Have you ever been to Warsaw? It’s the capital city of Poland and a great holiday destination. 

There are so many fun and educational sites in this wonderful city, perfect for the casual traveler or the Polish learner who wants to immerse themselves in the culture. If you would like to visit Warsaw yourself and see all the best places, let this Warsaw travel guide from PolishPod101.com be your first stop! 

In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know before you go and get the best recommendations for a shorter visit and a longer visit. Last but not least, you’ll learn some simple Polish phrases to help you get around the city. 

Table of Contents

1. Before You Go
2. Visit Warsaw in 1-3 Days
3. Visit Warsaw in 4-7 Days
4. Polish Survival Phrases
5. Final Thoughts

Before You Go

Is Warsaw worth visiting? 

Yes, beyond doubt! Still, there are a few things you should know before embarking on your journey. 

Basic Facts

Warsaw is a big city, the population of which is estimated at around 1.8 million. It became the Polish capital in the sixteenth century. 

The name of the city in Polish is Warszawa. According to legend, it’s derived from the names of a couple (Wars and Sawa) who helped out a prince without knowing who he was. In return, the prince granted them land close to Vistula, where Warsaw is now situated. From a linguistic perspective, it’s also believed that the word Warszawa means something like “belonging to Warsz” or “place of Warsz.”

Warsaw Travel Tips

Weather

Is Warsaw worth visiting in winter? It’s certainly beautiful during that time, but unless you love snow, you should consider a trip between May and September. The best time to visit Warsaw is during this period of moderate temperatures, as winters in Poland are pretty cold. 

Transportation

Like most European cities, Warsaw has a reliable public transportation system. There are tramways, buses, and a subway. You can also use taxi services, including e-hailing service providers such as Uber. 

Renting a car is another option, but due to parking issues, you may be better off using public transportation (particularly when visiting the city center). If you’re planning trips to other places in Poland from Warsaw, you should consider riding the Polish rails. 

Lodging

To visit Warsaw on a budget, you can easily find basic shared accommodation for 20 USD per night. If you’re looking for more luxury, you should be prepared to pay 40-50 USD per night. Warsaw is a major tourist destination, so there are many options: hotels, hostels, apartments, and Airbnb. However, if you’re on a budget, you should definitely book in advance.

Food

The price of a main dish in a restaurant in Warsaw is around 10 USD, but it can vary depending on the place. Venues aimed at tourists are particularly pricey. If you want to save money, you can…

• …opt for accommodation with self-catering.
• …try street food, such as zapiekanki (Polish pizza bread).
• …go to a bar mleczny (“milk bar”), which is a Polish cafeteria with cheap homemade food.
  

You can find more-detailed information about Warsaw on its official tourist website.

Packing List   

Poland belongs to the Schengen area, so you may need a Schengen visa to travel here, depending on your nationality. If you do need one, remember to apply for it in advance to avoid issues with your travel plans. 

Apart from your passport and your visa, you should remember to have some cash in the local currency—the Polish zloty (PLN)—or a card that can be used abroad for money withdrawals and payments. Last but not least, take an umbrella with you; if you’re traveling in winter, also bring plenty of warm clothes. 

Visit Warsaw in 1-3 Days

What you should see in Warsaw depends on how much time you can spend there. Below, you’ll find a list of must-see places for a trip between one and three days. You can definitely visit Warsaw in one day, but this will severely limit which places you’re able to see.

Warsaw Old Town (Starówka Warszawska)

This historic center of Warsaw is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The area is very popular among tourists and it’s full of interesting places, picturesque cafes, and restaurants. 

Old Town was significantly destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt. Can you guess why Warsaw is nicknamed the Phoenix City? Certain parts remained untouched and date back to the thirteenth century when Old Town was established.

While exploring Old Town, don’t miss out on seeing:

• The Castle Square (including the Zygmunt Column and the Royal Castle)
• The Old Town Market
• The Warsaw Mermaid Statue

Łazienki Park (Park Łazienkowski / Łazienki Królewskie)

Łazienki Park is situated in the center of Warsaw and it’s the biggest park in the capital city. Home to peacocks and squirrels, this park is the perfect place for a leisurely stroll and it’s beautiful all year long. What’s more, numerous cultural events take place here. When visiting, remember to explore the following places of interest:

• The Statue of Fryderyk Chopin 
• The Palace on the Island (Pałac na wyspie)
• The Old and the New Orangery (Nowa i stara oranżeria)
• Łazienkowski Bridge

Do you think one of the places listed above could be the most famous sight in Warsaw?

The Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego)

This modern and interactive museum will teach you a lot about the history of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. It’ll help you better understand the city you’re visiting and provide insight regarding the fascinating but sad history of Warsaw during World War II. 

Palace of Culture and Science

The construction of this building was initiated by Stalin, who planned it as a gift from the Soviet people to Poland. The Palace of Culture and Science is Warsaw’s tallest building and a great example of Socialist Realist architecture. 

Apart from appreciating the architecture of the building, you can visit the museums, the cinema, and the other attractions inside. What’s more, you can go to the top of the building for a panoramic view of Warsaw.

Visit Warsaw in 4-7 Days

Do you have a bit more time for your Warsaw travels? That’s great! This will give you ample time to see even more key locations and better experience the local culture. Below is a list of places we recommend for a longer visit to Warsaw.

The University of Warsaw

This is the best university in Poland (as of the 2019 rankings), featuring a stunning campus with many faculties based in old, picturesque buildings. You should definitely include this location as part of a leisurely walk in the city center.

To fully enjoy the area, start at the Nowy Świat (“New World”) Street and walk to the Copernicus Monument. Visit the university and continue through Krakowskie Przedmieście (“Kraków Suburb”) Street all the way to the Castle Square.

Copernicus Science Centre

The Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernik) is a modern and interactive museum of science in Warsaw. You could spend hours here, carrying out scientific experiments and learning about how science works. 

The museum is very popular, so make sure to arrive early to avoid crowds and disappointment. They only let a certain number of people in at a given time so that people can interact with the exhibits and experiment stations. 

Wilanów Palace

Pałac w Wilanowie (“Wilanów Palace”) is a royal palace built for King Jan III Sobieski. Inside this Baroque residence, you’ll find many historical artifacts. It’s full of stunning paintings and furniture that’ll help you learn your Polish history. 

The Palace is surrounded by a large, well-maintained garden. A stroll there is an integral part of the visit. You should allow a few hours for your visit, as it’s farther away from the city center than the other attractions mentioned in this guide. 

