Romanian numbers follow a logical pattern, but some quirks trip up learners. This guide covers 1-30 with pronunciation tricks, mnemonics, and real-world usage tips. Whether you're ordering prăjituri (pastries) or haggling at a market, these numbers will serve you well.
The Basics: 1-10
unu
/ˈu.nu/“one”
Sounds like 'oo-noo'. Remember it by thinking of someone saying 'Ooh, no!' to just one cookie.
doi
/doj/“two”
Rhymes with 'boy'. Picture two boys playing.
| Number | Romanian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | trei | /trej/ (like 'tray') |
| 4 | patru | /ˈpa.tru/ ('pa-troo') |
| 5 | cinci | /ʧinʧ/ ('chinch') |
The number 5 ('cinci') is notoriously tricky. The 'ci' sounds like 'chee' in 'cheese', and the final 'ci' is similar. Practise saying 'cheench' quickly.
Teens (11-19)
Romanian teens follow the pattern 'number + spre + zece' (literally 'towards ten'). Here's how it works:
- 11 = unsprezece (oon-spre-zeh-cheh)
- 12 = doisprezece (doy-spre-zeh-cheh)
- 13 = treisprezece (tray-spre-zeh-cheh)
Notice how the first part changes (un-, doi-, trei-), but 'sprezece' stays consistent. This pattern continues up to 19.
Tens (20, 30)
douăzeci
/do.wəˈzet͡ʃʲ/“twenty”
Literally 'two tens'. Break it down: 'două' (two) + 'zeci' (tens). Pronounced 'doh-wuh-zech'.
treizeci
/trejˈzet͡ʃʲ/“thirty”
'Three tens'. Sounds like 'tray-zech'. The 'z' is soft, almost like 'zh' in 'measure'.
Memory Tricks
- For șapte (7), think of 'shopping' – you shop at 7pm.
- opt (8) sounds like 'opt' in 'optimal' – the optimal number is 8.
- Link nouă (9) with 'new' – new year starts after the 9th month.
Cultural Notes
Romanians often use hand gestures for numbers:
- Holding up fingers starts with palm facing outward for 1-5, then inward for 6-10
- Market vendors might shout prices like Doișpe lei! (12 lei) – the informal version of 'doisprezece'
For more on regional quirks, see our guide to Bulgarian vs other Slavic languages.
Pro tip: Romanians often drop the final '-e' in casual speech – 'douăzeci' becomes 'douăzec', 'treizeci' becomes 'treizec'.
