How to Learn Romanian: 6 Easy Ways to Learn Romanian Rapidly
Kelsey Wetherbee
Published on January 27, 2023
Langoly is supported by our readers. We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions if you buy through links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, Langoly earns from qualifying purchases. Please read our full disclosure for more information.
Are you learning Romanian and need to find high-quality resources?
Studying Romanian can be a rewarding venture, but maybe you’ve had difficulty finding a good way to learn. In this article, you’ll find the best ways for you to learn the language. You can find a way that fits your learning style and language goals. Whether you prefer a more traditional method like books, tutors, or courses, or want to explore more modern ways to learn like apps, YouTube channels, and podcasts, this guide can help you find a method that’s right for you.
The team here at Langoly has over 5 decades of combined language learning experience, and we’ve tested and reviewed over 600 language products. We’ve helped millions of readers through the language learning process, and this article will help you find the best resources to take your Romanian to the next level.
Romanian is one of the most spoken languages in Europe with over 24 million speakers. It’s the official language of Romania and Moldova, and large communities of Romanian speakers can be found in Serbia, Ukraine, and Hungary. It’s a common belief that Romanian is a Slavic language because of its location. Believe it or not, Romanian is a Romance language, similar to languages like Spanish, Italian, and French. If you already speak one of these languages, you can most likely identify some Romanian vocabulary.
How to Learn Romanian: Achieve Fluency with These 6 Proven Methods
Even if you aren’t traveling to Bucharest, you can easily start learning Romanian. But there’s no perfect way to become fluent. While the resources below are reputable and have numerous users, it’s best to find multiple ways to learn to cover all skills necessary. For example, a language app is great at teaching basic grammar and vocabulary, but watching YouTube videos is better for improving listening and understanding. That’s why we included 6 different methods in this language guide.
To save you time, we found the best resources for each study method. We follow a strict testing methodology to make sure any products we recommend are high quality and worth your time. The methods and resources included on this list were selected because of their effectiveness to learn Romanian. Any of the products you see below will help you learn Romanian the right way.
Use the Best Romanian Apps
Using a language apps is one of the easiest ways to start learning Romanian. There are so many available that the issue is trying to narrow it down to the best one for you. Some apps have quick lessons that focus on vocabulary, while others offer more complete courses. Three of the best language apps to learn Romanian are Pimsleur, Mondly, and LingQ. All three will help you learn Romanian in no time.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low-Medium
Convenience: High
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is the best app to learn Romanian because it focuses on conversation and speaking. All the lessons are audio-based so you can study anywhere and at any time. With Pimsleur’s lessons, you listen to native Romanian speakers and learn how to speak the language naturally. You can try Pimsleur with a 7-day free trial, or learn more about it in this Pimsleur review.
Mondly
Mondly is an excellent choice for Romanian beginners because it teaches the basics in a fun and interactive way. You can choose exactly which lessons you want to complete. The lessons are short and don’t overwhelm you with too much information. Another benefit of Mondly are the features that track your progress. It’s very motivating to see how much you’ve learned and make you want to continue studying. You can try Mondly with a 7-day free trial, or learn more about the app in this Mondly review.
LingQ
LingQ is a unique option to learn Romanian because it provides an immersive experience. The app compiles a huge list of authentic Romanian content for you to listen/watch. Each source has a transcription, and you can click on the words to learn their definition and save them to your personal vocabulary list. You can try LingQ with a limited free trial, and read more about it in this LingQ review.
Take an Online Romanian Course
An online Romanian course is a useful way to learn if you prefer a structured study plan. Courses follow a set lesson plan so there is continuity in your learning, and you build upon what you’ve already learned in previous lessons. The three courses listed below, Romanian Language Institute of Sibiu, Udemy, and Audible are high-quality options that will help you learn Romanian effectively and thoroughly.
Commitment: High
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium
Romanian Language Institute of Sibiu (Rolis)
The Romanian Language Institue of Sibiu (Rolis) is a language academy located in Sibiu, Romania but also offers many online options. Classes take place over Skype, and you can choose if you want a small group class or individualized lessons. They also offer specialized classes depending on your language needs, such as an intensive course, speaking class, and a reading club. There are classes for all levels, Beginners (A1) through Advanced (C2). You can learn more about what they offer on the Rolis website.
Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform that has courses on every subject imaginable. A quick search will show you all of the options for Romanian language courses. A popular choice is Real Life Romanian for Beginners. For each course, you can read a description, watch a preview video, and see exactly what is taught in each lesson. There are also ratings and past student reviews to verify you’re getting a good option. You can learn more about the Romanian courses available on the Udemy website or read this complete Udemy review.
Audible
Audible gives you access to audio courses and books. There’s something to check out for every level. If you are a beginner, you can try “Learn Romanian: Ultimate Getting Started with Romanian.” Pimsleur also offers its Romanian course through Audible as do other language companies. Once you are more advanced, you can listen to stories in Romanian to challenge your understanding and comprehension. You can try Audible for free for 30 days.
Find an Online Romanian Tutor
Talking with a native Romanian speaker is one of the best ways to improve your speaking and conversation skills. But it can be difficult to practice if you don’t know someone who speaks Romanian. Luckily, there are platforms like italki, Preply, and Verbling that can connect you with an online tutor. They are reputable platforms so your information and payment methods are safe.
Commitment: Medium
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium
italki
italki is a language learning platform that connects learners of all different languages to a qualified teacher. Currently, there are 65 Romanian teachers available to have live classes with. You can search each teacher’s profile to see their bio, what languages they speak, and their rating from past students. Most teachers offer a discounted trial lesson so you can see if they are a good fit for you. You can also read more about the overall platform in this italki review.
Preply
Preply is another platform that lets you search for a tutor using different criteria. There are currently 41 tutors so you’re sure to find one that fits your schedule and budget. Preply tutors create their own lesson plans, so it’s important that you read the reviews to see what kind of lesson you will get. You can take a discounted trial lesson before booking with a tutor, and if you aren’t satisfied, Preply will automatically book another trial class for you for free. Learn more about it in this Preply review.
Verbling
Another platform that connects you with Romanian teachers for online classes is Verbling. Verbling only hires teachers with qualifications and past teaching experience. Currently, there are 10 tutors available to teach you. Verbling is similar in price to the other platforms on this list and there is a range of prices to choose from. Most teachers offer a free trial class so you can see if you like the teacher and platform before buying more classes. You can also read more about it in this Verbling review.
Study with High-Quality Romanian Books
Books are a simple, yet effective way to learn Romanian. They don’t require any special technology or equipment and you can take a book anywhere. If you took a language class before, you most likely used a book. There are many options available for self-study so you can learn a language without a tutor. Discover Romanian, Complete Romanian, and Romanian Frequency Dictionary are popular choices for Romanian language learners.
Commitment: Low
Price: Medium
Convenience: Medium
Discover Romanian
Discover Romanian is a well-rounded book to help you begin learning the language. In addition to teaching necessary grammar and vocabulary, a large focus of the book is on culture. You’ll learn about the country and people of Romania through facts, dialogues, and exercises. There are also verb conjugation tables and a glossary to help your studies. It’s very comprehensive and one of the most complete options available. You can learn more about the book here.
Complete Romanian
Complete Romanian can take you from a complete beginner to an intermediate (B2) level. The book is organized by themes that focus on communication and cover typical situations that you might encounter, like introducing yourself and talking about work. The book also includes exercises and practice tests to make sure you are understanding and progressing. Learn more about Complete Romanian here.
Romanian Frequency Dictionary
The Romanian Frequency Dictionary is an excellent complement to any Romanian learning routine. It contains over 2,500 of the most used words. Each word has an English translation, phonetic spelling, and example sentence so you can learn the word in context. The book lists the words in order of common use as well as alphabetically. See what you think about the book here.
Watch Romanian YouTube Videos
Watching YouTube Videos can be one of the most fun ways to learn Romanian. Some channels have instructional videos that teach the basics of the language, and some have content that is entirely in Romanian so you can hear correct pronunciation and practice your understanding. Best of all, it’s a completely free resource! The YouTube channels below are effective options to hear how the language is actually spoken.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High
Learn Romanian With Nico
Nico is a Romanian teacher and author of language books. She has all kinds of videos, but most focus on teaching a new word or phrases about a certain topic. There are also videos featuring dialogues and even some recipe videos. Nico explains topics in English and provides translations for the Romanain words so it’s a good choice for beginners to get a daily dose of Romanian. Check out the Learn Romanian With Nico channel here.
