Vorbiți engleză?
The English phrase "do you speak english?" is translated into Romanian as Vorbiți engleză?
This phrase is used to ask whether a person has the ability to communicate in the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Speak English?" because Romanian often omits the subject pronoun "you" in questions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal or plural form Vorbiți engleză? uses the second-person plural. The informal singular form uses the verb Vorbești instead of vorbiți.
Did you know?
- If you accidentally use the informal Vorbești engleză? with an elder or a stranger, it is not just a grammatical error but can be perceived as a lack of upbringing or social etiquette.
- The word engleză shares a common ancestor with the English word 'angle', referring to the ancient Germanic tribes that settled in Britain.
- Because Romanian is a Romance language, the verb vorbi is a 'cousin' to the French 'parler' and the Italian 'parlare', though the Romanian version is closer in sound to the Latin 'verbum' for 'word'.
Examples in context
- Scuzați-mă, domnule. Vorbiți engleză?Excuse me, sir. Do you speak English?
- Hei, vorbești engleză?Hey, do you speak English?
- Scuzați, vorbiți engleză?Excuse me, do you speak English?
Example conversation
Elena is asking Stefan for help at a train station.
- ElenaBună ziua, vorbiți engleză?Hello, do you speak English?
- StefanDa, vorbesc puțină engleză.Yes, I speak a little English.
- ElenaUnde este gara?Where is the train station?
- StefanEste chiar aici.It is right here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries engleză, CC BY-SA 4.0.
