Learn to speak Polish
Many people try to learn Polish; however, it is a very difficult language, and most westerners struggle with pronunciation. It’s a good idea to try though and to help you, we’ve put together this small learn Polish guide, which is ideal for tourists.
To make it easier for you and not to complicate things, we have shown you how to pronounce each word or phrase (in brackets).
Unlike the English alphabet with 26 letters, the Polish alphabet has 31 letters. Polish consonants, vowels and diphthongs are sometimes really hard to fathom and at times you will not believe that the word/phrase and the pronunciation match – but trust us it’s true!
This Polish for tourist’s guide been designed as a ‘Starter Pack’ and will provide you with the very basics you will need if you want to make the effort to speak Polish when you arrive in Poland. A good time to try out your Polish is after a few Polish vodkas, you’ll have more confidence and will find those pesky Zs and Ws easier to pronounce.
Basic Expressions in Polish
Yes = Tak (tak)
No = Nie (n’yeh)
Please = Proszę (prrosheh)
Thank you = Dziękuję (diyen’kooyeh)
Thank you very much = Dziękuję bardzo (diyen’kooyeh barrdzo)
Hello = Dzień dobry (diyen dobrri)
Hi = Cześć (chesh’tch)
Good morning = Dzień dobry (diyen dobrri)
Good afternoon = Dzień dobry (diyen dobrri)
Good evening = Dobry wieczór (dobrri v-yechoorr)
Good night = Dobranoc (dobrranots)
Goodbye = Do widzenia (do vee-dzen’ya)
Excuse me = Przepraszam (pshe-prrasham)
Never Mind = Nie szkodzi (n-ye shkodjee)
Where is the toilet? = Gdzie jest toaleta? (g-jeh yest twa-leta)
Days of the week / Months of the year
Monday = Poniedziałek (pon’ye-diyahwek)
Tuesday = Wtorek (ftorrek)
Wednesday = środa (sh’rroda)
Thursday = czwartek (ch-farrtek)
Friday = piątek (p-yontek)
Saturday = sobota (sobota)
Sunday = niedziela (n’yediyela)
January = styczeń (stichen)
February = luty (looti)
March = marzec (mazhets)
April = kwiecień (kf-ye-tch’yen)
May = maj (muy)
June = czerwiec (cherrv-yets)
July = lipiec (leep-yets)
August = sierpień (sh’yerrp-yen)
September = wrzesień (v-zhe-sh’yen)
October = pażdziernik (pazh’diyerr-n’eek)
November = listopad (leestopat)
December = grudzień (grroodiyen)
Yesterday =wczoraj (f-cho-rruy)
Today =dzisiaj (dieesh’yuy)
Tomorrow = jutro (yootrro)
Next week = w następnym tygodniu (v nastemp-nim togodn’yoo)
At the weekend = w weekend (v weekend)
Communication Problems
Do you speak English? = Czy mówi pan po angielsku? (chi moovee pan po an-g-yelskoo).
Note: pan is used when speaking to a male, pani is used when speaking to a female.
Does anyone here speak English? = Czy ktoś tu mówi po angielsku? (chi ktosh’ too moovee po an-g-yelskoo)
I don’t speak much Polish = Nie mówię dobrze po polsku. (n’yeh moovyeh dobzheh po polskoo)
Could you speak more slowly? = Bardzo prosżę mówić wolniej? (barrdzo prrosheh moovitch voln’yey)
Could you repeat that? = Bardzo proszę to powtórzyć? (barrdzo prrosheh to pof-too-zhitch)
Excuse me (Pardon)? = Słucham? (swoo-ham)
What does this/that mean? = Co to znaczy? (tso to znachi)
I understand = Rozumiem (rro-zoom-yem)
I don’t understand = Nie rozumiem (n’yeh rro-zoom-yem)
Do you understand? = Czy pan rozumie? (chi pan rro-zoom-yeh)
How are you? = Jak sie masz? (Yahk sheng mah-sh)
Fine, thank you = Dziekuje, dobrze. (Jenkoo-yeng dob-zhe)
What is your name? = Jak masz na imie? (yahk mah-sh nah eem-ye)
My name is _____ = Nazywam sie ______. (Nah-zivam sheng ____)
Where / When / What / How / Why / Who / How
WHERE? / GDZIE?
Where is it? = Gdzie jest? (g-diyeh yest)
Where are you going? = Gdzie pan idzie? (g-djeh pan ee-djeh)
Common answers:
across the road = przez ulicę (pshes oo-lee-tseng)
around the town = po mieście (po m-yesh’tch’yeh)
far from here = daleko stąd (daleko stant)
here = tutaj (tootuy)
in the car = w samochodzie (f samo-hodiyeh)
on the left / right = na lewo / prawo (na levo / prravo)
to the hotel = do hotelu (do hoteloo)
WHEN? / KIEDY?
