iubit
[juˈbit]masculine
The Romanian word for boyfriend is iubit. Wiktionary also lists prieten.
Meaning: male partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| iubit | [juˈbit] (narrow) | masculine |
| prieten | /priˈe.ten/ (literary) /ˈprje.ten/ |
masculine |
The term is used to identify a male partner in a romantic relationship. Related terms like iubirea mea can also function as an endearing term meaning "my love".
Which one should you use?
The word prieten is the standard word for "friend", but it can also be used to mean "boyfriend" in a more casual or vague way. In contrast, iubit is more explicitly romantic and carries a stronger sense of affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of iubit is iubită, which is used to refer to a girlfriend. When using the definite article with a possessive adjective, the phrase becomes iubitul meu to mean "my boyfriend" or "my beloved".
Did you know?
- The word iubit is not originally a noun but the past participle of the verb iubi, meaning 'loved'. Literally, calling someone a boyfriend in Romanian is like calling them 'the loved one'.
- Because prieten is borrowed from Old Church Slavonic, it connects the Romanian word for boyfriend to a wide family of Slavic languages despite Romanian being a Romance language.
- The word iubirea mea can be used not just for a boyfriend, but also for children or parents, as the concept of 'my love' transcends romantic partnerships in Romanian culture.
Examples in context
- Nu, nu e noul meu prieten.No, he's not my new boyfriend.This sentence is useful for clarifying that someone is not a new prieten.Tatoeba #2536264 by ijikure, translation #1427 by LittleBoy
- El e un vechi iubit al ei.He's an old boyfriend of hers.This sentence shows how to refer to an old iubit.Tatoeba #12318872 by ridisegnandone, translation #8537235 by CH
- Iubitul meu este jurnalist.My boyfriend is a journalist.This sentence demonstrates the use of iubit to identify a partner's profession.Tatoeba #5092605 by fathe, translation #251588 by CK
- Te iubesc, iubi!I love you, darling!
- Iubitul meu, ești lumina vieții mele.My boyfriend, you are the light of my life.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ioana is introducing Stefan to her family.
- IoanaMama, acesta este iubit al meu, Stefan.Mom, this is my boyfriend, Stefan.
- StefanBună ziua! Mă bucur să vă cunosc.Good day! I am glad to meet you.
- IoanaSper că îți place iubit al meu.I hope you like my boyfriend.
- StefanPare un tânăr foarte politicos.He seems like a very polite young man.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries iubit, prieten, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries iubit, prieten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