Zachęta – National Gallery of Art 

Galeria Sztuki Narodowej Zachęta is a contemporary art museum in Warsaw. There are many temporary exhibitions here that are regularly updated, mixing the works of Polish artists with those of well-known foreign artists. 

Warsaw University Library Roof Garden  

Situated away from the main buildings of the university, the Warsaw University Library Roof Garden (Ogród BUW) is a must during a longer trip to Warsaw. The library building itself has an interesting design, but it’s the garden that’ll take your breath away. You can take a break here from your busy sightseeing schedule, and go for a stroll or sit down with a book to enjoy the tranquility of the garden.

To remember the view for longer, you can take pictures or ask someone to take a picture of you. How do you ask this in Polish? See our lesson to find out.  

The Wedel Factory

E. Wedel is arguably the most famous Polish chocolate producer. You can visit the chocolate factory (Fabryka czekolady Wedla) for a tour and learn all you need to know about the chocolate-making process. If you’d like to make your own sweets, you can participate in one of the workshops organized here. 

Are you more interested in eating chocolate than making it? No problem at all! You can visit a chocolate-drinking venue (Pijalnia czekolady Wedla) and indulge in a hot or cold chocolate beverage, followed by chocolate candy. 

You may not find these recommendations in every Warsaw visit guide, but they’re definitely worth visiting! 

Polish Survival Phrases

Polish people in big cities usually speak English well. Young people are often fluent and willing to help a lost traveler. However, when visiting any country, it’s good to know at least a few survival phrases. Even if you don’t absolutely need them, locals always appreciate the effort. Listed below are the ten most important Polish phrases: 

• “Hello!” – Cześć! (informal) / “Good  morning!” – Dzień dobry! 
• “Thank you!” – Dziękuję! 
• “Goodbye!” – Do widzenia! 
• “Sorry!” – Przepraszam! 
• “Very good.” – Bardzo dobrze. 
• “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Polish.” – Przepraszam, nie mówię po polsku.
• “Where is the restroom?” – Gdzie jest łazienka/toaleta? 
• “How much is it?” – Ile to kosztuje? 
• “I want to order/buy this.” – Chciałbym/-abym to zamówić/kupić. 
• “Help!” – Pomocy! / Ratunku!  

With these phrases, you’ll do just fine whether you plan to visit Warsaw in one day or spend a week or more there!

Final Thoughts

Today, you’ve found a definite answer to the question “Is Warsaw worth visiting?” You’ve learned what to see for a shorter trip and the best places to explore when you have enough time for a more leisurely pace. We hope you’ve enjoyed our Warsaw travel guide and that you’re already excited for your upcoming trip. Let us know in the comments which of these attractions in Warsaw you would most like to see, and why!

The Polish survival phrases we listed will definitely help you get around Warsaw for a few days, but if you really want to speak the language, you’ll need more than that. Fortunately, we have just the right tools to help you learn Polish!

With PolishPod101, you’ll get access to countless resources with recordings by native speakers, as well as lessons and vocabulary learning tools. Start your free trial today to see just how much we have to offer!

English did not become a popular language in Poland until somewhat recently, due to the country’s political situation until the late 80s. Since then, English has been slowly winning the hearts of Poles. The term we use to describe English words used in Polish, whether modified or non-modified, is anglicyzm (“anglicism“). What about Polish words in English, you may wonder? Keep reading to find out.

Today, English vocabulary is ever-present in the Polish language. English terms and expressions are used particularly often in the Polish corporate world. Learning these words is an easy hack to quickly expand your Polish vocabulary and help you sound more natural when speaking Polish.

Table of Contents

1. English Words Made Polish
2. How Do I Say it in Polish?
3. Common Polish Words in English
4. Final Thoughts

English Words Made Polish 

Let’s start with English words in Polish that have been modified to sound or look more Polish. These words are divided into two groups: 

1. Those that retain their original English meaning
2. Those that may look or sound similar to English words, but actually carry a different meaning

Shared Meaning

Firstly, we should have a look at loanwords and anglicisms in Polish that have the same meaning as the English words they’re derived from. Don’t be fooled by the spelling! 

• dżinsy – jeans
  
• dżersey – jersey
  
• lewisy – Levi’s
  
• bobslej – bobsleigh
  
• forhend / bekhend – forehand / backhand
  
• mecz – match
  
• budżet – budget
  
• flesz – flash
  
• komputer – computer

• ksero – Xerox
  
• wideo – video
  
• lider – leader
  
• menedżer – manager
  
• stres – stress
  
• chipsy / czipsy – chips
  
• celebryci – celebrities

As you can see, you can find these words in many different areas of life, from clothing to technology. All of these English words in Polish are commonly used, even if linguists and Polish language specialists aren’t always happy about it. 

Beware of These Words

Knowing English words in Polish can be extremely useful, but you should bear in mind that some words with English etymology have a different meaning than the one you’d guess:

• adidasy

  

  This word comes from the activewear brand Adidas. However, the word adidasy is used in a more general sense to mean “sneakers.” So if you hear a Polish person use this word, it tells you nothing about the brand the person is talking about. Take this sentence for example:
  
  Muszę sobie kupić nowe adidasy. (“I need to get myself sneakers.”)

• pampersy
  
  This word is derived from the Pampers brand of diapers. Just like adidasy, however, its Polish meaning is wide and it refers to diapers in general.
  
  Want to expand your vocabulary even more? You can find some Polish Expressions Used for Children on our website.

• wazelina
  
  Here’s yet another name on our list that comes from a brand name: Vaseline. No surprises when it comes to the meaning: it refers to petroleum jelly products in general, and not specifically to those produced by the Vaseline brand.
  
  
• drin(k)
  
  When you ask someone, “Would you like a drink?” in English, it may refer to an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. In Polish, the word drin(k) only refers to a cocktail.
  
  
• grill 
  
  The English word “grill” is both a noun that describes the barbecue grill and a verb referring to the act of using the barbecue. In Polish, grill may refer to a barbecue grill or to a social event equivalent to a barbecue:
  
  Poszliśmy wczoraj na grilla do Marka. (“We went to a barbecue at Marek’s yesterday.”)
  
  As it’s topical, here are some Polish Recipes for Fluency!

As you can see, the meaning of these similar words in Polish and English can sometimes be difficult to predict. Not knowing the right one may cause confusion, but fortunately, this article can help you avoid many linguistic traps!

How Do I Say it in Polish?

You’re now familiar with many English words used in Polish, but what happens with things like celebrity names, brands, or movie titles? 

