A1 · Beginner
Romanian Reading Practice A1
This page is for absolute beginners of Romanian — CEFR level A1 — who have little or no prior knowledge of the language and want to start reading real sentences from day one instead of memorising isolated word lists. At A1, Romanian relies almost entirely on the present tense and around 500 of the most frequent words, so even complete beginners with a Romance-language background (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese) will recognise many words immediately. If this is your first exposure to Romanian, start here for an overview of what beginner Romanian looks like.
Below are 4 full A1 Romanian stories, each with a complete English translation side by side, an audio player, a 12-word vocabulary table, two grammar notes explaining the exact structures used, and a short 3-question comprehension quiz so you can check what you actually understood. Read the Romanian first, lean on the parallel English column only when you need it, then move on to A2 stories once you can read these comfortably without help.
Everyday routines
Present tense basics
Core 500 words
Simple, short sentences
Why reading practice works at the A1 level
Reading builds real recognition speed
At A1, the goal isn't translating word by word — it's recognising whole phrases instantly. Reading full A1 stories repeatedly trains your eyes and brain to process Romanian sentences as units, the foundation every higher level builds on.
Present tense becomes automatic
A1 Romanian runs almost entirely on the present tense — "sunt", "am", "merg", "fac". Seeing these forms dozens of times across different stories cements them far more effectively than a conjugation table you memorise once and forget.
Confidence before complexity
Finishing a full story — start to finish, understanding most of it — builds the confidence to keep going. A1 stories are short enough to complete in one sitting, so you feel real progress from your very first read.
A realistic first step
Complete beginners often try to read native content — news, novels, subtitles — and get overwhelmed. A1 stories are calibrated exactly to your level, so every paragraph is genuinely comprehensible, not aspirational.
4 free A1 Romanian sample stories
Full text, audio, vocabulary table, grammar notes and a comprehension quiz for each story — free, no signup required.
Story 1 — La restaurant (At the Restaurant) — A1
A1105 wordsRomanian → English
Romanian
Sâmbătă seara, Paul merge la un restaurant italian cu prietena lui, Laura. Restaurantul este mic și liniștit, cu mese rotunde și lumânări. Un chelner amabil le aduce meniul și le recomandă felul special al zilei. Paul alege paste cu sos de roșii, iar Laura comandă o pizza cu legume. Beau vin roșu și vorbesc despre planurile lor de vacanță. Mâncarea este delicioasă și porțiile sunt generoase. La desert, împart o prăjitură cu ciocolată. Chelnerul le aduce nota de plată, iar Paul plătește cu cardul. Ies din restaurant fericiți și mulțumiți de seara lor.
English translation
On Saturday evening, Paul goes to an Italian restaurant with his girlfriend, Laura. The restaurant is small and quiet, with round tables and candles. A friendly waiter brings them the menu and recommends the special of the day. Paul chooses pasta with tomato sauce, while Laura orders a vegetable pizza. They drink red wine and talk about their holiday plans. The food is delicious and the portions are generous. For dessert, they share a chocolate cake. The waiter brings them the bill, and Paul pays by card. They leave the restaurant happy and satisfied with their evening.
Key vocabulary
| chelner | waiter |
| a recomanda | to recommend |
| fel special | special of the day |
| sos | sauce |
| a comanda | to order |
| delicios | delicious |
| porție | portion |
| generos | generous |
| desert | dessert |
| a împărți | to share |
| notă de plată | bill |
| mulțumit | satisfied / pleased |
Grammar notes
Present tense for narration: "merge", "alege", "comandă" — Romanian often narrates a scene in the present tense, like an English "historical present," making the action feel immediate.
Indefinite articles "un/o": "un restaurant" (masculine/neuter) vs. "o prăjitură" (feminine) — the article agrees with the noun's gender, unlike English "a/an".
Comprehension quiz
1. What type of restaurant do Paul and Laura go to?
An Italian restaurant.
2. What does Paul order?
Pasta with tomato sauce.
3. What do they share for dessert?
A chocolate cake.
Story 2 — Rutina de dimineață a Danei (Dana's Morning Routine) — A1
A1110 wordsRomanian → English
Romanian
Dana se trezește în fiecare dimineață la ora șapte. Mai întâi, își face patul și deschide fereastra pentru puțin aer proaspăt. Apoi merge la baie, se spală pe dinți și face un duș rapid. După duș, se îmbracă și își usucă părul. Dana pregătește micul dejun: de obicei mănâncă iaurt cu fructe și bea o cafea neagră. La ora opt, își ia geanta și pleacă spre birou. Merge pe jos douăzeci de minute, pentru că îi place să respire aer curat dimineața. Ajunge la birou exact la timp și începe ziua de lucru zâmbind.
