Romanian greetings aren't just about 'Bună ziua' or 'Salut'. If you want to sound like an actual human and not a phrasebook, you need the casual stuff. Here's how real Romanians greet friends.
Basic but better
- Salut - The default. Works for hello and goodbye. Pronounced /saˈlut/.
- Bună - Short for 'Bună ziua'. More casual. IPA: /ˈbu.nə/.
- Ce faci? - 'What’s up?' Literally 'What are you doing?' IPA: /t͡ʃe fat͡ʃʲ/.
Don’t overuse 'Ce faci?' with strangers. It’s for people you actually know.
Slang & casual stuff
Romanian has plenty of informal greetings. Some are regional, some are universal.
Servus
/ˈser.vus/“Hi/Bye”
Borrowed from German. Common in Transylvania. Works for hello and goodbye.
Noroc
/noˈrok/“Hi/Cheers”
Literally means 'luck'. Used like 'Cheers' in English. Mostly in Moldova.
Bună dimineața
/ˌbu.nə ˌdi.miˈne̯a.t͡sa/“Good morning”
Morning greeting. Drop 'dimineața' and just say 'Bună' if lazy.
Greeting etiquette
- Romanians often kiss on the cheek when greeting friends. Twice, alternating. Handshakes are for formal settings.
- If someone says 'Ce mai faci?' ('How are you?'), you don’t need a life story. 'Bine, tu?' ('Good, you?') is fine.
- Avoid 'Salutare' unless you’re in a very informal group. It’s a bit outdated.
When in doubt
Stick with 'Salut' or 'Bună'. They’re safe, universal, and won’t make you sound like a tourist. For more formal stuff, check out our guide on Mastering Greetings in Croatian - some principles overlap.
Pro tip: Listen to how Romanians greet each other in real life. Mimic that. No phrasebook will teach you tone and timing.