→ If this topic fascinates you, we recommend you study our quick lesson on the Top 5 Polish Pop Culture Icons You Need to Know About!

Famous People

You’ve been learning Polish, so you probably know by now that many words and parts of speech undergo declension—including names and surnames. Have a look at what happens to the name of famous Polish actor Marek Kondrat: 

• Marek Kondrat to świetny aktor. – “Marek Kondrat is a great actor.”

• Jaki jest twój ulubiony film z Markiem Kondratem? – “What’s your favorite movie with Marek Kondrat?”

• Nigdy nie słyszałem o Marku Kondracie! – “I’ve never heard about Marek Kondrat!”

As you can see, both the name and surname change form depending on the case needed in a given sentence. Foreign names and surnames undergo similar changes: 

• Czekam na nowy film z Tomem Hanksem! – “I’m waiting for the new movie with Tom Hanks.”

• Mój tata słucha Stinga, ale ja wolę Elvisa Presleya. – “My dad listens to Sting, but I prefer Elvis Presley.”

Be careful, though! Not all names undergo such changes, particularly when it comes to foreign female names: 

• Słucham Johnnego Casha/Pitbulla/Louisa Armstronga. – “I listen to Johnny Cash/Pitbull/Louis Armstrong.”

• Słucham Missy Elliot/Taylor Swift/Jennifer Lopez. – “I listen to Missy Elliot/Taylor Swift/Jennifer Lopez.”

We’ve shown you how to say the names of foreign singers in Polish. Do you know anything about Polish musicians, though? If not, check out our series about the Top 10 Polish Musicians.

Foreign Brands

Both foreign and local brands usually undergo declension in the Polish language. Here are some examples: 

• Lubię Nike’a. – “I like Nike.”

• Jadę do Marksa i Spencera. – “I’m going to Marks & Spencer.”

• Kupiłam sobie nowego iPhone’a. – “I bought myself a new iPhone.”

• Miałem już 5 Samsungów i zawsze byłem z nich zadowolony. – “I’ve had 5 Samsungs and I’ve always been happy with them.”

• Ta sukienka jest z Zary, a nie z H&M-u. – “This dress is from Zara and not H&M.”

Do you know how to talk about your favorite clothing items in Polish? If not, check out our vocabulary lesson on clothes.

Do listen closely to what native speakers say, because there are some exceptions when it comes to the declension of brand names:

Uwielbiam robić zakupy w Mango! – “I love shopping at Mango!”

What’s the Name of This Movie in Polish?

English movie titles are usually translated. Nevertheless, very popular movies and series are sometimes referred to by their English names or acronyms. For instance, you could say “Star Wars” or Gwiezdne Wojny as well as “LOTR” or Władca Pierścieni. Science-fiction and fantasy fans, in particular, often refer to movies and series by their English names. That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re always understood by the general population.

When it comes to movie translations, many are quite straightforward. If you know the right word in Polish, you can simply try your luck at translating a movie title:

• Ojciec Chrzestny – “The Godfather“
  
• Kasyno – “Casino”
  
• Szczęki – “Jaws”

Movie titles with proper nouns usually remain unchanged. Some good examples are Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and Jackie Brown.

Unfortunately, translations are sometimes far from the original English title. You may be better off trying to describe the plot or cast of the movie you’re referring to. Have a look at some examples of this phenomenon: 

• Za wszelką cenę means “at any cost” in Polish, but the English title is Million Dollar Baby.
  
• Skazany na śmierć is “sentenced to death” in Polish, but this is the title given to the series Prison Break.
  
• Szklana Pułapka means “glass trap” and it’s the Polish title for the Mission Impossible series.
  
• Elektryczny morderca is one of the most famous movie (mis)translations in Polish. It means “Electric Murderer” and this title was given to the first Terminator movie. 

Do you like going to the cinema? It’s much more fun when you have company! If you don’t know how to invite someone to see a movie, see our vocabulary lesson for Offering an Invitation. 

Common Polish Words in English

You’ve learned quite a bit today about English words used in Polish. We’re sure you’d like to know now whether there are also some common Polish words in English. The answer to this question is both yes and no. While you won’t find that many English words of Polish origin, there’s at least one word that comes from Polish indirectly:

• Gherkin

  This word was first borrowed from a Slavic language, likely from the Polish word ogórek (“cucumber”), and entered the German language as Gurke. After that, English took over the German word, calling it what we know today as “gherkin.”

Polish cuisine has also become well-known in other countries thanks to Polish migrants. Polish dish names are among the most common Polish words used in English. Some of them retain their Polish form (pierogi) while others become an anglicised version of the Polish word (barszcz – “borscht”). To learn more about Polish cuisine, remember to visit our lesson “10 Polish Foods.”

You should also know that second-generation Polish immigrants often use Polish words in English. They do this especially when communicating with representatives of their community. Such use of common Polish words in English is part of a language phenomenon known as Poglish. 

Final Thoughts

In this article, you’ve learned about the most common English words in the Polish language. We have also discussed linguistic traps, how to pronounce famous names in Polish, and how Polish cuisine has affected the English language. This information can help you better communicate with native Polish speakers and sound more like a native yourself!

Nevertheless, there’s still a lot more ground to cover. What you really need is a structured, well-designed approach to Polish learning—and that’s exactly what you’ll find on the PolishPod101 platform.

Deepen your knowledge of the Polish language and culture with countless lessons and recordings from native speakers. Start your free trial today and explore all of our website’s functionalities! You’ll love our word bank, dictionary, and array of other learning tools. 

Don’t go yet! If you happen to know some more common Polish words used in English, let us know in the comments!

There are many components that go into learning a language. Knowing the culture surrounding that language is one of them! 

This brief Polish culture overview will provide you with all the information you need to get a head start, from traditional values to the country’s art and cuisine. These interesting Polish culture facts will help you better understand the country and its people, thus helping you acquire the Polish language more quickly.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Values and Beliefs
2. Religion in Poland
3. Family and Work
4. Polish Art
5. Polish Food
6. Traditional Holidays
7. Final Thoughts

1. Values and Beliefs

Many people in Poland adhere to traditional values and family is very important to them. In general, people living in small villages are more traditional than those living in big cities. In fact, the big-city lifestyle in Poland doesn’t differ much from the lifestyle of people living in other European cities.

The Polish culture values collectivism over individualism, though this is changing these days. Community is very important to Polish people, which has both its advantages and disadvantages. 

One of the more notable features of Polish culture is its straightforwardness. Unlike people in many Western European cultures, Polish people prefer to get straight to the point. This is why asking “How are you?” (Co u ciebie?) is more than just a mere nicety. People really want to know how you are, so feel free to answer at length. 

