Legend: ⭐ Core word — everyone should try to use this in a sentence  |  ➕ Bonus word — great to recognize, extra challenge for confident speakers

Nouns


 English Romanian
➕ ancestor strămoș
⭐ apple măr
⭐ bat liliac
➕ bonfire rug / foc de tabără
⭐ broomstick mătură (de vrăjitoare)
⭐ candy bomboane
⭐ cat pisică
➕ cobweb pânză de păianjen
➕ corn maze labirint de porumb
➕ cornfield lanul de porumb
⭐ costume costum
➕ costume party petrecere cu costume
➕ Day of the Dead Ziua Morților
⭐ decoration decorațiune
➕ equinox echinocțiu
➕ famine foamete
⭐ farmer fermier
⭐ field câmp
➕ folklore folclor
➕ fortune-telling ghicit
⭐ ghost fantomă
➕ gratitude recunoștință
⭐ grain cereale / grâne
⭐ harvest recoltă
➕ harvest moon luna plină de toamnă
⭐ jack-o’-lantern dovleac sculptat (felinar)
⭐ leaf / leaves frunză / frunze
➕ legend legendă
⭐ moon lună
➕ offering ofrandă
➕ pagan ritual ritual păgân
➕ plentiful crop recoltă îmbelșugată
⭐ pumpkin dovleac
⭐ scarecrow sperietoare de ciori
⭐ skeleton schelet
⭐ spider păianjen
⭐ star stea
➕ superstition superstiție
⭐ trick-or-treating umblatul după bomboane (Halloween)
⭐ vampire vampir
⭐ wheat grâu
⭐ witch vrăjitoare

Adjectives


 English Romanian
⭐ black negru
➕ bountiful îmbelșugat
⭐ creepy înfiorător
➕ eerie straniu
➕ fertile fertil
⭐ golden (fields) auriu (câmpuri)
⭐ haunted bântuit
⭐ mysterious misterios
➕ ominous prevestitor de rău
⭐ orange portocaliu
⭐ ripe copt
⭐ scary înfricoșător
⭐ spooky fioros / de speriat
➕ symbolic simbolic
➕ thriving înfloritor / prosper

Verbs & Expressions


 English Romanian
⭐ to carve (a pumpkin) a sculpta (un dovleac)
⭐ to celebrate a sărbători
⭐ to decorate a decora
⭐ to dress up a se costuma
⭐ to eat a mânca
⭐ to gather (crops) a strânge (recolta)
➕ to give thanks a mulțumi / a aduce mulțumiri
⭐ to harvest a recolta
⭐ to hide a se ascunde
⭐ to jump a sări
⭐ to knock on doors a bate la uși
➕ to originate (from) a-și avea originea (în)
➕ to pay tribute to a aduce un omagiu
⭐ to pick (apples) a culege (mere)
⭐ to plant a planta
⭐ to plow a ara
➕ to reap what you sow a culege ce ai semănat
⭐ to scream a țipa
⭐ to sow a semăna
⭐ to trick a păcăli
➕ to ward off evil spirits a alunga spiritele rele
➕ to yield a harvest a produce o recoltă

💬 Discussion Questions

Mix these freely — invite anyone to answer any question, but beginners can lean on ⭐ words and advanced speakers can be nudged toward the ➕ ones.

  • What is your favorite fruit or vegetable to pick in autumn?

  • Do you like scary costumes? What would you wear for Halloween?

  • Have you ever been to a corn maze or a harvest festival?

  • What do people in your country do to celebrate autumn?

  • Where do you think Halloween traditions originally came from?

  • Do you think harvest festivals still matter in modern, non-agricultural societies? Why or why not?

  • Are superstitions harmless fun, or do they reflect something deeper about human psychology?