When you're starting to learn Romanian, you'll quickly encounter the word "Limbă". It's a very common noun and understanding it is key to early conversations. At an A1 level, you primarily need to know that it means "language". So, if someone asks "Ce limbă vorbești?" (What language do you speak?), you know they're asking about your ability to communicate in a certain tongue.
How Formal Is It?
"Studiul idiomului național este esențial pentru înțelegerea culturii."
"Limba engleză este vorbită la nivel global."
"Ce graiu frumos ai!"
"Îmi place să ascult vorba bunicii."
"Ești un maestru la gura asta, frate."
Grammar to Know
Nouns in Romanian have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). 'Limbă' is a feminine noun.
O limbă (a language), Limba (the language)
Feminine nouns ending in '-ă' typically form their plural by changing '-ă' to '-i'.
Limbă (language) -> Limbi (languages)
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For example, 'frumoasă' (beautiful) is feminine singular to agree with 'limbă' (feminine singular).
Limba română este frumoasă. (The Romanian language is beautiful.)
The definite article for feminine singular nouns ending in '-ă' is '-a', which attaches to the end of the word.
Limbă (language) -> Limba (the language)
When asking 'What language...?', you use 'Care este limba...?' (Which is the language...?)
Care este limba ta maternă? (What is your mother tongue?)
Idioms & Expressions
"a-și ține limba"
to hold one's tongue / to keep silent
Te rog, a-ți ține limba despre asta. (Please, keep silent about this.)
neutral"a fi cu limba ascuțită"
to have a sharp tongue / to speak harshly
El este mereu cu limba ascuțită. (He always speaks harshly.)
neutral"a-i sta pe limbă"
to be on the tip of one's tongue
Îmi stă pe limbă numele ei. (Her name is on the tip of my tongue.)
neutral"a nu-și găsi limba"
to be speechless / to be at a loss for words
Când am auzit vestea, nu mi-am găsit limba. (When I heard the news, I was speechless.)
neutral"a-i veni apa la gură"
to make one's mouth water (literally: water coming to one's tongue)
Când am văzut tortul, mi-a venit apa la gură. (When I saw the cake, my mouth watered.)
neutral"a fi cu limba legată"
to be tongue-tied
Eram cu limba legată de emoție. (I was tongue-tied from emotion.)
neutral"a-i da cuiva limbi"
to kiss someone (informal, often implying a deep kiss)
Ei își dădeau limbi în parc. (They were kissing in the park.)
informal"a scoate limba la cineva"
to stick out one's tongue at someone (as a childish gesture)
Copilul a scos limba la mine. (The child stuck out his tongue at me.)
neutral"a vorbi pe limba cuiva"
to speak someone's language / to speak in a way someone understands
Îmi place când vorbești pe limba mea. (I like it when you speak my language.)
neutral"a fi o limbă"
to be a tattletale / to be a gossip (informal, derogatory)
Nu fi o limbă și păstrează secretul. (Don't be a tattletale and keep the secret.)
informalHow to Use It
In Romanian, limba can refer to both a specific language (like Romanian, French, etc.) and language in general (the faculty of speech). It's also the word for 'tongue', but in the context of communication, it always means 'language'.
A common mistake is forgetting that 'limbă' also means 'tongue'. While context usually clarifies, be aware of this double meaning. For instance, if you hear 'Are o limbă ascuțită,' it likely refers to a sharp tongue (meaning someone who speaks critically or wittily), not a sharp language.
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsLimbă primarily means 'language' in Romanian. It's how people communicate using words. For example, limba română means 'the Romanian language'.
Yes, it can also mean 'tongue' (the body part). So, depending on the context, it could refer to either. You'll usually be able to tell from the rest of the sentence.
You say limba română. The word 'limba' comes first, then 'română' (Romanian).
Limbă is a feminine noun in Romanian. This affects how adjectives and articles agree with it.
The plural of limbă is limbi. So, 'many languages' would be multe limbi.
Absolutely! A very common one is limbă maternă, which means 'mother tongue' or 'native language'.
You could say Învăț limba română. (I am learning the Romanian language.) Or Este o limbă frumoasă. (It is a beautiful language.)
Limbă refers to the entire communication system (the language itself), while cuvânt means 'word'. So, a language is made up of many words.
Yes, 'limbă' comes from the Latin word 'lingua', which is also the root of English words like 'linguistics' and 'bilingual'.
It's very important! As a beginner, you'll hear and use limbă often, especially when talking about which language you are learning or speaking.
Test Yourself 18 questions
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: "Ea vorbește fluent două ______."
The sentence means 'She speaks two languages fluently.' 'Limbi' is the plural of 'limbă' when referring to languages.
Which of these words best describes a person who can speak many different 'limbi'?
'Poliglot' means polyglot, someone who speaks multiple languages. 'Monolingv' means monolingual, 'mut' means mute, and 'surd' means deaf.
Identify the sentence where 'limbă' refers to a human communication system.
The second option refers to 'the Romanian language' (Limba română), a system of communication. The other options refer to the anatomical tongue.
If someone says 'Înțeleg limba engleză', they mean they understand the English language.
'Limba engleză' directly translates to 'the English language'.
The phrase 'limbă maternă' refers to a language you learn later in life, not your first language.
'Limbă maternă' means 'mother tongue', which is typically one's first language.
In Romanian, 'limbă' can also refer to the anatomical organ inside the mouth.
The word 'limbă' is polysemous and can refer to both language and the anatomical tongue.
Choose the most appropriate synonym for 'limbă' in the context of human communication:
While 'discurs' and 'cuvânt' are related to communication, 'vorba' (speech/talk) is the closest synonym to 'limbă' when referring to the method of human communication.
Which of these sentences correctly uses 'limbă' to refer to a specific language?
The sentence 'Limba română este frumoasă' (The Romanian language is beautiful) correctly uses 'limbă' to mean a specific language. The other options use 'limbă' in its anatomical sense or in idiomatic expressions.
In the phrase 'a-și ține limba', what does 'limbă' most likely refer to?
'A-și ține limba' is an idiom meaning 'to hold one's tongue' or 'to keep quiet', referring to one's speech.
The word 'limbă' can refer to both a human tongue and a spoken language.
Yes, 'limbă' is polysemous, meaning it has multiple meanings, including the anatomical organ and a system of communication.
When someone says 'Mi-e pe limbă', they are literally referring to a physical sensation on their tongue.
'Mi-e pe limbă' is an idiom that translates to 'It's on the tip of my tongue,' meaning one is trying to remember something but cannot quite recall it.
Learning a new 'limbă' is generally considered a difficult task for most adults.
While individual experiences vary, learning a new language ('limbă') as an adult is commonly considered challenging due to factors like cognitive flexibility and time commitment.
This sentence structure emphasizes how a language's complexity is a mirror to its people's culture and history.
The sentence highlights the dual heritage of the Romanian language.
This sentence emphasizes that mastering a new language goes beyond linguistic knowledge to cultural adaptation.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
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A citi
A1To look at and comprehend written words; to read.
A scrie
A1To form letters or words on a surface; to write.
A învăța
A1To acquire knowledge or skills; to learn.
A înțelege
A1To comprehend the meaning of something; to understand.
A ști
A1To have knowledge or information about something; to know.
Caiet
A1A book of plain pages for writing; notebook.
Carte
A1A written or printed work; book.
Elev
A1A person who is studying at school; student.
Pix
A1An instrument for writing with ink; pen.
Profesor
A1A person who teaches at school; teacher.