2. Religion in Poland

Polish culture and religion are intertwined. Poland is a predominantly Catholic country, with around 90% of Polish people identifying as Roman Catholics. This means that Catholic values and the Catholic Church influence social, artistic, and political life.   

Close to 1% of the Polish population is Eastern Orthodox. Representatives of other religions are less numerous. That said, these statistics are likely to change as Poland is becoming a more attractive destination for immigrants from (and outside of) Europe.

3. Family and Work 

Because religion heavily impacts Polish culture and traditions, many people in Poland have conservative family values. In many families, the man is still considered to be the head of the household. Polish legislation doesn’t recognize long-term cohabitation, nor has it legalized same-sex marriages. 

Despite these conservative values, the Polish family landscape has been changing in favor of assisting Polish women professionally. Poland gives women a generous allowance of up to a year to give birth and take care of their child. Today, women can share that allowance with the father of the child. 

Work culture is another factor that needs to be taken into account. Polish culture values laboriousness, punctuality, and respect for deadlines. The Polish are known to be hard-working and they generally adhere to strong work ethics.

4. Polish Art

Art is often intertwined with history, making it difficult to understand one without the other. Polish art is one of the things you’ll have more access to once you have a better understanding of the language. 

A- Polish Architecture

Architecture in Polish cities is a mixture of modern buildings, Soviet-style aesthetics, and older constructions that survived the Second World War. There are many cities you can visit to appreciate the architectural features of Polish culture: Warsaw (Warszawa), Cracow (Kraków), Wrocław, Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot, among others.

A typical Polish city has an historical part called ‘old town’ in the middle of it. Some old cities have buildings that are centuries old while others, notably the Old City in Warsaw (Warszawska Starówka), were largely destroyed during the Second World War and had to be reconstructed. Other parts of a city are usually full of modern buildings with older ones mixed into the landscape. 

After the Second World War, Poland was under the influence of the Soviet Union. The particular style of the period added to the Polish architecture. Famous buildings such as the Palace of Culture (Pałac Kultury) in Warsaw and the multipurpose arena in Katowice (Katowicki Spodek) are good examples of such architecture.

B- Polish Literature

Some Polish books and poems will only be accessible to you once you’ve developed your Polish language skills. However, many books have been translated into other languages. 

Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher saga, is perhaps the most famous Polish author at the moment. However, other notable Polish writers whose works have been translated into other languages are the Nobel Prize winners: Henryk Sienkiewicz (1905), Czesław Miłosz (1980), Wisława Szymborska (1996), and Olga Tokarczuk (2019).

C- Polish Music

Like people in countries around the world, Polish people like music. 

Poles listen to both international music and homegrown Polish music. There’s Polish pop, rock, metal, and all other genres that come to mind. One genre that has been gaining popularity over the years is folk music. The modern spin on musical tradition was popularized in the 90s by bands such as Brathanki and Golec Ouerkiestra. Their work also incorporates another element of traditional Polish culture: clothing.

Here’s a selective list of Polish bands and musicians who have become internationally famous:

• Joanna Kulig is a well-known Polish actress and singer who became an international star after her performance in the 2019 Oscar-nominated movie Cold War.


• Poland hasn’t been particularly successful in the Eurovision Contest, but Edyta Górniak came in second place in 1994.  


• If you’re a fan of metal, you may already know the two famous Polish metal bands: Mgła and Behemoth.


• Krzysztof Komeda is a famous film composer who worked with Roman Polański on movies such as Rosemary’s Baby.


• Wojciech Kilar is another famous film composer who worked with Polański. He’s known for his work on The Pianist as well as other blockbusters such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Truman Show.

These are just some highlights to get you started in your exploration of Polish music. If you want to learn more, we have a series of lessons on the top 10 Polish musicians, including Frederic Chopin and Krzysztof Kieslowski.

5. Polish Food

Polish culture and food go hand in hand. Of course, modernity has brought changes to our traditional eating habits, but eating remains a very important part of Polish holidays.

Polish food is quite typical for the region, with many dishes having close equivalents in the Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Polish cuisine also has many Jewish influences.

Polish food is quite filling and contains a lot of meat, with pork and beef being particularly popular. Still, there are many health benefits associated with eating certain Polish dishes such as pickled vegetables. Kapusta kiszona (“sauerkraut”) and ogórki kiszone (“pickled gherkins”) are great examples.

Let’s not forget about drinks! Polish drinking culture is social. For instance, vodka (wódka) is an important presence during Polish wedding toasts. Polish people also like to drink beer (piwo) in a bottle (z butelki) or draught (z nalewaka). As for non-alcoholic beverages traditionally present on Polish tables, there is the sweet kompot made of different kinds of fruit. 

Would you like to learn more about the food culture in Poland? Have a look at our lessons: 

• 10 Polish Foods
• Have You Ever Tried Polish Cuisine? 
• Do You Like Bigos?
  

6. Traditional Holidays

Polish people celebrate many holidays on the Christian calendar such as Christmas (Święta Bożego Narodzenia) and Easter (Wielkanoc). They’re both a big deal in Poland, and some days around that period are public holidays so that people can enjoy time with their families. There are also Polish traditions that aren’t related to Christianity, such as Children’s Day and Labor Day. 

There’s also a number of cherished traditions and holidays in Poland, which are either exclusively Polish or are only known in a handful of other countries. Among them you can find:

• Drowning of Marzanna. This is a tradition where we drown a doll called Marzanna to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring.


• Śmigus-dyngus. This day is also known as Wet Monday or Easter Monday. People all around Poland throw water at one another on this day!


• Tłusty Czwartek. This is a day meant for pre-Lent indulgence, and we celebrate by eating sweets such as pączki (donuts with jam).

Would you like to get more information about Poland? Culture-related events are discussed in our lesson on the Top 5 Important Dates During the Polish Calendar Year. 

7. Final Thoughts

Today, you’ve learned some key Polish culture facts that should help you better understand the country. We hope that our overview has answered some of your questions. Remember to explore our website to find even more information about Poland and the Polish language.

Culture isn’t everything! If you want to know the language, you need to do some work.

Fortunately, thanks to PolishPod101.com, your work can be much more fun! Here, you can find countless lessons, recordings, and videos featuring native speakers. You can learn tons of new vocabulary with our vocabulary lists and dictionary, both of which have recorded pronunciations. 

Are you ready to up your game? Start your free trial today!

Before you go, let us know in the comments how Polish culture compares to that in your country! We look forward to hearing from you.

