looking for a phrase book, there are a few of them around. Also, if you'll be in Bucharest, there are a few places around piata Universitatii (near the university) which have some great language books. Cheers. I'm jealous....
Cory

Thanks for the input cnchri, I'm currently using the Teach Yourself series, Book and CDs. None of the local bookstores carry stuff on Romania, or the language( I know its small, but come on!!) it's pretty disappointing since the culture seems really interesting.

Like Katrocket said, the best way to learn romanian is to fall in love of one. I'm not romanian but i learnt the languague after some hard work, patience and many beers at the bars in Sibiu, of course the learning is never complete and my mistakes can make laugh many native speakers.
You can visit www.dictionare.com is a very good online dictionary.

Cred ca am stat cam asa ca 7 luni in Romania din cand am intrat in prima data pe frumoasa tara voastra. De pecat nu mai am putut sa raman si acum ratacesc prin lumea pana cand sa intorc unde viata e adeverata.

I still think that the most beautiful romanian word(and unique)is DOR.
It is a feeling, the pain that you feel when you miss someone or something that you love so much.

Eu stiu 14 anii de mingaiat limba romana intre buze, masele si-n scuipat. Ajuge?

My favorite romanian expression: "A freca menta"

Hahaahaha Cristian.. doar experia sau si ce presupune?:)))))

now, how do you translate "dor" in english or french, I never could do it

I think, romanian is easier to learn for the french, spanish, etc roman language people, I as hungarian had lots of difficulty to learn it at age 12, the first I did not got well was "putin" (little, I know little) because I put an "o" before it "the or one in femenin" and some things are just twisted easy

silvia, www.dictionare.com is good place to start if you want to learn romanian. There's even a softwear that they provide there, that i think it's really helpful. More images and tips/informations about Romania, i think you can find at www.spirit.ro, and www.romaniatravel.com. Those would me my personal favs.
Good luck! For other informations you might need, you can contact me at any time.

I FOUND THEM! These websites provide audio recordings of Romanian phrases:

Romanian Survival Phrases

Româna pentru cãlãtori

So here is the Romanian International Lounge, huh? Pai puneti fratilor mana pe carte si invatati romana. Ca d-aia nu sunteti cotati la bursa de pe WallStreet!

PS: I'm kidding.

I've been living here, or there for those of you not in Romania, there, for the last 4 & a half months. I'm usually trying to learn 1-2 words per day & then using them from then on. Pronounciation is the hardest, but i feel im getting somewhere.

Romania: Cel mai frumos!

I've been in Romania three times (and I really love it!). While it seemed to me that Romanian was not that difficult (being from Spain, it had some common words), I could not learn any sentence. It is funny that in some villages (mostly to the northern part of the country, in Maramures), it was easy to communicate, me talking in spanish instead of using english!

Welcome swarve! Where are you from?! Business or plesure in ROmania? :D Excuse my curiosity :) Indeed the oronounciation seam to be the hardest for those that dont speak latin languages. I love the expresion you chose to share with us! Thank you.

On the other hand for S. Lo , who speaks spanish, i am sure it was easier! :) Where you from S. Lo? My boyfriend speaks spanish too (almost none romanian, olny important things like, i love you, and i want beer), and you are right, it was easier for him and my family to comunicate in spanish than in english. :)

Welcome guys!

For me Romania is a different experience. How do you know? It is through book! Yes, I'm in love of a book which have a story of Romania, through which I have walked in all of Romania! The book is 'The Lost Footsteps' Have you ever heard the name of this book, my friends of Romania? It is a true life story of Silviu Craciunas back in 1961. If this brave man was not caught, Romania had got her indepenance very early back in 1950! Well, I'm researching about this great man, if anybody of my friend or any friend of you have a slighest information regarding anything of this man, his family, his relative, any place which is connected with his name, please, please, please! contact me at :
vijaydave255@yahoo.com or vijaydave255@gmail.com or
webmaster@pixeltopixel.com or give me a reply to flicker mail.
I personally thank you to all of you to enter me in your group.
-Vijay.

Eu sunt englez dar am invatat putin romana. Prima data - cind am fost in Romania o profesoara de engleza mi a spus ca limba romana este foarte greu pentru englezi. Acum vorbesc numai in limba romana cind fac vizite la scoala respectiva.

Este o limba grea pentru mine dar am folosit Deletant's "Colloquial Romanian" si am citit, in fiecare zi, Evenimentul Zilei, Libertatea si Ziarul de Bacau online.

My favourite word is "frumoasa" because I use it so often - referring of course to the lovely ladies of the country.

oh you're good! esti bun!

Eh... acum sa va vad.
Daca chiar vreti sa invatati limba romana, trebuie sa stiti cate ceva despre limba latina. Italienilor si spaniolilor, de exemplu, le este foarte usor sa invete romana si spun acest lucru intrucat un roman, chiar daca nu intelege ce spune un italian sau spaniol, desluseste binisor ceea ce vrea sa transmita respectiva persoana.
Concluzie: Mergeti la Vatican... acolo se vorbeste foate multa latina si e un bun inceput pentru a invata limba noastra. ;)
P.S.: Traducerea sa o faca altcineva.