Language
Romanian swear words
A guide to swearing in Romanian: 16 words and phrases from the Swear Atlas catalogue, organised from mild to strong and explained in plain English. Every entry links to its full page with meaning, pronunciation and a 1–5 Burn Rating.
Common Romanian swear words
The recognisable everyday expressions, with what each one actually means.
- la dracu Literally “to the devil”. It’s an exclamation used to express frustration or annoyance, like saying 'damn it' or 'to hell.' 3/5 · Vulgar
- idiotule It's a direct way to call someone an idiot. This is used in a confrontational context, usually aimed at someone's intelligence or actions. 2/5 · Coarse
- la naiba This is a milder exclamation similar to saying 'darn it' in English. Literally, it translates to 'to the devil.' 2/5 · Coarse
- ofticat It means being pissed off or resentful, often about losing something. It's a colloquial term that captures a sense of irritation or soreness. 2/5 · Coarse
- porcărie It refers to rubbish, filth, or a disgusting act. The literal translation is 'pig thing,' which highlights the grossness of whatever is being described. 2/5 · Coarse
- rahat This is a coarse term for shit, often used to refer to excrement or something nonsensical. 2/5 · Coarse
- căcat This is a common term for 'shit,' used both literally and dismissively. It can express disdain or contempt in conversation. 3/5 · Vulgar
- cur This refers to 'arse', used in a coarse manner to describe someone's backside. It's often employed in insults or idiomatic expressions. 3/5 · Vulgar
Milder expressions
Gentler exclamations and everyday grumbles.
- idiotule It's a direct way to call someone an idiot. This is used in a confrontational context, usually aimed at someone's intelligence or actions. 2/5 · Coarse
- la naiba This is a milder exclamation similar to saying 'darn it' in English. Literally, it translates to 'to the devil.' 2/5 · Coarse
- ofticat It means being pissed off or resentful, often about losing something. It's a colloquial term that captures a sense of irritation or soreness. 2/5 · Coarse
- porcărie It refers to rubbish, filth, or a disgusting act. The literal translation is 'pig thing,' which highlights the grossness of whatever is being described. 2/5 · Coarse
- rahat This is a coarse term for shit, often used to refer to excrement or something nonsensical. 2/5 · Coarse
Stronger stuff
The heavier end of the scale — handle with care.
- fute It means to fuck, used as a vulgar sexual verb. It's the infinitive form without the particle 'a.' 4/5 · Strong
- futu-i This is a vulgar curse similar to saying 'fuck it.' It's often used to express frustration or dismissal. 4/5 · Strong
- muie This is a vulgar term for oral sex, often used as a harsh insult or dismissal. It's a pretty aggressive way to tell someone to fuck off. 4/5 · Strong
- pizdă Literally “cunt”. This is a very vulgar term for female genitalia, often used as an insult. It's particularly offensive when directed at someone. 4/5 · Strong
- pulă This is a very vulgar term for 'dick' used in curses. It's often thrown around in a derogatory context. 4/5 · Strong
Romanian insults
Words aimed at a person rather than shouted at the world.
- muie This is a vulgar term for oral sex, often used as a harsh insult or dismissal. It's a pretty aggressive way to tell someone to fuck off. 4/5 · Strong
- la dracu Literally “to the devil”. It’s an exclamation used to express frustration or annoyance, like saying 'damn it' or 'to hell.' 3/5 · Vulgar
- nenorocitule Literally “wretched person”. It's a direct insult meaning 'bastard' or 'wretch'. 3/5 · Vulgar
- idiotule It's a direct way to call someone an idiot. This is used in a confrontational context, usually aimed at someone's intelligence or actions. 2/5 · Coarse
- ofticat It means being pissed off or resentful, often about losing something. It's a colloquial term that captures a sense of irritation or soreness. 2/5 · Coarse
- porcărie It refers to rubbish, filth, or a disgusting act. The literal translation is 'pig thing,' which highlights the grossness of whatever is being described. 2/5 · Coarse
How to pronounce them
An English-friendly “sounds like” cue for each.
- idiotule Sounds like “ee-DEE-oh-too-leh”. 2/5 · Coarse
- la naiba Sounds like “lah NAI-bah”. 2/5 · Coarse
- ofticat Sounds like “of-TEE-kat”. 2/5 · Coarse
- porcărie Sounds like “POR-kuh-ree-eh”. 2/5 · Coarse
- rahat Sounds like “RAH-hat”. 2/5 · Coarse
- căcat Sounds like “kuh-KAT”. 3/5 · Vulgar
- cur Sounds like “KOOR”. 3/5 · Vulgar
- dracului Sounds like “DRAH-koo-loo-ee”. 3/5 · Vulgar
Curious literal translations
What these expressions say word-for-word, versus what they really mean.
- la dracu Literally “to the devil” — It’s an exclamation used to express frustration or annoyance, like saying 'damn it' or 'to hell.' 3/5 · Vulgar
- nenorocitule Literally “wretched person” — It's a direct insult meaning 'bastard' or 'wretch'. 3/5 · Vulgar
- pizdă Literally “cunt” — This is a very vulgar term for female genitalia, often used as an insult. It's particularly offensive when directed at someone. 4/5 · Strong
How strong is Romanian swearing?
Burn Rating spread across all 16 Romanian entries (1 = mild, 5 = extreme).
- 1 · Mild 0
- 2 · Coarse 5
- 3 · Vulgar 6
- 4 · Strong 5
- 5 · Extreme 0
All Romanian words A–Z
C
D
F
L
P
- pișa This is a coarse term for urinating. It's essentially the Romanian equivalent of 'piss' as a verb. 3/5 · Vulgar
- pizdă This is a very vulgar term for female genitalia, often used as an insult. It's particularly offensive when directed at someone. 4/5 · Strong
- porcărie It refers to rubbish, filth, or a disgusting act. The literal translation is 'pig thing,' which highlights the grossness of whatever is being described. 2/5 · Coarse
- pulă This is a very vulgar term for 'dick' used in curses. It's often thrown around in a derogatory context. 4/5 · Strong