Studying grammar is an essential part of language learning. An overview of Polish grammar basics will certainly help you understand this complicated Slavic language better. After all, it’s much easier to memorize something when you understand it. 

Today, we’re going to help you familiarize yourself with the most important concepts of Polish grammar. You’ll discover special features of the Polish language that may not be present in your native language or other languages you know. If you were looking for a stepping stone to help you learn Polish grammar, you’ve found the place to be! 

Table of Contents

1. General Rules
2. Verb Conjugation
3. Declension
4. Some Things Don’t Change
5. Aspect: Perfective and Imperfective
6. Final Thoughts

1. General Rules

Before we dive in, let’s go over a few basic Polish language grammar rules you should know as a beginner.

Word Order

The basic word order you’ll see in Polish is SVO. The subject comes first, followed by the verb and, if needed, an object. 

However, the word order in Polish is not fixed. The language allows for some flexibility, so don’t be surprised if you hear or see sentences that don’t follow this pattern. 

We have an entire article on the Polish word order if you want to learn more.

Parts of Speech

In Polish, the different parts of speech are categorized based on whether they undergo changes or remain fixed:

• Verbs conjugate
• Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, etc. decline and have number and gender
• Adverbs are fixed

Students tend to struggle with those parts of speech that undergo changes, so pay special attention to this aspect of Polish language grammar!

Aspect and Tense

Another feature of the Polish language, which is also present in some other Slavic languages, is that verbs have perfective and imperfective aspects. Sounds weird? Don’t worry too much—English has grammatical aspects too, such as the progressive and perfect aspects. 

The good news about the Polish language is that it has only three tenses: the past, the present, and the future. What’s more, personal pronouns often get dropped in Polish. This is because the verb’s conjugation already shows this information.

2. Verb Conjugation   

Many languages have verb conjugations. What does this mean? 

Conjugation refers to how verb forms differ depending on the person and number. Have a look at some different forms of the Polish verb “to be” (być) in the examples below: 

• Jestem w domu. (“I’m at home.”)
• On jest z Polski. (“He’s from Poland.”)
• Jesteście spontaniczni. (“You [plural] are spontaneous.”)

Yes, there are many verb conjugations in Polish. But they can be divided into four main groups to make learning them easier. 

To find out more about them, go to our article about verb conjugations. You can also use a tool, such as Cooljugator or a Polish grammar checker, to accelerate your progress. 

Another tip: Once you know the most popular conjugation patterns, always learn the first two forms of any new verb you pick up. In this manner, you’ll be able to predict the rest of the forms. 

Here are some of our verb lists that you can use to start studying:

❖ Top 20 Polish Verbs 1
❖ Top 20 Polish Verbs 2
❖ Top 20 Polish Verbs 3
❖ Top 20 Polish Verbs 4

3. Declension

In Polish grammar, declension affects several parts of speech. This is an important topic to cover early on, as it’s one of the most challenging aspects of Polish grammar for foreigners. It requires learners to keep a few different things in mind at the same time. 

First of all, Polish has seven cases: 

1. Nominative (Mianownik)
2. Genitive (Dopełniacz)
3. Dative (Celownik)
4. Accusative (Biernik)
5. Instrumental (Narzędnik)
6. Locative (Miejscownik)
7. Vocative (Wołacz)

Each of these cases has its own set of declension rules that determine how a word changes within a sentence. These changes vary based on a word’s part of speech. In addition, changeable parts of speech have gender and number, adding another layer to the rules.

For now, have a look at the forms below to understand this concept better: 

• moja mama (“my mother) – a feminine singular noun with the appropriate form of the pronoun mój / “my”
• moje dzieci (“my children”) – a nonmasculine plural noun with the appropriate form of the pronoun mój / “my”

Now, have a look at the sentence below, where both the adjective and the noun are in the nominative case:

• To jest pyszna herbata. (“This is a delicious tea.”)

If we make a sentence with the verb pić (“to drink”), it’ll require the accusative case:

• Piję pyszną herbatę. (“I’m drinking a delicious tea.”)

The genitive case is required to make the sentence negative:

• Nie piję pysznej herbaty. (“I’m not drinking a delicious tea.”)

The same set of sentences with the neuter noun piwo (“beer”) would look like this:

• To jest pyszne piwo. (“This is a delicious beer.”)
• Piję pyszne piwo. (“I’m drinking a delicious beer.”)
• Nie piję pysznego piwa. (“I’m not drinking a delicious beer.”)

This looks complicated, but it can definitely be mastered. 

The key to understanding Polish grammar is to learn when each case is used and which endings are applied for each case. Learning concepts like these is best done through a mixture of grammar study and lots of exposure to the language. Have a look at our Painless Polish Grammar lesson for a head start!

4. Some Things Don’t Change

Some parts of speech in Polish (most notably, adverbs) remain unchanged. This makes your job as a language learner a tad easier. 

But how can you tell which part of speech a word is? There are many ways to tell.

For example, you can look at the endings: 

Adverbs: 

• szybko (“quickly”)
• wolno (“slowly”)
• zdrowo (“healthily”)
  

Adjectives: 

• nudny/nudna/nudne (“boring”)
• czerwony/czerwona/czerwone (“red”)
• kolorowy/kolorowa/kolorowe (“colorful”)
  

Nouns: 

• człowiek (“human”)
• pies (“dog”)
• kobieta (“woman”)
  

Verbs: 

• czytać (“to read”)
• pisać (“to write”)
• biegać (“to run”)

As you can see, different parts of speech look different. There are always exceptions, but how a word looks is a good indicator of what it is.

Another way to tell is by looking at the sentence structure. As we mentioned earlier, Polish has a relatively flexible sentence structure. However, there are some rules: 

• The verb usually precedes the object.
  • Anna je kolacje. (“Anna’s eating dinner.”)
    
    
• The adjective comes before the noun.
  • Czytam ciekawą książkę. (“I’m reading an interesting book.”)

• Pronouns go before adjectives and nouns.
  • Moja inteligentna córka uczy się świetnie. (“My intelligent daughter does great at school.”)

Of course, the best way to learn the parts of speech is to memorize enough vocabulary. Speaking of, have you had a look at our vocabulary lists yet?

5. Aspect: Perfective and Imperfective 

As we mentioned earlier, Polish has only three tenses. But in Polish grammar, verbs also conjugate based on an additional component: aspect. It focuses on the completion of an action, which is why we have two kinds of verbs: perfective (dokonany) and imperfective (niedokonany). 

