How to Say I Love You in Romanian (Plus Other Love-Related Words)

With Valentine’s Day around the corner (and Dragobetele following soon in Romania), it is the perfect time for me to teach you how to tell your special person “I love you” in Romanian… and a lot more.

No need to worry about freezing up right before whispering sweet words in a language that isn’t yours – I’m here to help and I’ll start with a secret: you don’t even need to get the pronunciation right! It’s the fact that you’re trying that matters the most!

Hopefully, you’re feeling more confident now, so let’s get your vocabulary ready for romance!

How to Say “I Love You” in Romanian

“I love you” in Romanian is “Te iubesc.” (pronounce it like this: teh yoo-BESK).

This phrase remains the same whether you’re saying it to a man or a woman, and it’s the easiest – and most powerful – expression of love.

While many Romanians speak excellent English and understand the English version perfectly, hearing it in their native tongue hits different. It shows effort and respect for their culture. It’s not difficult to say either, compared to various other Romanian words…

Saying “I Miss You” (Dor)

Before we get to the other compliments, there is one word you must know if you are dating a Romanian.

That word is Dor. It is considered untranslatable as there is no exact English word for it. The closest word to it would be “missing” someone, but it also comes with a mixture of longing, nostalgia, and a heavy soul-feeling.

When you are apart from your partner, you don’t just say “I miss you.” You say: Mi-e dor de tine (me-eh DOOR deh TEE-neh) – that’s a lot more than simply missing someone.

Use this as a text or say it over the phone when you aren’t together.

Extra Love-related Words & Phrases

Yes, I know that swear words are the first that you usually learn in a new language, but let’s make a change this time and switch to nice words you can say to your loved one.

If you want to mix things up with new terms or sweet phrases, here are the ones that will have the biggest impact.

I love you so much = Te iubesc mult (teh yoo-BESK moolt)

As an alternative, you can say “Te iubesc din tot sufletul” (teh yoo-BESK deen toht SOO-fleh-tool) which basically means “I love you with all my heart”

I love you more = Te iubesc mai mult (teh yoo-BESK my moolt)

Or “Ba eu te iubesc mai mult” (bah eh-oo teh yoo-BESK my moolt) if you want to say “I love you more.” The “Ba” essentially acts as a playful “No! It is I who loves you more.”

I love you too = Și eu te iubesc (shee eh-oo teh yoo-BESK)

I like you = Îmi place de tine (uhm PLAH-cheh deh TEE-neh)

You are my loved one (when talking to a female): Ești iubita mea (yesht yoo-BEE-tah meh-ah)

You are my loved one (when talking to a male): Ești iubitul meu (yesht yoo-BEE-tool meh-oo)

My love = you have a few options here, all meaning the same thing. Just pick the easier to say:

• Dragostea mea: drah-goh-steh-ah meh-ah
• Iubirea mea: yoo-BEE-ree-ah meh-ah
• Iubire: yoo-BEE-reh

You are my everything = Tu ești totul pentru mine (too yesht TOH-tool PEN-troo MEE-neh)

I adore you: Te ador (teh ah-DOR)

I’m always thinking about you: Mă gândesc mereu la tine – OK, maybe this one is best kept just for text messages. Ha!

And if one thing leads to another, you might eventually end up wishing to ask the important question:

Will you marry me? = Vrei să te căsătorești cu mine? (vray sah teh kah-suh-toh-RESH-t koo MEE-neh?)

Or the easier version, if you’re asking a lady: Vrei să fii soția mea? (vray sah fee so-TSEE-ah meh-ah?)

After all, Romanian women are amazing (and so are Romanian men, if you allow me to say it!)

Here are some other things you might want to say – compliments of sorts for your special Romanian guy or lady:

You are beautiful = Ești frumoasă (to a female – yesht froo-MWAH-sah) and Ești frumos (to a male – yesht froo-MOSS)

You look good = Arăți bine (ah-RAHTS BEE-neh)

I like your eyes = Îmi plac ochii tăi (uhm plack OH-kee tye)

I like your smile = Îmi place zâmbetul tău (uhm PLAH-cheh ZUH-mbeh-tool tow)

Will you be my Valentine? – In English, asking this can just mean “Will you go on a date with me on February 14th?” But we don’t have an exact translation for that specific date-night request.

If you use the direct translation for “lover/girlfriend/boyfriend,” you are asking for a relationship status, not just a date – so make sure you are aware of that:

• If asking females: Vrei să fii iubita mea? (vray sah fee yoo-BEE-tah meh-ah?)
• If asking males: Vrei să fii iubitul meu? (vray sah fee yoo-BEE-tool meh-oo?)

There are many store-brought cards that you can get with the “Will you be my Valentine?” question in English so if you want to pop this question, a card can be your savior.

If you are already dating, these are perfect. If you just want to ask someone out for Valentine’s Day without locking down a relationship title, you might want to stick to a simpler invitation like “Vrei să ieșim de Ziua Îndrăgostiților?” (Do you want to go out on Lovers’ Day?).

Finally, a fun thing that we heard from a guy working in a Restaurant in Prague, when we visited.

He made my wife and I chuckle: apparently, he had studied in Romania for a while, but only knew this in the Romanian language:

“Te iubesc, iubirea mea, tu esti viata mea.”

This is what his girlfriend had taught him to say – a very cheesy declaration of love, which translates as “I love you, my love, you are my life”. It’s a bit too much in my opinion, but since the lady liked that, you can try it too.

The line gets bonus points as you can say it unchanged to both men and women.

Valentine’s Day and Dragobetele in Romania

Now that you have polished your love language in Romanian, it’s time for a bit of a fun fact (read more here if you’re curious):

Although Valentine’s Day is also getting big in Romania and is becoming the default celebration of love here, we also have Dragobetele – a traditional day of love celebrated on February 24th each year.

It’s sometimes referred to as the “Romanian Valentine’s Day,” and it comes with its own customs. I have an entire dedicated to this special, traditional event, so you can learn everything about celebrating Dragobetele in Romania here.

To sum it up, apart from the classic chocolates and flowers that can be offered as gifts to your loved one, there’s an interesting belief related to this celebration: it is said that the person to first step on their partner’s foot will have the dominant role in the relationship (at least for the current year).

So you know now what it means if on February 24th your Romanian loved one “accidentally” steps on your foot! Ha.

And if you’re curious, you can learn more about other Romanian traditions here or skip directly to our unique celebration of spring, Martisor.

Dragobetele is getting more attention in recent years, and I think it’s a great addition – after all, why celebrate love just once, when you can do it twice?

Even more, I believe that you would offer your partner an even more pleasant surprise if you knew about this traditional celebration of love – Dragobetele – and also let them know how you feel, now that you know all these phrases and expressions.

So you just have to learn once and you can use your knowledge at least twice. (But really now, tell your loved one how much you love them daily!)

Conclusion

So there you have it: how to say “I love you” (and plenty more) in Romanian, plus a peek at Romania’s own celebration of love, Dragobetele.

If you have any questions or want to share your favorite Romanian expressions, let me know in the comments section below.