I've recently started learning Romanian. Actually, I have been learning Romanian for a year or so, but only a while ago started learning in a structured way, with a proper language teacher, Violeta.

I love languages and I strongly believe that when we learn a foreign language we also get “under the skin” of the culture. New doors open. This is a fact. I so want to learn Romanian! It's a new challenge for me !

These are my first impressions:

Romanian has lots of vowels that make the language flow “like a river” , as a friend put it so well .

Check out : “ceai” which means tea; or “copiii”, three i in a row. ”Copiii” means “the children” in the articulated form.

In the beginning, the language sounded to my ears as a mix of Italian and Russian. Now, when I get more and more familiar with it, I think it resembles Portuguese. Romanian is a Latin based language, one which we don’t commonly hear in the west. We don’t have a preset opinion about it. So for a year, my ear has got used to listening to it.

It’s fascinating that Romanian is Latin-based, having in mind that Romania is squeezed into the Balkan region. When getting to know the history of Romania, it soon becomes clear that the Romans played an important role in this country. Hence the Latin influence. This adds to the fascination I have for Romania.

Romania-Insider.com has a special section for those who want to learn Romanian, with written and audio materials. Check it out here.

By Yvette Larsson, Guest Writer

Yvette Larsson is Swedish and in the last 12 years has lived in Norway, Denmark, England, France and the French Reunion Island.  She holds qualifications in languages and journalism from Umeå University, Sweden and has 10 years experience in sports management. Yvette now owns her Coaching and Leadership Consultancy business and is   currently blogging and writing a book about Romania, while searching for project opportunities in Bucharest. 

(photo by Yvette Larsson)