Romanian Hub
The Romanian Hub YouTube channel has several videos made by Voicu Mihnea Simandan, a Romanian teacher based in Beijing. His quirky personality makes learning the the basics of vocabulary and grammar entertaining. You can also learn about history, music, and watch travel vlogs. There are tons of videos for you to check out on the Romanian Hub channel.
Romanian With Gia
Romanian with Gia is a channel that features videos about every part of the language. In addition to teaching vocabulary, she also dives into grammar topics like plural nouns, definite/indefinite articles, and lots of pronunciation videos. She has some interesting playlists with videos on Romanian culture, music, and more. Check them out on the Romanian With Gia channel.
Listen to Romanian Podcasts
Podcasts are a convenient way to learn Romanian. You can listen to them anytime and anywhere. They’re helpful for practicing listening and understanding, something that other resources leave out. RomanianPod101, Learn Romanian Podcast, and Learn Romanian with Amanda have hundreds of audio episodes for you to listen to.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High
RomanianPod101
RomanianPod101 is a comprehensive app and platform to learn the language, but its star feature is the podcast lessons. In each lesson, you hear a conversation between Romanian speakers and then they break down the important grammar and vocabulary topics they discussed. It’s also a flexible way to learn because you can take the lessons in any order that you want. You can access a free 7-day trial to see if you like learning with RomanianPod101.
Learn Romanian Podcast
The Learn Romanian Podcast is hosted by Camelia. She teaches you knew words and phrases in Romanian as well as interesting information about Romanian culture. Each episode is short, usually less than 10 minutes, and is entirely in Romanian. There are more than 400 episodes for you to listen to. You can listen to all the episodes for free on the PodBean website.
Learn Romanian with Amanda Podcast
The Learn Romanian with Amanda Podcast is entirely in slow Romanian and is dedicated to learners that already have an intermediate level and want to continue to improve. Each episode is about 12 minutes long and focuses on a different topic like creativity, volunteering, and Romanian people. If you want to download the transcripts for each episode, you can support Amanda on her Patreon account. You can listen to all the episodes for free on Listen Notes.
How to Learn Romanian: Final Thoughts
There are many ways to learn Romanian, but it’s important to find the way that best fits your learning habits and schedule. A Romanian language app is a convenient way to learn the basics whenever you have a few spare minutes to use your phone. But if you want to dive into the nitty gritty aspects, an online course or a Romanian self-study book is more effective to learn the how and why of the language.
Whatever method you choose, it’s important to study consistently. Dedicating time, at least a few days a week, to practicing will help you see steady improvement and remember what you have previously learned. Keep in mind that learning any language is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes lots of time and hard work. But if you put in the effort, you’ll be speaking Romanian before you know it!
How to Learn Romanian: FAQ
The US Department of State states that it takes 600 class hours to learn Romanian. But this amount of time depends on a variety of factors such as your ability to acquire languages and if you already speak a language that’s similar.
Check out this fluency calculator to see how long it will take you to learn Romanian.
The best way to learn Romanian quickly is by using a variety of resources. For example, a language app is good for learning lots of vocabulary and the basics of grammar. But if you want to practice speaking, an online course with a Romanian teacher is more beneficial. Whichever way you choose to learn, the more hours your can dedicate to studying, the quicker you’ll learn.
There are many ways to learn Romanian on your own. One of the most popular ways is with a language app. Apps teach the basics of grammar and vocabulary and are great if you are a beginner. Once you’ve reached a more advanced level, you will benefit from another method like a comprehensive textbook or taking online classes with a Romanian tutor.
Believe it or not, Romanian is actually a fairly easy language for English speakers to learn. This is because it’s a Romance language with Latin roots. It’s most similar to languages like Spanish, French, and Portuguese. If you already know one of these other languages, it will be even easier for you to learn. It’s also a phonetic language, which means it’s pronounced how it’s written. The same can NOT be said for English!
If you want to be fluent in Romanian, you’ll need to take classes with a Romanian teacher. Other learning methods such as language apps and books can help you reach a certain level, but if you want to reach fluency, you’ll need to practice speaking and conversation, which is best done with a teacher. Italki is a platform that can connect you with a Romanian tutor.
One of the best ways to learn Romanian for free is with an app like Duolingo. It offers its entire Romanian course for free and can help you learn the basics of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The free version is ad-supported so your learning will be interrupted. You can also check out YouTube channels and podcasts that offer all of their content for free.
1 Comment
Nazim Ali says:
Excellent way to romanian