Perfective verbs mark the completion of an action. Here are a few examples of such verbs in sentences: 

• Zjem obiad. (“I’ll eat lunch.”)
• Zrobiłam zakupy. (“I’ve done shopping.”)
• Adam do mnie zadzwonił. (“Adam has called me.”)

Compare them with their imperfective counterparts:

• Jem obiad. (“I’m eating lunch.”)
• Robiłam zakupy. (“I was shopping.”)
• Adam do mnie dzwonił. (“Adam has been calling me.”)

To make sure you know Polish verbs well, it’s good to learn perfective and imperfective verbs together. That way, you’ll be sure that you can express yourself regardless of what you’re trying to say.

6. Final Thoughts

We hope that this Polish grammar overview has deepened your understanding of the basic Polish grammar concepts. You can now start building on this basic knowledge to accelerate your Polish learning.

Are any features of Polish grammar similar to those of your native language? What’s different? Let us know in the comments section. We love hearing from you!

While understanding Polish grammar is certainly important, there are more steps you need to take to improve your language skills. To truly learn the language, you need a well-designed action plan. Fortunately, you can get exactly that with PolishPod101. 

On our platform, you’ll find lesson recordings by native speakers, flashcards, vocabulary lists, a Polish dictionary, and much more. All of our materials are designed to help you speak Polish with confidence and understand the language better. 

Start your free trial today and find out for yourself how amazing our website is!

When you’re seeking life advice, where better to turn than to the words of those you respect and admire? 

In today’s world, quoting famous people is more popular than ever. From the musings of our favorite celebrities and authors to the life advice from some of the world’s greatest thinkers and visionaries, there’s no shortage of wise words to reflect upon and apply to our lives.

In this article, you’ll learn some of the most popular Polish quotes. We’ve included quotes that are native to Polish, as well as several quotes from other languages that have been translated into Polish. 

In learning these quotes in the Polish language, you’ll gain more cultural insight into how Poles view the world, pick up on certain elements of the language, and ultimately gain access to more wisdom than would normally be available to you. 

Ready to learn Polish quotes for every occasion? Let’s go!

Table of Contents

1. Uplifting Quotes
2. Quotes About Love
3. Quotes About Family
4. Quotes About Success
5. Quotes About Language Learning
6. The Best Polish Quotes
7. Final Thoughts

1. Uplifting Quotes

We all need a pep talk sometimes, and that’s where uplifting quotes come into play. Below, you’ll find a number of Polish quotes about life and other quotes that translate well into Polish.

→ Here’s a link to even more inspirational quotes in Polish just in case these aren’t enough.

Co nas nie zabije, to nas wzmocni. 

In English: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

This is a phrase you’ve certainly heard many times before. But you may not know that the author of this saying is Friedrich Nietzsche, the famous German philosopher. This quote is so popular that the Polish version has made its way into everyday life in Poland. 

Proście, a będzie wam dane, szukajcie, a znajdziecie.

In English: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find.”

The Polish language also makes use of many quotes from the Bible, with this one being quite common. In Polish, we often use only the second half of the saying: Szukajcie, a znajdziecie.

Ważne, że żyjesz w zgodzie ze sobą, nikogo nie udajesz i przed niczym nie uciekasz. Kiedy jesteś świadomie sobą i kochasz ten stan – jesteś szczęśliwy.

In English: “It’s important to live according to what you feel is right, without pretending you’re somebody else and running away from something. When you live like this and you enjoy it, that’s when you’re happy.”

Many popular Polish quotes about life are from famous Polish people and celebrities. This quote is from the well-known Polish traveler, Beata Pawlikowska. 

Przyszłość zaczyna się dzisiaj, nie jutro.

In English: “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Many Poles are Catholic and they hold the late Polish pope, John Paul II, in high esteem. As such, many of his quotes and sayings are commonly used in the country. 

Bądź zmianą, którą chcesz ujrzeć w świecie.

In English: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Of course, Polish people also know and use famous quotes from globally recognized moral authorities, such as Gandhi.

2. Quotes About Love

Polish love quotes can be both beautiful and practical. Who hasn’t been madly in love with someone, suffered from a breakup, or had a disagreement with a loved one? It’s amazing what the right words at the right time can do to heal your heart or bring you back down to earth!

We hope that the following quotes in Polish about love give you hope and bring a smile back to your face. 

→ Are you recovering from a breakup? Find some consolation on our list of Polish breakup quotes. Also remember to get your romance and love vocabulary up to scratch!

→ If you want more romantic quotes in Polish, see our list of Polish love quotes!

Kto nie ma szczęścia w kartach, ten ma szczęście w miłości. 

In English: “Who is not lucky at cards is lucky in love.” / “Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.”

This is one of the most popular sayings about love in Polish.

Pierwsze westchnienie miłości to ostatnie westchnienie rozumu!

In English: “The first breath of love is the last breath of reason.”

Here’s another light quote on love. It’s from the famous Polish children’s book author, Kornel Makuszyński.

Lepiej być samemu, niż z niewłaściwą osobą.

In English: “It’s better to be single than with the wrong person.”

This quote is often used in response to someone complaining about their single status! 

3. Quotes About Family

Family is a cornerstone of any society, so it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of family quotes in Polish! Here, we’ll outline just a few of them for you.

→ If you would like to learn more quotes like these, check out our list of Polish family quotes.

Rodzina to nie krew. To ludzie, którzy cię kochają. Ludzie, którzy cię wspierają.

In English: “Family isn’t blood. It’s the people who love you. The people who have your back.”

Just because someone is related to you by blood doesn’t mean they’ll always be there for you. Rather, family consists of those people you can always count on and who truly care for you.

Wszystkie szczęśliwe rodziny są do siebie podobne. Każda nieszczęśliwa rodzina jest nieszczęśliwa na swój sposób.

In English: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

This quote from Leo Tolstoy means that a happy family is one in which every aspect of the relationship is fulfilled. On the other hand, a family could be unhappy for any number of reasons.

4. Quotes About Success

Quotes about success can be helpful in finding motivation and pushing your life in a good direction. Famous people understandably know a lot about how to get where you want to be. Here are some motivational quotes in Polish to give you a nudge in the right direction.

→ If you’re keen to get more Polish quotes about success, PolishPod101 has you covered!
→ Speaking of success, we have another lesson you may be interested in if you’ve ever wondered what successful Polish learners do differently.

Chodzi o to, żeby strzelić jedną bramkę więcej od przeciwnika.

In English: “What it’s all about is scoring one more goal than your opponent.”

