Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| țigan | /t͡siˈɡan/ | masculine |
| cioară | /ˈt͡ʃo̯a.rə/ | |
| țigancă | /t͡siˈɡaŋ.kə/ | feminine |
The term refers to a member of the Romani people or another nomadic group. In modern Romanian, țigan is often considered offensive or pejorative, similar to how 'gypsy' is viewed in many English-speaking contexts. Another formal term used to refer to the Romani people in Romania is Rom.
Which one should you use?
țigan is the masculine form, while țigancă is the feminine form. The word cioară literally means 'crow', but it is used as a highly offensive racial slur for people of Romani descent.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While țigan is the common term, it is often considered offensive or pejorative in modern Romanian, similar to how 'gypsy' is viewed in many English-speaking contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of țigan is țigănă.
How do you pronounce it?
/tsiˈɡan/
Did you know?
- The word țigan shares a surprising root with the Greek word for 'untouchable'. It stems from the Byzantine Greek word athínganos, which meant someone who could not be touched.
Example sentences for Romanian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Stefan and Elena are discussing a neighbor's heritage.
- StefanȘtii cine este vecinul nostru?Do you know who our neighbor is?
- ElenaDa, am auzit că este țigan.Yes, I heard that he is a gypsy.
- StefanPare a fi un om foarte primitor.He seems to be a very welcoming man.
- ElenaSunt de acord cu tine, Stefan.I agree with you, Stefan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gypsy” translations and entries țigan, cioară, țigancă, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cioară, țigan, țigancă, CC BY-SA 4.0.
