Romanian is the official state language of both Romania and the Republic of Moldova. While the written literary standard is 100% identical, the spoken forms have regional accent differences and unique local words.
Vocabulary Differences
In Moldova, you will encounter certain colloquial terms that are rare in western Romania, often influenced by historical proximity to Russian:
| English Meaning | Romania Standard | Moldova Regionalism |
|---|---|---|
| potato | cartof | barabulă |
| watermelon | pepene | harbuz |
| towel | prosop | ștergar |
| cup | cană | caftea |
🇲🇩
In 2023, Moldova officially updated its constitution to replace references to the term "Moldovan language" with "Romanian language", solidifying the official unity of the language.
Try it yourself — free
1000 most important words. AI explanations. Spaced repetition. Fast start.