Phonetic features

• Unstressed vowels [a, e, o] often close to [ə, i, u], respectively: [pəˈhar, ˈpuni, akupeˈrit] for standard pahar, pune, acoperit.
• Conversely, vowel [ə] sometimes opens to [a]: [paˈduri, kapaˈtat] for standard pădure, căpătat.
• The diphthong [o̯a] is systematically monophthongized to [ɔ]: [ˈpɔtʲe, ˈkɔʒə] for standard poate, coajă.
• After labials, [e] becomes [ə] and the diphthong [e̯a] is monophthongized to [a]: [mərɡ, ˈmarɡə] for standard merg, meargă.
• After the consonants [s, z, t͡s, d͡z], front vowels become central, and the diphthong [e̯a] monophthongizes to [a]: [ˈsɨŋɡur, ˈsarə, ˈzamə, t͡sɨn] for standard singur, seară, zeamă, țin. In certain areas, the same happens with consonants [ʃ, ʒ]; in other areas, they palatalize and make the subsequent central vowels front: [ˈkwɔʒʲe, ˈuʃʲe] for standard coajă, ușă.
• The vowel [o] in word-initial positions diphthongizes to [wə]: [wəj, wərb] for standard oi, orb.
• Asyllabic word-final vowels [ʲ, ʷ] occur: [a spusʷ] for standard a spus.
• The diphthong [ɨj] monophthongizes to [ɨ]: [ˈkɨne, ˈmɨne, ˈpɨne] for standard câine, mâine, pâine.
• The diphthong [ja] becomes [je] in certain words: [bəˈjet, təmɨˈjet] for standard băiat, tămâiat.
• The archaic consonant [d͡z] becomes [z] in most of the dialectal area, whereas [d͡ʒ] is preserved, although in free variation with [ʒ].
• The labials and the labio-dentals are palatalized in specific ways when followed by front vowels: [p, b, m] become [ptʲ, bdʲ, mnʲ], respectively; [f] becomes [hʲ] or [ʃʲ], and [v] becomes [ɦʲ] or [dʲ]. Examples: [ˈptʲele, ˈbdʲinʲe, mnʲik, ˈhʲi.e / ˈʃʲi.e, ɦʲiˈt͡səl / dʲiˈt͡səl] for standard piele, bine, mic, (să) fie, vițel. However, the palatalization is not generalized (it is more widespread in the northern part of the dialectal area^[1]) and fluctuations occur.
• Dentals [t, d] palatalize when followed by front vowels: [ˈfratʲe, ˈbadʲe] for standard frate, bade.
• The affricate [t͡ʃ] remains unchanged, while [d͡ʒ] becomes [ʒ]: [ˈsɨnʒe, ˈfuʒe] for standard sânge, fuge.
• The sequence [sl] receives an epenthetic [k] and becomes [skl]: [sklab, skləˈninə] for standard slab, slănină.
• In Țara Moților, a specific kind of rhotacism occurs, by which intervocalic [n] is replaced with [r] in old words: [ˈwamirʲ, lumnʲirə] for standard oameni, lumină. An identical phenomenon, which may be historically related, occurs in Istro-Romanian.
• In Țara Oașului, when [l] is followed by a consonant, it is velarized to [ɫ] or even [w]: [aɫb / awb] for standard alb.
• In Țara Oașului, the consonant [r] is realized with multiple vibrations.

Morphological and syntactical features

• The possessive article is invariable: a meu, a mea, a mei, a mele ("mine", compare with standard al meu, a mea, ai mei, ale mele).
• Some verbs of the 1st and 4th conjugation groups do not take the -ez and -esc suffixes: lucră, străluce ("he works", "it shines", compare with standard lucrează, strălucește). On the other hand, the suffix -esc does occur sometimes where in the standard language it doesn't: împărțăsc, înghițăsc, simțăsc ("I divide", "I swallow", "I feel", compare with standard împart, înghit, simt).
• The auxiliary used for the compound perfect of verbs in the 3rd person is o for the singular and or / o for the plural: [o zɨs, or zɨs] ("he said", "they said", compare with standard a zis, au zis).
• The conjunction used for subjunctives is și: și facă ("for him to do, that he does", compare with standard să facă).
• The following forms occur for the 3rd person of the subjunctive, both singular and plural: să deie, să steie, să beie, să vreie, ending in [ˈeje], where the standard language has să dea, să stea, să bea, să vrea, ending in [ˈe̯a].
• The past tense of the optative-conditional mood is formed using the auxiliary a vrea and the infinitive, for instance o vu cânta, totally different from the standard ar fi cântat.
• When the object of a verb is another verb, the latter is in its infinitive form.
• In some constructions, analytic forms are preferred to synthetic ones, e.g. the preposition cătă ("towards", standard către) is used instead of the dative: [o zɨs ˈkətə ˈminʲe] ("he said to me", compare with standard mi-a zis).
• In certain areas, the imperative is formed using the long infinitive: nu plecareți!, nu vă lăudareți! (standard: nu plecați!, nu vă lăudați!).
• In the northern and central parts of the dialectal area, certain verb forms have [n] replaced with other sounds: [spuj, viw, viˈind] ("I say", "I come", "coming", compare with standard spun, vin, venind). This feature is shared with the Wallachian dialect.

Lexical particularities

• Particular forms of the indefinite pronouns (and their corresponding adjectives) occur: oarecine ("someone", standard cineva), oarece ("something", standard ceva).
• Other specific words: arină ("sand", standard nisip), brâncă ("hand", mână), cotătoare ("mirror", oglindă), ștergură ("towel", prosop), vă! ("go!", du-te!), tulai! ("oh!", vai!), etc.

Sample

Crișana dialect: [aˈtunt͡ʃ jar o jeˈʃɨt ʃɨ so ujˈtat ‖ am rədʲiˈkat ˈbrɨŋka ‖ ʃɨ ˈdomnu o zɨs ‖ ˈɨŋkaʃa nã vəˈzut ˈkɨnʲe ‖ ʃaˈtunt͡ʃ ˈkɨnʲile o vint ku ˈwə.ile ʃɨ so ujˈtat la ˈminʲe t͡ʃej maj spun ‖ kə jel o ʃtʲiˈut kəj maj spun t͡ʃeˈva]

Standard Romanian: Atunci iar a ieșit și s-a uitat. Am ridicat mâna. Și domnul a zis: Așa câine încă n-am văzut. Și-atunci câinele a venit cu oile și s-a uitat la mine [așteptând să vadă] ce-i mai spun. Că el a știut că-i mai spun ceva.

English translation: "Then it went out again and watched. I raised my hand. And the gentleman said: I've never seen a dog like this. And then the dog brought the sheep back and looked at me [waiting to see] what else I was going to say. Because it knew I was going to say something again."