prânz
/ˈprɨnz/neuter
The Romanian word for lunch is prânz. Wiktionary also lists dejun and mare dejun.
Meaning: meal around midday (noun)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| prânz | /ˈprɨnz/ | neuter |
| dejun | /deˈʒun/ | neuter |
| mare dejun | /ˈma.re deˈʒun/ (word by word) | neologism, neuter, rare |
The term refers to the meal eaten around midday.
Which one should you use?
While prânz is the standard word for lunch, dejun is primarily used for breakfast in modern standard Romanian. Avoid using dejun for lunch unless you are referring to specific older contexts. The phrase mare dejun is a rare neologism.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express doing something 'at lunch' or 'for lunch', use the preposition 'la' before the word, such as la prânz. To refer to a specific lunch, use the definite form prânzul. The related verb prânzi means to eat lunch. All forms are neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈprɨnz/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse prânz (lunch) with dejun (breakfast). In modern Romanian, use dejun for breakfast and prânz for lunch.
Did you know?
- While 'lunch' is a single meal, the word dejun is actually a loanword from the French 'déjeuner'.
- Romanian uses a specific verb prânzi to describe the act of eating lunch, rather than just saying 'to eat' with the noun.
Examples in context
- Cum a fost prânzul?How was lunch?This sentence is useful for asking how the meal was using prânz.Tatoeba #11164559 by fathe, translation #3199067 by CK
- Ce a mâncat Tom la prânz?What did Tom eat for lunch?This sentence is useful for asking what someone ate for lunch using prânz.Tatoeba #6979296 by CataG, translation #6349533 by CK
- Mama ne-a pregătit prânzul.Mother prepared us lunch.This sentence is useful for describing the preparation of lunch using prânz.Tatoeba #4144924 by AlbertaJ, translation #320734 by CN
- Invit colegii mei la prânz în restaurantele locale.I invite my colleagues to lunch at local restaurants.
- Vă rog să veniți la prânz înainte de întâlnirea noastră importantă.Please come to lunch before our important meeting.
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Stefan and Ioana are at work discussing their midday meal.
- StefanAi mâncat prânzul?Have you eaten lunch?
- IoanaNu, încă nu am luat prânzul.No, I haven't had lunch yet.
- StefanVrei să mergem la prânz împreună?Do you want to go to lunch together?
- IoanaDa, e o idee bună.Yes, that is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lunch” translations and entries prânz, dejun, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mare, dejun) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dejun, mare, prânz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
