Does Duolingo have Romanian? Yes, Duolingo does offer a Romanian course for English speakers. As a native Romanian tutor who has taught over 240 students from 42 countries in the past six years, I get asked about the Duolingo Romanian course almost every week. In this review, I break down exactly what the course covers, where it falls short, and what you should do after you finish it to keep making real progress.
Duolingo Romanian Course: What You Get
The Duolingo Romanian course is structured into 3 units with 62 different topics. Each topic contains 5 levels with between 2 and 9 lessons per level. The course is completely free, though upgrading to Duolingo Plus ($7 per month) removes ads and adds offline access.
Here is what the course covers:
- Basic vocabulary: greetings, numbers, colours, food, family, animals, clothing, and everyday objects
- Simple grammar: present tense verb conjugations, noun genders, basic sentence structure, and an introduction to Romanian cases
- Audio for every word and phrase: you hear native pronunciation for all content, which helps with listening comprehension from day one
- Reading and writing exercises: translation tasks in both directions (English to Romanian and Romanian to English)
The course takes most learners to a low A2 level on the CEFR scale. That means you will understand basic sentences, recognise common words, and be able to read simple texts. It is a solid introduction, but it is far from fluency.
What Duolingo Romanian Does Well
I recommend Duolingo to my students as a starting tool for good reasons:
- It builds a daily habit: the streak system, XP points, and leaderboards are designed to keep you coming back every day. For beginners, consistency matters more than intensity, and Duolingo excels at making you show up
- It is free: the free version gives you access to the full course. You do not need to pay to complete every lesson and topic
- It teaches through repetition: the spaced repetition approach means you encounter words multiple times across different exercises, which helps long-term retention
Where Duolingo Romanian Falls Short
After watching hundreds of students use Duolingo as part of their learning journey, I have seen the same limitations come up again and again:
No real speaking practice
The Duolingo Romanian course focuses almost entirely on reading and writing. There are very few speaking exercises, and the speech recognition is unreliable for Romanian-specific sounds. You can complete the entire course without ever practising a real conversation. This is the biggest gap: you will recognise words on screen but struggle to produce them in a live conversation.
Grammar explanations are minimal
Romanian grammar includes five cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive, vocative), definite articles that attach to the end of nouns (carte becomes cartea), and complex verb conjugations. Duolingo teaches these through pattern recognition rather than explanation. You learn that cartea means “the book” but you may not understand why or how the rule applies to other nouns. For many learners, this leads to confusion once the grammar gets more complex.
The Romanian course is smaller than major languages
Compared to the Spanish or French courses, which have hundreds of topics and extensive content, the Romanian course has just 62 topics across 3 units. You will finish it relatively quickly, and there is no advanced content to continue with inside the app.
No cultural context
Language is more than vocabulary and grammar. Knowing when to use tu (informal “you”) versus dumneavoastră (formal “you”), understanding Romanian humour, or navigating everyday situations like ordering at a restaurant requires cultural knowledge that Duolingo does not provide.
How Long Does It Take to Finish the Duolingo Romanian Course?
Most learners who study 15 to 20 minutes per day finish the Duolingo Romanian course in 3 to 5 months. If you study more intensively (30 to 45 minutes daily), you can complete it in 6 to 8 weeks.
However, finishing the course does not mean you are done learning. According to the Foreign Service Institute, English speakers need approximately 600 to 750 hours to reach professional working proficiency in Romanian. The Duolingo course represents roughly 30 to 50 hours of study, which is a small fraction of what you need for real fluency.
What to Do After Duolingo Romanian
This is the question I hear most often from students who found me after completing the Duolingo course. They feel stuck: the app gave them a foundation, but they cannot hold a conversation or understand native speakers. Here is the roadmap I give them:
Step 1: Start speaking with a native tutor
This is the single most important step. After Duolingo, you have passive knowledge (you recognise words and structures) but very little active ability (producing language on your own). Weekly lessons with a native Romanian tutor bridge this gap. A tutor will correct your pronunciation, explain grammar rules that Duolingo glossed over, and push you to speak in real time. You can explore all available courses and packages here.
Step 2: Build listening skills with real Romanian content
Duolingo uses slow, clear audio designed for learners. Real Romanian sounds very different: faster, with connected speech, slang, and regional accents. To bridge this gap:
- Listen to the I Learn Romanian Podcast for structured listening at all levels
- Watch Romanian YouTube channels with subtitles, gradually removing them as you improve
Step 3: Study grammar properly
Duolingo introduced you to Romanian grammar, but you need deeper study to actually understand and apply the rules. Work through a structured grammar resource like The Essential Romanian Grammar Workbook, or pick a textbook from my recommended books list.
Step 4: Use complementary apps
Instead of repeating the Duolingo course, add apps that cover what Duolingo misses. For a full comparison of every app I have tested, see my guide on the best apps to learn Romanian in 2026.
Common Questions About Duolingo Romanian
Is the Duolingo Romanian course good for beginners?
Yes. Duolingo is one of the best starting points for absolute beginners. The gamified format keeps motivation high, and you build a basic vocabulary foundation quickly. Just be aware that it will not take you beyond the A2 level, and you will need additional resources to keep progressing.
Can I become fluent in Romanian with Duolingo alone?
No. Duolingo builds basic vocabulary and introduces simple grammar, but fluency requires conversation practice, grammar study, cultural understanding, and feedback from a native speaker. Use Duolingo as your starting point, then combine it with books, podcasts, and a tutor for real results.
Is Duolingo Plus worth it for Romanian?
For most learners, no. The free version gives you full access to the Romanian course. Duolingo Plus removes ads and adds offline access, which is convenient but not essential. Save your money for a tutor or a good textbook instead.
How does Duolingo compare to other Romanian learning apps?
Duolingo is the best free option for getting started. However, apps like Pimsleur are better for pronunciation, Mondly is better for speaking practice, and LingQ is better for intermediate learners who want to read authentic content. Each app has different strengths. Read my full comparison here.
The Bottom Line on Duolingo Romanian
Duolingo Romanian is a good first step. It is free, well-structured, and effective at building daily study habits. But it is only a first step. The course covers the basics and leaves significant gaps in speaking, grammar depth, and cultural understanding.
The students who make the fastest progress after Duolingo are the ones who combine app practice with good books, podcasts, YouTube content, and regular guidance from a native tutor.
If you have finished Duolingo Romanian and want to take your learning to the next level, I offer a free 30-minute Needs Assessment where we evaluate your current level, identify the gaps Duolingo left, and create a personalised study plan that gets you to real conversational ability.