English translation
Dana wakes up every morning at seven o'clock. First, she makes her bed and opens the window for some fresh air. Then she goes to the bathroom, brushes her teeth and takes a quick shower. After the shower, she gets dressed and dries her hair. Dana prepares breakfast: she usually eats yogurt with fruit and drinks a black coffee. At eight o'clock, she takes her bag and leaves for the office. She walks for twenty minutes, because she likes to breathe fresh air in the morning. She arrives at the office exactly on time and starts her working day smiling.
Key vocabulary
| a se trezi | to wake up |
| a face patul | to make the bed |
| fereastră | window |
| a se spăla pe dinți | to brush one's teeth |
| duș | shower |
| a se îmbrăca | to get dressed |
| a se usca | to dry |
| mic dejun | breakfast |
| iaurt | yogurt |
| geantă | bag |
| a pleca | to leave |
| la timp | on time |
Grammar notes
Reflexive verbs for daily routine: "se trezește", "se spală", "se îmbracă" — most Romanian routine verbs are reflexive, showing the action is done to oneself.
Clock time with "la ora": "la ora șapte", "la ora opt" — "la" + "ora" + number is the standard way to express clock time in Romanian.
Comprehension quiz
1. What time does Dana wake up?
Seven o'clock.
2. What does she usually eat for breakfast?
Yogurt with fruit.
3. How does Dana get to the office?
She walks, for twenty minutes.
Story 3 — Animalul meu de companie (My Pet) — A1
A1103 wordsRomanian → English
Romanian
Mă numesc Radu și am un câine pe nume Bruno. Bruno este mare și are blană maro. Este foarte prietenos și îi place să se joace cu mingea în curte. În fiecare dimineață, îi dau mâncare și apă proaspătă. După micul dejun, mergem împreună la o plimbare scurtă în cartier. Bruno cunoaște deja toți vecinii și toți copiii de pe stradă. Seara, Bruno doarme lângă patul meu. Este un companion loial și mă face fericit în fiecare zi. Familia mea spune că Bruno este ca un membru al familiei. Nu îmi pot imagina viața fără el.
English translation
My name is Radu and I have a dog named Bruno. Bruno is big and has brown fur. He is very friendly and likes to play with the ball in the yard. Every morning, I give him food and fresh water. After breakfast, we go together for a short walk around the neighbourhood. Bruno already knows all the neighbours and all the children on the street. In the evening, Bruno sleeps next to my bed. He is a loyal companion and makes me happy every day. My family says Bruno is like a member of the family. I cannot imagine life without him.
Key vocabulary
| câine | dog |
| blană | fur |
| prietenos | friendly |
| minge | ball |
| curte | yard |
| plimbare | walk |
| cartier | neighbourhood |
| vecin | neighbour |
| companion | companion |
| loial | loyal |
| a imagina | to imagine |
| membru | member |
Grammar notes
Possession with "a avea": "am un câine" — Romanian expresses possession exactly like English "I have," with no separate possessive construction needed.
Invariable colour adjectives: "blană maro" — some borrowed colour words like "maro" (brown) never change for gender or number, unlike native Romanian adjectives.
Comprehension quiz
1. What is the dog's name?
Bruno.
2. What colour is Bruno's fur?
Brown.
3. Where does Bruno sleep at night?
Next to Radu's bed.
Story 4 — La farmacie (At the Pharmacy) — A1
A1112 wordsRomanian → English
Romanian
Ioana nu se simte bine de câteva zile. Are o durere de cap și puțină febră. Decide să meargă la farmacia din colțul străzii. Farmacista este foarte amabilă și o întreabă ce simptome are. Ioana explică problema, iar farmacista îi recomandă un medicament simplu pentru febră și pentru durere. De asemenea, îi spune să bea multă apă și să se odihnească. Ioana cumpără medicamentul și, tot acolo, ia și niște vitamina C. Farmacista îi explică exact cum să ia medicamentul: o pastilă dimineața și una seara. Ioana mulțumește și se întoarce acasă. Speră să se simtă mai bine până mâine.
English translation
Ioana has not felt well for a few days. She has a headache and a slight fever. She decides to go to the pharmacy on the street corner. The pharmacist is very kind and asks her what symptoms she has. Ioana explains the problem, and the pharmacist recommends a simple medicine for the fever and the pain. She also tells her to drink lots of water and rest. Ioana buys the medicine and, while there, also gets some vitamin C. The pharmacist explains exactly how to take the medicine: one pill in the morning and one in the evening. Ioana says thank you and goes back home. She hopes to feel better by tomorrow.
