25 Romanian expressions that are not what they mean
If you are just starting to learn Romanian, you might hear some phrases that will have you try to process the meaning without any luck. You might hear someone ask “why are you rubbing the mint”, and you'd be confused because you don’t have any mint with you. That actually means “why are you wasting time”.
Romanias are funny people and they like to express their actions and emotions in a way that does make sense only if you think about it in the abstract.
In order to survive your journey of reaching your level of conversation in Romanian, here is a list of 25 colloquial expressions, what they actually mean and their word-by-word translations into English.
A baga mana-n foc – “To put your hand in the fire for somebody”: This is the Romanian way to say that you vouch for someone.
La Pastele cailor – “At the horses’ Easter”: This is an expression used when you want to say that something will definitely not happen.
Mi-a ajuns cutitul la os – “The knife has reached my bone”: When someone reaches their limit in a situation.
A te imbata cu apa rece – “Getting drunk with cold water”: It means that you are fooling yourself.
Cine sapa groapa altuia cade singur in ea - “The one who digs another's grave shall fall in it?” - When you wish someone bad or act upon someone else in a wrong way, but you are the one that ends up hurt.
A vinde gogosi – “To sell doughnuts”: A Romanian believes you’re lying to them.
A taia frunza la caini - “To cut the leaf to dogs” - When someone is wasting time, doing nothing.
A-si pune pofta in cui - “To put your cravings in the nail” - If you want something that you cannot have, a Romanian will tell you to place your desire in a nail.
A picat ca nuca in perete - “He fell like a nut in the wall” - If something comes up unexpectedly and at the wrong moment.
Calul de dar nu se caută la dinți - “You don’t check the gifted horse’s teeth” - It means that if you ever receive a bad gift from a Romanian, don’t tell them.
A-i sări muștarul - “Their mustard jumped”: When a Romanian is about to lose their temper.
Frecție la piciorul de lemn - “Rubbing the wooden leg”: it’s used when something is not worth the effort.
A se simți cu musca pe căciulă - “I feel with a fly on my hat”: When someone feels they have done something very wrong to someone.
Dus cu pluta - “Gone with a raft on the water”: it is used when someone acts crazy.
Ma scoti din pepeni - “You take me out of my watermelons”: means “you’re pissing me off”. Harry Styles wouldn't approve of this one.
Se uită că vițelul la poarta noua - “He looks like a calf at the new gate”: When a Romanian is very surprised and has no idea what to do.
Umbli cu cioara vopsită – “You are walking with a painted crow”: If you feel that a Romanian is trying to lie to you, ask them this.
A-si da foc la valiză - “To burn their suitcase”: If a Romanian ruins their own chances they will say they burned their luggage.
A fi prins cu mața-n sac – “To be caught with the cat in the bag”: If you catch someone lying to you, tell them this!
Ma iei cu zaharelul - “To carry someone with sugar”: When someone is telling you what you want to hear, but they have hidden intentions.
Esti tufă de Veneția - “You are a Venice bush”: when someone is not very smart.
Am eu ac de cojocul tau – “I have the needle for your coat”: When a Romanian wants to take revenge on someone.
Te lupți cu morile de vant – “You’re fighting with the windmills”: It means that you are trying for nothing, and you won’t succeed.
Te-a dus cu presul – “He carried you on a rug: If someone is trying to fool you, you are carried on a rug.
A da cu bata in baltă - “To kick the pond with a stick”: When someone does something wrong, fails at something.
Have you heard any other Romanian expressions that cannot be translated? Let’s chat about them in the “Practice your Romanian” Forum!