How to Tell Time and Dates in Romanian for English Speakers

Understanding the Basics of Telling Time in Romanian

Telling time in Romanian involves understanding both the 12-hour and 24-hour clock systems. While the 24-hour clock is commonly used in formal contexts like schedules and transportation, the 12-hour clock is often used in everyday conversation, accompanied by phrases indicating morning, afternoon, or evening.

Romanian Numbers for Hours and Minutes

Before telling time, it's important to know the numbers in Romanian. Here are some key numbers used when telling time:

• 1 - unu
• 2 - doi
• 3 - trei
• 4 - patru
• 5 - cinci
• 6 - șase
• 7 - șapte
• 8 - opt
• 9 - nouă
• 10 - zece
• 15 - cincisprezece
• 30 - treizeci
• 45 - patruzeci și cinci

Expressing Hours and Minutes

In Romanian, the word for 'hour' is ora (plural ore). To say the time, you typically say the hour followed by the minutes. For example, 3:15 is ora trei și cincisprezece or more commonly trei și cincisprezece. However, in everyday speech, Romanians often use expressions like 'quarter past' or 'half past'.

• 3:15 - trei și un sfert (three and a quarter)
• 4:30 - patru și jumătate (four and a half)
• 5:45 - șase fără un sfert (six minus a quarter, meaning 5:45)

Using 'Dimineața', 'După-amiaza', and 'Seara'

To clarify whether it's morning, afternoon, or evening, Romanians add these words after the time:

• dimineața - in the morning
• după-amiaza - in the afternoon
• seara - in the evening

For example, 7:00 AM is șapte dimineața, and 7:00 PM is șapte seara.

How to Say Dates in Romanian

Dates in Romanian are expressed with the day first, followed by the month and the year. The day is usually a cardinal number, and the month is written in lowercase.

Romanian Months of the Year

• ianuarie - January
• februarie - February
• martie - March
• aprilie - April
• mai - May
• iunie - June
• iulie - July
• august - August
• septembrie - September
• octombrie - October
• noiembrie - November
• decembrie - December

Expressing the Day and Year

To say the day, use the cardinal number, for example, '1' is unu, but when saying dates, the ordinal form is often used, especially in formal contexts. The ordinal numbers for dates are formed by adding -lea or -a depending on gender.

• 1st - întâi (used for the first day of the month)
• 2nd - al doilea
• 3rd - al treilea
• 4th - al patrulea
• 5th - al cincilea

For example, March 15, 2024, is 15 martie 2024 or formally al cincisprezecelea martie două mii douăzeci și patru.

Common Date Expressions

Here are some common ways to express dates in Romanian:

• Astăzi este 10 aprilie. (Today is April 10.)
• Data nașterii mele este 3 iulie 1990. (My birth date is July 3, 1990.)
• Ne vedem pe 1 mai. (We will meet on May 1.)

Practice Examples for Telling Time and Dates