Well-known Polish poet Roman Gorzelski thought that succeeding shouldn’t become an obsession; rather, one should take a more practical approach to getting ahead.

Sukces: coś, czego przyjaciele nigdy ci nie wybaczą.

In English: “Success is something that your friends will never forgive you for.”

Another famous Polish poet, Julian Tuwin, warns us to be careful when wishing for success.

Kogo szczęście wyniesie, niech się upaść boi.

In English: “Who’s elevated by luck, should be scared of falling down.”

Polish writer and poet Mikołaj Rej gives us yet another warning about striving for success. Never get too comfortable with your status, because you could lose it in a moment if you’re not diligent!

Zwyciężają ci, co najwięcej mają odwagi dla siebie i od siebie żądać.

In English: “Winners are those who have the courage to have expectations towards themselves.”

Now that we have the warnings out of the way, let’s look at a couple of inspirational Polish quotes, starting with these words from the Polish philosopher and writer Stanisław Leopold Brzozowski.

Człowiek sukcesu to taki, który jest w stanie stworzyć solidne fundamenty z cegieł, które inni rzucili w niego.

In English: “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”

Let’s end this section with an uplifting quote by David Brinkley. This one happens to translate quite well into Polish. 

5. Quotes About Language Learning

There are many quotes about learning languages that can encourage you to continue your language studies. In this section, we’ll look at some beautiful quotes in Polish that focus on the impact of language learning on one’s life. 

→ If you want to read more quotes like these, head over to our vocabulary list of language learning quotes in Polish.

Nowy język, nowe życie.

In English: “A new language is a new life.”

This motivational quote is derived from a Persian proverb. When you learn another language, it opens up so many new doors and lets you see things from a new perspective.

Nie zrozumiesz jednego języka, dopóki nie zrozumiesz co najmniej dwóch.

In English: “You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”

This quote means that understanding a second language allows you to better understand your own language. Learning your native tongue is something you’re forced to do, and once you’ve learned it, you never really have to think much about it. But when you study a second language, it makes you think hard about the different elements of language itself.

Granice mojego języka oznaczają granice mojego świata.

In English: “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

We can experience the world in a completely different way when we know another language. Just imagine visiting Warsaw or Krakow and being able to speak with the locals in their native language. It’d completely change your travel experience and the way people react to you. 

Jeśli rozmawiasz z człowiekiem w języku, który rozumie, trafia to do jego głowy. Jeśli rozmawiasz z nim w jego ojczystym języku, trafia to do jego serca.

In English: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

Here, Nelson Mandela is saying that while it’s possible to communicate effectively in a common language, speaking with someone in their own language will leave a great impression on them. 

Dobrym lekarstwem na ignorancję…jest znajomość języków. 

In English: “The great remedy for ignorance…is a knowledge of languages.”

If someone ever questions your motivation or reasons for learning Polish, you can always reply with this quote from Saint Augustine. Learning a language can give you a broader perspective of the world, thus eliminating your ignorance of other cultures or topics.

6. The Best Polish Quotes

Now you know what benefits to expect from learning another language. But what can learning Polish offer you that other languages can’t? Full access to Polish culture! 

Here are some of the greatest Polish quotes to give you just a sample of what I’m talking about.

Lepiej zaliczać się do niektórych, niż do wszystkich. 

In English: “It’s better to be among some than everyone.”

This quote comes from the first part of the famous fantasy saga about Geralt of Rivia called The Witcher (Wiedźmin). Created by Andrzej Sapkowski in the nineties, the saga was turned into a series of extremely popular computer games and a Netflix series.  

Miej serce i patrzaj w serce. 

In English: “Have a heart and consult your heart.”

This is a quote from one of the most famous (and probably most disliked by Polish school children) writer Adam Mickiewicz, who was prominent in the Romantic Era.

Mickiewicz wasn’t around long enough to qualify for a Nobel Prize in literature, but there have been a number of Polish authors who’ve obtained it. In fact, the next quote comes from the recent Nobel Prize winner, Olga Tokarczuk.

Najlepiej rozmawia się samemu ze sobą. Przynajmniej nie dochodzi do nieporozumień. 

In English: “It’s best to talk to oneself, that way you can avoid misunderstandings.”

Żadna legenda nie bierze się z próżni.

In English: “No legend emerges from a vacuum.”

Here’s a quote from Jakub Żulczyk, a member of the new generation of Polish writers.

→ Remember to brush up on your vocabulary before heading to a Polish bookstore. Start with easy Polish books and continue with more challenging reads as your language skills progress.

Jak kochać to księcia, jak kraść to miliony. 

In English: “If you fall in love, fall in love with a prince. If you steal, steal millions.”

Here’s a universal quote from the Polish romantic comedy Nigdy w życiu (“Never Ever”).

Learning Polish opens up the world of Polish cinema to you. Polish movies are full of quotes like this one, which are commonly used in the Polish language and often referenced in conversations. To understand many of them, you need to watch certain movies, and to watch these movies…you need to speak Polish. 

7. Final Thoughts

Today, you’ve learned some inspirational Polish quotes that can help you find some motivation or a solution to your problems. Which quote is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. 

Becoming fluent in Polish would, of course, give you access to much more than just these famous Polish quotes and quotes translated into Polish. 

Start your free trial with PolishPod101 today to begin your journey toward Polish fluency. With us, you’ll get access to countless recordings by native speakers, hundreds of lessons, and numerous vocabulary lists. 

Happy learning, and stay safe out there!

Many people start learning Polish because they want to live and work in Poland. However, even if this is not your goal, knowing essential business phrases in Polish can help you impress your international clients and broaden your career horizons.

The Polish business phrases included in this article will help you nail a job interview in Polish, interact with coworkers, and find your feet in many other business situations. Let’s boost your business Polish skills together!

Table of Contents

1. Nailing a Job Interview
2. Interacting with Coworkers
3. Sounding Smart in Meetings
4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails
5. Going on a Business Trip
6. Final Thoughts

1. Nailing a Job Interview

Are you preparing for a job interview in Poland or with a company that requires you to speak Polish? No problem! With these key business phrases in Polish, you’ll nail your job interview and impress your potential employer.

A- First Things First – Introductions

Introducing yourself is the most important part of your job interview, because first impressions last. You can win the hearts of your interviewers from the very beginning with a confident self-introduction. 

• Nazywam się ___. (“My name is ___.”)

Here, you can simply state your name and surname. There are many other ways of introducing yourself in Polish, which you can read about in our article on Polish introductions.

