oraș
/oˈraʃ/neuter
The English word 'city' is translated into Romanian as oraș. Wiktionary also lists cetate and urbe.
Meaning: large settlement (noun)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| oraș | /oˈraʃ/ | neuter |
| cetate | /t͡ʃeˈta.te/ | feminine |
| urbe | feminine | |
| metropolă | feminine | |
| municipiu | neuter |
A city is a large settlement. In Romania, municipiu is a specific administrative designation for larger cities with certain local government powers.
Which one should you use?
While oraș is the standard term, other words are used for specific contexts. Cetate refers specifically to a fortified city or a citadel. Metropolă is used specifically for a large, major city that serves as a central hub, similar to the English 'metropolis'. Urbe is a more formal, literary term for a city, often used in academic or poetic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the common word for city, oraș, is orașe. The genitive/dative singular form of oraș is orașului.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈraʃ/
Did you know?
- The common word oraș is not actually of Latin origin but was borrowed from the Hungarian word 'város'.
- The word cetate is used today to describe a 'citadel' but its root is the same as the English word 'civic'.
- Because oraș comes from Hungarian, it reflects the complex historical and linguistic layers of the Romanian territory.
Examples in context
- În ce oraș locuiți?In which city do you live?This sentence is useful for asking where someone lives using oraș.Tatoeba #13247593 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13247592 by Ioan_Cristian
- El s-a pierdut în oraș.He got lost in the city.This sentence is useful for describing getting lost in a location using oraș.Tatoeba #5133956 by fathe, translation #290637 by CK
- Eu trăiesc într-un oraș.I live in a city.This sentence is useful for stating your place of residence using oraș.Tatoeba #2657513 by elenacristina260, translation #2657511 by CM
- Elevii noștri au vizitat orașul București.Our students visited the city of Bucharest.
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrei and Elena are planning a weekend trip.
- AndreiVrei să mergem într-un oraș de lângă munte?Do you want to go to a city near the mountain?
- ElenaDa, mi-ar plăcea să vizităm un oraș nou.Yes, I would like to visit a new city.
- AndreiPutem merge cu trenul spre acel oraș.We can go by train to that city.
- ElenaEste o idee excelentă, Andrei!That is an excellent idea, Andrei!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city” translations and entries oraș, cetate, urbe, metropolă, municipiu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cetate, metropolă, oraș, urbe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
