dragă
/ˈdra.ɡə/
The Romanian word for dear is dragă.
The term is used as an adjective to mean loved or lovable. Additionally, it serves as a common and versatile term of endearment, similar to the English word 'darling', when addressing friends, family or loved ones directly.
Meaning: loved, lovable (adj)
Which one should you use?
As an adjective, dragă describes someone who is dear or loved. It is also used as a direct address to a person as a term of endearment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use drag for masculine singular nouns, dragă for feminine singular nouns and dragi for masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈdra.ɡə/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word dragă is a homonym with a different meaning borrowed from the French word 'drague'. In this slang context, it refers to the act of flirting or 'picking up' someone.
- In a playful or sarcastic tone, calling someone draga mea can be used to signal that the speaker is about to deliver a correction or a reprimand, similar to how 'my dear' is used condescendingly in English.
- If you are writing a formal letter in Romanian, you might use Stimate instead of dragă, as dragă is often seen as too intimate for professional correspondence.
Examples in context
- Și așa copiii ieșiră din casă împreună, iar sora cea mică, care era vrednică la minte pentru vârsta ei, zise fratelui: "Mergem mai întâi s-o vedem pe bunica noastră dragă și să-i spunem unde ne trimite mama noastră vitregă".So the children left the house together, and the little sister, who was very wise for her years, said to the brother: "We will first go and see our own dear grandmother, and tell her where our step-mother is sending us."This sentence shows the use of dragă when referring to a grandmother.Tatoeba #6063973 by viorel, translation #3884611 by Hybrid
- Dragă AnaDear Ana
- Ea este o prietenă dragă de mult timp.She has been a dear friend for a long time.
- Am primit o scrisoare de la o persoană dragă.I received a letter from a dear person.
Example conversation
Andrei and Elena are talking about their family.
- AndreiElena, bunica ta este o persoană dragă.Elena, your grandmother is a dear person.
- ElenaMulțumesc, Andrei! Ea este foarte iubită.Thank you, Andrei! She is very loved.
- AndreiSe vede că sunteți foarte apropiați.It is clear that you are very close.
- ElenaDa, ea este cea mai dragă bunică.Yes, she is the dearest grandmother.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dragă, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dragă, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
