Romanians are naturally warm and humorous people that enjoy each passing moment. They are always ready to share the warmth and love of their culture with anyone willing to partake. Romanians’ strong sense of humor extends to their language, and you can’t help but find a lot of funny Romanian phrases and expressions that will get you giggling right away when translated literally into the English Language.
However funny as these Romanian phrases may sound, they hold deep meaning and are used in daily conversations. Learning these funny Romanian expressions will make you sound more like a native and open up quality conversations and warm friendships with the locals. Ready to learn more about this topic? Let’s get started!
Funny Romanian Phrases
Want to learn a language quickly? Contrary to common belief, you do not have to bore yourself with essential words and greetings in this language. If you want to make learning a fun and exciting process, we highly recommend that you start by familiarizing yourself with these basic Romanian phrases below.
Frecție la picior de lemn – A Rub On A Wooden Leg
When a Romanian says Frecție la picior de lemn, the expression means that an effort is useless and won’t help the situation on the ground. Rubbing a wooden leg that has no emotions will get you nowhere. You’d be rubbing the leg for hours unending, and there won’t be any tangible result. The same thing as doing something that won’t help a situation.
A vinde gogoși – Selling Donuts
A vinde gogoși means to sell donuts, and it is funny when compared to its meaning. When a Romanian says a vinde gogoși, it means the person is lying. Donuts are attractive, and one will naturally crave a good-looking glazed donut… well unless you have a wheat allergy. This saying has evolved over the years, and drastic modifications have occurred.
Face din rahat bici – Made A Whip Out Of Shit
As funny as it may sound, making a whip out of shit means a person did so much out of little. If you see somebody who is resourceful and can literally make use of what they have to do so much, then saying the person Face din Rahat bici is a great compliment.
Fi varză – Be Cabbage
To be cabbage in Romanian means to be a complete mess, be completely wasted, or extremely tired. If you’ve had a really long day, you are ‘cabbage.’ The only problem is that you cannot be used to make a delicious soup.
Also, if you enter a room that is a complete mess or you are a complete mess yourself, you are varză. You can also turn yourself into a cabbage (ok, not literally), which means you are completely wasted.
A veni cu mâna în fund – To Come With The Hand Between Butt-Cheeks
This funny Romanian phrase means someone came to an event or met the host without bringing a gift. The Romanian culture is big on being polite and bringing gifts to events, so it would be strange and disrespectful for somebody to come to a function without bringing a gift except their hands up their ass. You can imagine the old grandmas telling a guest they had nothing with them except their asses. Ouch!
I-a picat fața – Face Has Fallen Off
I-a picat fața means that one is surprised. Picture a jaw-dropping, eye-boggling facial expression when somebody discovers a surprising fact. That is what the Romanians mean when they say one’s face has fallen off.
A-i sări muștarul – Someone’s Mustard To Jump Off
Imagine your mustard jumping around a dining table. It will create a messy show, and I am sure that the people sitting next to you will be a-i sări muștarul or angry. If someone is extremely angry or dissatisfied with a person or situation, their mustard is jumping off and may likely create a messy, irrevocable situation. Yikes!
Ca baba cu mitraliera – Like The Old Lady With The Machine Gun
Seeing a sweet old lady carrying a machine gun will scare and surprise you at the same time because old ladies are known to be sweet and probably cat-lovers. So, Ca baba cu mitraliera means that someone is unsuitable for a task or two things that have nothing in common.
Esti dus cu pluta – You’re Gone On A Raft
Rafting is usually done on rough waters, and it is ideal for anyone who wants to go rafting in a group. Going on a raft alone means you want to kill yourself or are a bit crazy. Also, Romania has a lot of rivers surrounding it, so it is no wonder that going on a raft, esti dus cu pluta means you are crazy. This expression can be used on a serious note or as a jovial statement between friends.
Te îmbeți cu apă rece – You Get Drunk With Cold Water
Things may get tough and overwhelming. During those times, people try to deceive themselves that the situation is better than it looks, which is obviously not. Getting drunk with cold water means someone is lying or deceiving themselves. Te imbeti cu apa rece is usually a saying common to friends and family members when trying to advise their fellow friends or relative.
A un morcov în fund – A Carrot In The Ass
Having a carrot stuck up in your ass doesn’t sound good, and though it may sound funny, it is actually a great idiom that Romanians use to describe being nervous. When someone is nervous, a Romanian will say the person has a carrot in the ass. Next time you get nervous, remember that you don’t want to walk around with a carrot stuck in your ass.
A plimba ursul – To Walk The Bear
When you tell someone to a plimba ursul, it means they should buzz off because you are busy or they are annoying you. It can sound polite or not, depending on your tone.
Freacă menta – Rubbing The Mint
When you have a friend that is lying around doing nothing or wasting time when there are more important things to do, the right expression will be Freacă menta which means that they are wasting time.
A avea minte creață – A Curly Mind
Ever had a friend that is so creative and has a unique perspective about things that you can’t help but wonder how they do it? A Romanian way of complimenting a creative person is to say they have a minte creață – a curly mind.
Iti pica fisa – Your Coin Drops
Remember when you had an Aha moment after spending so much time on something? When your coin drops, it means you have a breakthrough – a eureka/light bulb moment, or you finally understood something you’ve been battling for a long time. Whew! What a relief!
Tace ca porcu-n păpușoi – Keep Quiet Like The Pig In A Cornfield
If someone is extremely quiet, Romanians will say the person is as quiet as a pig in a cornfield which may sound like the direct opposite of the Romanian expression. Still, when given a more profound thought, it actually makes sense. Instead of being excited, a pig in a cornfield will be too busy trying to eat as much corn as possible before getting caught.
Cioara la ciolan – Staring Like The Crow At The Bone
We all get confused once in a while. Imagine you have no knowledge of the Romanian language, and one of them says Cioara la ciolan, then that means that the other person seems to think that you are confused.
Wrapping Up
We’ve gone through some of the funny Romanian expressions in the Romanian language, and I believe you’ve learned one or two phrases (of course, while having a good laugh) to improve your language skills and even sound like a native.
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