49 Romani phrases for beginners
Everyday phrases in North Central Romani (Slovak Romani), taken from the twelve units of the Čiriklo course, with English translations and a few tips on pronunciation and politeness.
1. Greetings
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Lačho ďives! | Hello! / Good day! |
| Sar sal? | How are you? (to one person, informal) |
| Mištes, paľikerav. | Fine, thank you. |
| Ačh Devleha! | Goodbye! (said by the person who leaves; literally “Stay with God”) |
| Dža Devleha! | Goodbye! (answer to the person who leaves; literally “Go with God”) |
2. Introductions
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Me som e Jana. | I am Jana. |
| Sar tut vičinen? | What is your name? |
| Khatar sal? | Where are you from? |
| Vakeres romanes? | Do you speak Romani? |
3. Family
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Oda hin miro dad. | That is my dad. |
| Hin man phral. | I have a brother. |
| Nane man pheň. | I don’t have a sister. |
| Kaj hiňi tiri daj? | Where is your mum? |
4. Numbers
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Jekh, duj, trin | One, two, three |
| Keci tuke berš? | How old are you? |
| Mange hin deš berš. | I am ten years old. |
| Keci hin tut čhave? | How many children do you have? |
5. Food and drink
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Som bokhalo. | I am hungry. (man speaking) |
| Kames te chal? | Do you want to eat? |
| So taves? | What are you cooking? |
| Rado chav mas. | I like eating meat. (man speaking) |
6. Colours and qualities
| Romani | English |
|---|
| O kher hino baro. | The house is big. |
| E čhaj hiňi cikňi. | The girl is small. |
| Miro dad hino zoralo. | My dad is strong. |
| Oda hin igen šukar. | That is very nice. |
7. Animals
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Hin tut rikono? | Do you have a dog? |
| O graj hino parno. | The horse is white. |
| O čiriklo giľavel. | The bird is singing. |
| Andro veš hin ruv. | There is a wolf in the forest. |
8. Body and health
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Dukhal man o šero. | My head hurts. |
| Hin la šukar jakha. | She has beautiful eyes. |
| Som khino. | I am tired. (man speaking) |
| Te aves sasto! | Stay healthy! (to a man) |
9. Home and town
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Kaj džas? | Where are you going? |
| Džav khere. | I am going home. |
| Av andre! | Come in! |
| Beš tele! | Sit down! |
10. Nature and weather
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Del brišind. | It is raining. |
| Del jiv. | It is snowing. |
| Del kham. | The sun is shining. |
| Hin šil. | It is cold. |
11. Time
| Romani | English |
|---|
| Adaďives | today |
| Tajsa avava. | I will come tomorrow. |
| Kana aveha? | When will you come? |
| Akana som khere. | I am at home now. |
12. What I like doing
| Romani | English |
|---|
| So keres? | What are you doing? |
| Rado giľavav. | I like singing. (man speaking) |
| O dad bašavel pre lavuta. | Dad plays the violin. |
| Ma dara! | Don’t be afraid! |
Tips
Formal and informal “you”
Like Czech or Spanish, Romani distinguishes informal and formal address. You ask a friend Sar sal? (How are you?), but several people – or someone you address formally – Sar san?. Traditionally, older people speak informally to younger ones, and younger people address older ones formally.
Saying goodbye “with God”
The person who leaves says Ačh Devleha! (literally “Stay with God!”) and the one who stays answers Dža Devleha! (“Go with God!”). To several people: Ačhen Devleha! and Džan Devleha!
Aspirated sounds
čh, kh, ph, th are pronounced with a short puff of breath and change the meaning of words: kher is “house”, but ker! means “do!”.
Wishing luck
A popular greeting and farewell is a wish for happiness: Te aves bachtalo! (to a man), Te aves bachtaľi! (to a woman), Te aven bachtale! (to several people).
These phrases come from the free app Čiriklo, where you can hear each one and practise it in short lessons. Note that other Romani dialects may say some of them differently – see Romani dialects.
