Greetings
Author
Nina Evason,
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- Greetings can be formal and reserved if meeting someone for the first time. However, they tend to become more casual once people have more familiarity with one another.
- A handshake with direct eye contact is the typical greeting in formal settings. Men may wait for women to extend their hands first, although this is not a strict rule.
- It is polite to remove any gloves before shaking hands.
- Close friends generally hug and kiss when they greet one another. Romanians give two kisses, one on each cheek.
- Some older Romanians may kiss a woman’s hand when they meet them. However, non-Romanian men should not try and copy this. Some people may think it is outdated.
- Address people using their formal title (Mr/Ms/Mrs) with their family name until they have indicated that you may use their personal name. The Romanian titles are ‘Domnule’ (Mr), ‘Doamna’ (Mrs) or ‘Domnisoara’ (Ms) followed by their surname.
- Romanians greet friends casually by saying “Salut” or “Bună” (Hello). One may greet strangers with the more formal phrase “Bună dimineața/ziua/seara” (Good morning/day/evening) depending on what time of day it is.