Where does the museum open? = Kiedy otwarte jest muzeum? (kyedi otfarrteh yest moo-ze-oom)
When does the train arrive? = Kiedy przyjeżdża pociąg? (kyedi pshi-yezh-ja potch’yank)
Common answers:
10 minutes ago = 10 minut temu (diyesh’yentch meenoot temoo)
after lunch = po obiedzie (po ab-ye-djeh)
always = zawsze (zafsheh)
soon = niedlugo (n’ye-dwoogo)
then = wtedy (f-tedi)
sometimes = czasami (chasamee)
often = często (chensto)
now = teraz (teras)
every week = co tydzień (tso ti-djeng)
never = nigdy (neegdi)
around midnight = około półnacy (okowa poow-notsi)
not yet – jeszcze nie (yesh-cheh n’yeh)
WHAT SORT OF …? / JAKI …?
It’s = To jest (to yest)
Beautiful = Piękny (pyen’k-ni)
Ugly = Brzydki (bzhid-kee)
Better = lepszy (lepshi)
Worse = gorszy (gorrshi)
Young = młody (mwodi)
Old = stary (starri)
Thick = gruby (grroobi)
Thin = chudy (hoodi)
Tall = wysoki (visokee)
Short = niewysoki (n’ye-visokee)
Right = poprawny (poprravni)
Wrong = niepoprawny (n’yepo-prravni)
Big = duży (doozhi)
Small = mały (mahwi)
Cheap = tani (tanee)
Expensive = drogi (drrogee)
Clean = czysty (chisti)
Dirty = brudny (brroodni)
Dark = ciemmy (tch’yem-ni)
Light = jasny (yasni)
Early = wczesny (f-chesni)
Late = póżny (poozh’ni)
Empty = pusty (poosti)
Full = pełny (pewni)
Good = dobry (dobrri)
Bad = zły (z-wi)
Quiet = cichy (tch’ee-hi)
Noisy = hałasliwy (hawah-sh’leevi)
Quick = szybki (shipkee)
Slow = wolny (volni)
Open = otwarty (ot-farrti)
Shut = zamknięty (zam-k-n’yenti)
Next = następny (nastemp-ni)
Last = ostatni (ostatnee)
HOW MUCH, HOW MANY?
How much is that? =Ile to kosztuje? (eeleh to kosh-tooyeh)
How many are there? = Ile tu jest? (eeleh too yest)
Common answers:
1/2/3 = jeden/dwa/trzy (yeden/dva/t-shi)
4/5 = cztery/pięć (ch-terri/p-yen’tch)
None = nic (neets)
About 100 zlotys = około stu żłotych (okowo stoo zwo-tih)
Too much = za dużo (za doozho)
A little = trochę (trroheh)
Enough = dość (dosh’tch)
Much more = dużo więcej (doozho v-yen-tsey)
More than that = trochę więcej (troheh v-yen-tsey)
Less than that = trochę mniej (trro-heh m-n’yey)
Nothing else = nic więcej (neets v-yen-tsey)
WHY, WHO, WHOSE, HOW, IS IT, ARE THERE, CAN?
Why is that? = Dlaczego tak? (dlachego tak)
Why not? = Czemu nie? (chemoo n’yeh)
Who is it for? = Dla kogo to? (dla kogo to)
Whose is that? = Czyje to? (chi-yeh to)
Who’s there? = Kto tam? (kto tam)
Which one do you want? = Który pan chce? (ktoorri pan htseh)
How would you like to pay? = Jak będzie pan płacił? (yak ben-diyeh pan pwah-tch’eew)
How are you getting there? = Jak tu pan dojedzie? (yak too pan doye-diyeh)
Is it free of charge? = Czy to jest bezpłatne? (chi to yest bes-pwaht-neh)
Here it is = Proszę, tu jest (prrosheh too yest)
There it is = Proszę, tam jest (prrosheh tam yest)
Can I …..? = Czy mogę ……?(chi mogeh)
Can you show me …..? = Czy może mi pan pokazać ( chi mozheh mee pan pokazatch)
Can you help me? = Prosze, mi pomóc? (prrosheh mee pomoots)
EXCLAMATIONS
At last! = Wreszcie! (vrresh-tch’yeh)
Go on = Proszę dalej (prrosheh daley)
Very Good = bardzo dobrze (barrdzo dobzheh)
No way! = W żadnym przypadku! (v zhad-nim pshi-patkoo)
Fine = dobrze (dobzheh)
Not bad = nieżle (n’ye-zh’leh)