Key vocabulary
| a se simți | to feel |
| durere de cap | headache |
| febră | fever |
| farmacie | pharmacy |
| farmacist(ă) | pharmacist |
| simptom | symptom |
| medicament | medicine |
| a se odihni | to rest |
| pastilă | pill |
| a mulțumi | to thank |
| a spera | to hope |
| mâine | tomorrow |
Grammar notes
"de câteva zile" for duration: "nu se simte bine de câteva zile" — Romanian pairs "de" + a time period with the present tense to describe an ongoing state, where English uses the present perfect ("has not felt well").
"să" for indirect advice: "să bea", "să se odihnească" — "să" + subjunctive is how Romanian expresses what someone tells another person to do, where English uses an infinitive ("tells her to drink").
Comprehension quiz
1. What symptoms does Ioana have?
A headache and a slight fever.
2. What does the pharmacist recommend besides medicine?
To drink lots of water and rest.
3. How should Ioana take the medicine?
One pill in the morning and one in the evening.
How BiReader helps A1 Romanian learners
Parallel text view
Romanian on the left, your language on the right. Beginners lean on the translation heavily at first — that's expected — and lean on it less with every story.
Romanian audio
Every A1 story plays in natural spoken Romanian. Hearing ă, â, î, ș and ț pronounced correctly from your very first story avoids bad pronunciation habits later.
Instant word lookup
Tap any Romanian word for its translation and grammatical form, right inside the story — no separate dictionary tab, no losing your place.
Vocabulary saving
Every word you tap saves automatically with the sentence it appeared in. Review your A1 vocabulary with spaced repetition until it's second nature.
Comprehension quizzes
Each generated story ends with a short quiz, so you can confirm you understood the Romanian itself — not just the English column beside it.
Unlimited custom A1 stories
Generate a new A1 Romanian story on any topic you like — your job, your city, your hobbies — calibrated to exactly this level, any time you want more practice.
CEFR level guide
| Level | Name | Story length | Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | 80–150 words | ~500 words |
| A2 | Elementary | 150–250 words | ~1,500 words |
| B1 | Intermediate | 250–500 words | ~3,500 words |
18 more free A1 Romanian stories
More A1 stories in the BiReader library — free to read with a signed-up account.
A1O vizită la doctor (A Visit to the Doctor)
A1Portofelul pierdut (The Lost Wallet)
A1Interviul de angajare (The Job Interview)
A1Prognoza pentru weekend (The Weekend Forecast)
A1Alegerea unui cadou de ziua de naștere (Choosing a Birthday Gift)
A1Apartamentul nou (The New Apartment)
A1Cursul de gătit (The Cooking Class)
A1Întârziere pe aeroport (Delayed at the Airport)
A1O după-amiază la bibliotecă (An Afternoon at the Library)
A1Meciul din cartier (The Local Match)
A1Probleme cu mașina (Car Trouble)
A1Vizita unui vechi prieten (An Old Friend Visits)
A1Studiul la cafenea (Studying at the Café)
A1Târgul de vechituri (The Flea Market)
A1Prima zi la cursul de limbi străine (First Day of Language Class)
A1O drumeție de o zi (A Day Hike)
A1Pana de curent (The Power Outage)
A1Festivalul de cartier (The Neighbourhood Festival)
Frequently asked questions
Is A1 the right starting point for absolute beginners of Romanian?
Yes. A1 is the CEFR beginner level — no prior Romanian knowledge is assumed. If you already know a few basic phrases, you may find A1 easy and want to move to A2 after a handful of stories.
What grammar do A1 stories use?
Almost entirely the present tense of common verbs (a fi, a avea, a merge, a face), basic articles and pronouns, and simple sentence structures. Past and future tense are avoided at this level.
How many words should I know before starting A1 stories?
None — that's the point. A1 stories are written using only the ~500 most frequent Romanian words, so you build vocabulary through the stories themselves rather than needing it beforehand.
What are the Romanian special characters ă, â, î, ș, ț?
Five extra characters not in the standard Latin alphabet. ă is a short neutral vowel, â and î represent the same central vowel sound (used in different positions in a word), ș is "sh", and ț is "ts". They appear constantly in A1 texts, and the audio helps you connect each symbol to its sound.
How long does it take to move from A1 to A2?
With regular reading — a story every day or two — most learners are ready for A2 in 6–10 weeks. The clearest sign: you stop needing the English column for most A1 sentences.
Should I read the English translation first or the Romanian first?
Always try the Romanian first, even if you understand very little at the start. Use the English column to confirm or fill gaps, not as your primary reading. This trains your brain to process Romanian directly.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes one generated story per week and full access to the public story library, no credit card required. Paid plans from €3/month unlock daily generation.
Can I generate A1 stories about topics I actually care about?
Yes — any topic, calibrated to A1 grammar and vocabulary. Football, cooking, your job, a TV show you like — the level stays beginner-friendly no matter the subject.
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