vă rog
/və ˈroɡ/familiar, formal, plural, singular
The Romanian phrase for please is vă rog. Wiktionary also lists te rog.
Meaning: interjection to make a polite request (intj)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vă rog | /və ˈroɡ/ | familiar, formal, plural, singular |
| te rog | /te ˈroɡ/ | familiar, singular |
In Romanian, these phrases are used as interjections to make a polite request.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on who you are addressing. Use vă rog when speaking to more than one person, or when addressing a single person in a formal context. Use te rog when addressing a single person in an informal context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
vă rog is the formal form, suitable for people you do not know well or those who are older than you. te rog is the informal form, used with friends, family members, children or anyone you address with the informal tu.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While the English 'please' functions as an adverb or interjection, the Romanian equivalents are verb phrases that literally mean 'I beg you'.
How do you pronounce it?
/və ˈroɡ/
Did you know?
- If a Romanian wants to say 'please' as in 'go ahead' or 'after you', they might use poftim instead of vă rog. Using vă rog in that specific gesture could sound like you are begging them to move.
- The verb rog comes from the same root as the English word 'pray'. In older contexts, saying vă rog was more literally a prayer or a humble plea than a simple polite request.
- Unlike in English, where 'please' is often used to soften a command, Romanians may use vă rog to signal a very firm or official demand when the speaker is in a position of authority.
Examples in context
- Te rog nu sări.Please don't jump.This sentence demonstrates the use of te rog in a request.Tatoeba #6607388 by CataG, translation #3089455 by Hybrid
- O cafea, vă rog.A cup of coffee, please.This sentence shows how to use vă rog when ordering.Tatoeba #3515008 by radubradu, translation #630218 by BraveSentry
- O cafea, te rog.Coffee, please.This sentence shows the use of te rog when ordering.Tatoeba #4948787 by elenacristina260, translation #1907148 by CK
- Vă rog să-mi aduceți meniul, vă mulțumesc.Please bring me the menu, thank you.
- Aș dori să rezerv o cameră pentru două nopți, vă rog.I would like to book a room for two nights, please.
- Te rog să aștepți câteva minute, sunt pe drum.Please wait for a few minutes, I'm on my way.
- Dacă poți să-mi împrumuți acea carte, te rog, aș aprecia mult.If you can lend me that book, please, I would really appreciate it.
- Deschideți, vă rog, ușa.Please open the door.
- Vă rog să mă ajutați – mulțumesc!Please help me – thank you!
- 311 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Stefan is helping Elena at a restaurant.
- ElenaMenul, vă rog.The menu, please.
- StefanSigur, Elena. Imediat.Sure, Elena. Right away.
- ElenaȘi un pahar cu apă, vă rog.And a glass of water, please.
- StefanSe va face.Will do.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries vă rog, te rog, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
