bufniță
/ˈbuf.ni.t͡sə/feminine
The Romanian word for owl is bufniță.
bufniță is used to refer to the bird known as an owl.
Meaning: bird (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
bufniță is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. It is pronounced /ˈbuf.ni.tsə/.
Did you know?
- In Romanian folklore, the bufniță is often associated with bad omens or death, making it a common symbol of doom in traditional rural stories.
- The root of bufniță comes from the Late Latin word būfus, which was an onomatopoeic imitation of the bird's hooting sound.
- The word bufniță can be used in an insulting way to describe someone who is foolish or slow, contradicting the common English association of owls with intelligence.
Examples in context
- Datorită ochilor ei, o bufniță poate vedea foarte bine în întuneric.Thanks to its eyes, an owl can see really well in the dark.This sentence demonstrates how the eyes of a bufniță allow it to see well in the dark.Tatoeba #13935822 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13935820 by Ioan_Cristian
- Micuța bufniță verde are cea mai bună școală de limbi străine pe care o cunosc.The little green owl has the best language school I know.This sentence uses bufniță in a metaphorical sense regarding a language school.Tatoeba #12172796 by carlosalberto, translation #12172747 by carlosalberto
- Uite, gușa asta se uită direct în ochii mei!Look, this owl is staring right into my eyes!
- Am văzut o bufniță în pădure aseară.I saw an owl in the forest last night.
Example conversation
Stefan and Elena are walking in a park at night.
- StefanAscultă, se aude un sunet ciudat.Listen, I hear a strange sound.
- ElenaPoate este o bufniță pe ramura aceea.Maybe it is an owl on that branch.
- StefanDa, o văd acum pe copac!Yes, I see it on the tree now!
- ElenaEste foarte frumoasă, Stefan.It is very beautiful, Stefan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “owl” translations and entries bufniță, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bufniță, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
