muncă
/ˈmuŋkə/feminine
The Romanian word for work is muncă. Wiktionary also lists serviciu and ocupație.
Meaning: labour, employment, occupation, job (noun)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| muncă | /ˈmuŋkə/ | feminine |
| serviciu | /serˈvi.t͡ʃju/ | neuter |
| ocupație | /o.kuˈpa.t͡si.e/ | feminine |
| îndeletnicire | feminine |
muncă refers to the abstract concept of labor or the physical effort of working, whereas serviciu is more commonly used to refer to one's specific place of employment or a job position. muncă is the preferred term when discussing labor in a formal, economic or sociological context.
Which one should you use?
muncă refers to work as an abstract concept or physical labor. In contrast, serviciu is more commonly used when referring to one's specific place of employment or a specific job position.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The term for workplace is expressed as the phrase loc de muncă.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmuŋkə/
Did you know?
- The word muncă shares a surprising history with the word 'torture', as it originates from the Old Church Slavonic term for 'torment'.
- The word muncă is used in the expression muncă de maimuță, which literally means 'monkey work' to describe a pointless or poorly done task.
- The term îndeletnicire is used for 'work' when referring to a skill or a hobby that requires specialized dexterity.
Examples in context
- Ea este la muncă.She's at work.This sentence is useful for saying someone is at work using muncă.Tatoeba #13843362 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #5298730 by CarpeLanam
- Ce faci după muncă?What will you do after work?This sentence is useful for asking about activities after work using muncă.Tatoeba #9479951 by elenacristina260, translation #9181961 by megamanenm
- Ai întârziat la muncă.You were late for work.This sentence is useful for noting someone was late for work using muncă.Tatoeba #6542134 by fathe, translation #16104 by Swift
- El a primit o promovare la locul de muncă.He received a promotion at work.
- Ai găsit un job nou?Did you find a new job?
- Sunt obosit după o zi lungă de job.I am tired after a long day of work.
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ioana and Gabriel are talking about their daily schedules.
- IoanaGabriel, ai fost la muncă astăzi?Gabriel, were you at work today?
- GabrielDa, dar a fost multă muncă.Yes, but there was a lot of work.
- IoanaTe aștept eu după muncă.I will wait for you after work.
- GabrielPerfect, ne vedem atunci, Ioana.Perfect, see you then, Ioana.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “work” translations and entries muncă, serviciu, ocupație, îndeletnicire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muncă, ocupație, serviciu, îndeletnicire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
