Bună
hi; neutral friendly hello
A1 · U02
Hi, Hello, Nice to Meet You
Greetings and Introductions
The Vibe
First meeting: hello, coffee, introductions
You walk into a language exchange in a Bucharest coffee shop. One table starts with a casual Salut!, someone at the counter says Bună ziua!, and the host asks everyone to introduce themselves. In this unit, hello is not just hello: you start choosing the right register from the first line.
By the end of this unit you can
- greet people in formal and informal situations
- introduce yourself and ask for someone’s name
- understand when to use tu and when to use dumneavoastră
- close a short first-meeting exchange politely and naturally
How greetings map to register
At this stage, you do not need dozens of formulas. You need a reliable sense of casual vs polite mode so your first exchanges feel natural.
| Phrase | Where it sounds natural | Quick note |
|---|---|---|
| Salut! | friends, peers, relaxed setting | the simplest informal hi |
| Bună! | neutral-friendly | works more often than you think |
| Bună ziua! | shop, reception, first formal meeting | safe polite option |
| Bună seara! | evening in a polite situation | useful after 18:00 |
| La revedere! | formal or neutral farewell | universal and polite |
| Pa! | friends, messengers, informal goodbye | short and friendly |
Your mini introduction toolkit
Eu sunt...
A direct “I am ...”. Good for short spoken intros.
Mă numesc...
Literally “myself I call ...”. This is the most frequent beginner pattern.
Cum te cheamă?
Informal: what’s your name?
Cum vă cheamă?
Polite: what is your name?
Încântat(ă)
“Nice to meet you.” The ending depends on the speaker.
Grammar Hack
Two ways to introduce yourself
`Eu sunt Maya` and `Mă numesc Maya` mean almost the same thing. At A1, you can use either, but `Mă numesc` is slightly more common.
Bună is the universal entry
If you are unsure which register to use, `Bună!` works almost everywhere. It is safer than `Salut!` and simpler than `Bună ziua!`.
When in doubt — dumneavoastră
It is better to start formal and switch to tu than the other way around. This rule works just like in Russian or French.
Încântat(ă) depends on you
A man says `Încântat`, a woman says `Încântată`. The ending depends on the speaker, not the listener.
Learn in pairs
Store question-answer pairs: `Cum te cheamă?` → `Mă numesc...`. This is far more effective than learning words in isolation.
The key social rule: tu vs dumneavoastră
tu = closer, simpler, informal
Use tu with friends, peers, classmates, and people in clearly relaxed settings.
- Tu ești Luca?
- Cum te cheamă?
- Salut! Eu sunt Maya.
dumneavoastră = respectful distance
Use dumneavoastră with unfamiliar adults, in service situations, at receptions, and in careful first contact.
- Dumneavoastră sunteți doamna Ionescu?
- Cum vă cheamă?
- Bună ziua!
Unit words and formulas
- salut
- bună
- bună ziua
- bună seara
- la revedere
- pa
- eu sunt
- mă numesc
- dumneavoastră
- încântat(ă)
Ready-made mini lines
- Bună! Eu sunt Maya.
- Mă numesc Luca.
- Cum te cheamă?
- Cum vă cheamă?
- Încântat(ă)!
- La revedere!
Nice to Know: when people switch to tu
In urban Romanian, peers often move to tu fairly quickly in friendly settings. But service interactions, formal contexts, and a noticeable age gap usually keep dumneavoastră in place longer.
Mini dialogue: language exchange in a café
Maya
Bună! Eu sunt Maya. Cum te cheamă?
Andrei
Salut! Mă numesc Andrei. Încântat!
Maya
Încântată! Tu ești din București?
Andrei
Da! Tu?
Maya
Nu, sunt din Chișinău. Dar acum sunt aici.
Andrei
Super! Bine ai venit!
Notice: both speakers use tu — this is a friendly peer setting. Maya says Încântată (feminine), Andrei says Încântat (masculine).
Practice in this unit
- ● Register Sort
- ● Situation Match
- ● Address Choice
- ● Register Repair
- ● Intro Fill-in
- ● Pick the Right Line
- ● Build the Line
- ● Greeting or Goodbye?
- ● Mini Roleplay
Shadowing: informal + polite greeting
Listen once as a full exchange, then repeat line by line. Notice how the polite part sounds slightly calmer and more formal.
Bună! Eu sunt Maya. Tu ești Luca? Da, eu sunt Luca. Încântat! Bună ziua! Dumneavoastră sunteți doamna Ionescu? Da, bine ați venit.
Flashcards and pronunciation
The cards below reuse separate normal/slow audio files, so they also work as a pronunciation drill.
Checkpoint
- ✓ I can choose Bună, Salut, or Bună ziua depending on the situation
- ✓ I can introduce myself with Eu sunt... and Mă numesc...
- ✓ I understand the difference between Cum te cheamă? and Cum vă cheamă?
- ✓ I can open and close a short first-meeting exchange
Flashcards
1 / 20
Salut
hi; more casual
Bună ziua
good day; polite hello
Bună seara
good evening
La revedere
goodbye
Pa
bye
Mă numesc
my name is / I am called
Eu sunt
I am ...
Cum te cheamă?
what’s your name? informal
Cum vă cheamă?
what is your name? polite
Încântat
nice to meet you; masculine form
Încântată
nice to meet you; feminine form
dumneavoastră
you; polite address form
Bine ai venit
welcome; informal
Noapte bună
good night
Scuze
excuse me; sorry
Pe curând
see you soon; farewell
prieteni
friends; plural
domnule
sir; mister; polite form of address
doamnă
madam; lady; polite form of address for women
Exercises
Register Sort
Sort the formulas into two modes: informal and polite.
Salut!
Bună!
Pa!
Bună ziua!
Bună seara!
La revedere!
Situation Match
Match each situation with the most natural Romanian line.
a new classmate your age
a reception desk or information counter
greet an older neighbor politely in the evening
say goodbye to a close acquaintance
Address Choice
For each situation, choose: tu or dumneavoastră.
a new friend at a language exchange
a clinic receptionist
a peer in a coworking space
an unfamiliar adult in a formal context
a friendly chat with someone your age
Register Repair
Repair the line: the register is too familiar for the situation.
Salut! Tu ești domnul Popescu?
Intro Fill-in
Fill in the missing word or form.
Bună! Eu ___ Maya.
Mă ___ Luca.
Cum ___ cheamă?
Cum ___ cheamă?
La ___!
Pick the Right Line
Read the situation and choose the most natural phrase.
You are at a language exchange, facing someone your age. How do you greet them?
You enter a clinic and address the receptionist. How do you introduce yourself?
A new acquaintance asks your name. How do you answer?
How do you ask a teacher’s name when using the polite form?
You are saying goodbye to a friend after coffee. What do you say?
Build the Line
Put the words in the correct order to form a phrase.
Поздоровайся и представься (неформально)
Спроси имя собеседника (неформально)
Представься формально
Спроси имя вежливо
Попрощайся вежливо
Greeting or Goodbye?
Sort the phrases into two groups: greetings and farewells.
Bună!
Salut!
Bună ziua!
Pa!
La revedere!
Bună seara!
Mini Roleplay
Build a short first-meeting exchange in 4-5 lines. You can make it informal or polite.
1.Say hello.
2.Introduce yourself.
3.Ask for the other person’s name in the right register.
4.Say Încântat(ă).
5.Close the exchange politely.
Bună! Eu sunt Maya. Cum te cheamă? Încântată! Pa!
Practice saying this out loud.
Log in to save your progress.
Sign in