Seeing that it’s a job interview, your interviewers would also like to hear about your education and work experience. Tell them about it with the following phrases. Note that for the first two phrases, the first one is for a male speaker and the second one is for a female speaker. 

• Ukończyłem [faculty] na [name of the educational institution]. (“I’ve graduated from [faculty] at [name of the educational institution].”)

• Ukończyłam [faculty] na [name of the educational institution]. (“I’ve graduated from [faculty] at [name of the educational institution].”)

• Mam ___ lat/a doświadczenia. (“I have ___ years of experience.”) 

B- Talking About Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Your interviewers want to know you better, so, when prompted, tell them about your strengths and weaknesses. 

• Moje największe zalety to ___. (“My biggest advantages are ___.”)

• Umiem współpracować w zespole. (“I’m a good team player.”)

• Jestem niezależny. (“I’m an independent worker.”) – male speaker

• Jestem niezależna. (“I’m an independent worker.”) – female speaker

• Moje największe osiągnięcie to ___. (“My biggest achievement is ___.”)

• Moje największe wady to ___. (“My biggest disadvantages are ___.”)

Remember to be strategic when talking about your weaknesses. If you’re not sure how to do so, check out this article from Forbes on how to discuss your weaknesses during an interview.

C- Other Useful Phrases

There’s also a handful of other professional Polish phrases you can use throughout the interview. 

• Chciałbym pracować dla Państwa firmy, ponieważ ___. (“I’d like to work for your company because ___.”) – male speaker

• Chciałabym pracować dla Państwa firmy, ponieważ ___. (“I’d like to work for your company because ___.”) – female speaker

• Przepraszam, czy może Pan/Pani powtórzyć pytanie? (“Excuse me, could you repeat the question Sir/Madam?”)

• Dziękuję za zaproszenie na tę rozmowę. (“Thank you for inviting me for this interview.”)

If you still feel like you need more help for your Polish job interview, remember to check out our lesson “A Polish Job Interview” for even more tips. For general advice, The Guardian has a great article on how to shine during your interview.

2. Interacting with Coworkers

So, you’ve managed to land a job in a Polish company or a Polish speaking environment? Well done! We hope our interview tips helped you land your dream job.

Now it’s time for the real test: interacting with your coworkers. Don’t worry, though! With these key business phrases in Polish, you’ll be able to form connections with no problems at all. 

A- Introduce Yourself…Again

Introducing yourself to new coworkers is slightly different from doing so for a job interview. Here’s how to give a self-introduction in a neat and professional manner: 

• Cześć! Jestem ___ i będę tu pracować jako ___! (“Hi! My name is ___ and I’m going to work here as ___.”)

Polish workplaces differ in terms of formality, so remember to pay attention to how people address one another. Keep in mind the “better safe than sorry” rule. 

B- When You Need Help 

Here are some useful expressions for when you need some help in your new workplace or when you need to apologize for something.

• Przepraszam, jestem tu nowy. Możesz mi powiedzieć, gdzie jest [place]? (“I’m new here. Could you tell me where to find [place]?”) – male speaker

• Przepraszam, jestem tu nowa. Możesz mi powiedzieć, gdzie jest [place]? (“I’m new here. Could you tell me where to find [place]?”) – female speaker

• Przepraszam, czy możesz mi z tym pomóc? (“Excuse me, can you help me with this?”)

• Dzięki za pomoc! (“Thanks for helping me!”)

A more formal alternative to the phrase above would be: Dziękuje za pomoc!

• Przepraszam za spóźnienie. (“I’m sorry for being late.”)

• Przepraszam, nie rozumiem. (“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”)

For more-specific phrases to use when asking for help in a difficult business situation, visit our lesson on this topic. 

C- Making Friends

It’s always easier to work in a place where you get along well with people, which is why you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of making friends. When doing business in Poland, an easy way to make someone look at you more kindly is to give them a compliment. For example, this is something you could say to someone whose hairstyle you like: 

• Super fryzura! (“Cool haircut!”)

To learn Polish compliments for every occasion, go to our article on giving compliments in Polish. If you’re not convinced that giving compliments can be a successful technique for making friends, Express has some more insight for you. 

You can also initiate interactions with someone outside of work by asking:

• Może wyskoczymy na kawę? (“Should we grab a coffee?”)

• Chcesz zjeść razem lunch? (“Do you want to eat lunch together?”)

• Wyskoczymy na piwo po pracy? (“How about a beer after work?”)

3. Sounding Smart in Meetings

In order to stand out in a workplace, you need to sound smart. Check out the Polish business phrases below to learn how to do that. 

A- Taking Initiative and Expressing Opinions

Here are some handy expressions for when you want to share your thoughts on something that’s been said: 

• Chciałbym zaprezentować wam mój nowy pomysł. (“I’d like to tell you about my new idea.”) – male speaker

• Chciałabym zaprezentować wam mój nowy pomysł. (“I’d like to tell you about my new idea.”) – female speaker

• Jeśli mogę dodać coś od siebie? (“Could I make a suggestion?”)
  

Need more? You can find more vocabulary for making a suggestion in Polish on our website.  

If you disagree with someone, you could also use one of these Polish business phrases to soften the blow of your criticism. 

• Nie uważasz, że lepiej byłoby ___? (“Don’t you think that it would be better to ___?”)

• Wiem, co masz na myśli, ale nie do końca się z Tobą zgadzam. (“I know what you mean, but I don’t fully agree with you.”)

When you agree with someone, simply say: 

• Zgadzam się Tobą w pełni. (“I fully agree with you.”)
  

B- Reporting on Progress

When you’re given a specific task, you may be asked by your manager or coworkers to report on your progress. Here’s how you can do this: 

• Wszystko idzie zgodnie z planem. (“Everything is going according to plan.”)

• Na pewno skończę przed deadlinem. (“I’ll be finished before the deadline, for sure.”)

• Powinienem mieć wszystko gotowe na [day of the week]. (“I should have everything ready on [day of the week].”) – male speaker

• Powinnam mieć wszystko gotowe na [day of the week]. (“I should have everything ready on [day of the week].”) – female speaker

Sometimes, unforeseeable situations happen and you can’t complete a task as planned. Here’s how to let others know that you’ve encountered a problem or need more time:

• Mamy problem. (“We have a problem.”)

• Nie zdążę na czas. (“I won’t make it on time.”)

• Potrzebuję więcej czasu. (“I need more time.”)

Are you feeling nervous about requesting a deadline extension at work? Indeed has some practical tricks and strategies!

4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails 

Answering phone calls and responding to emails are important skills in any business. In this section, we’ll provide you with some useful Polish for business phone calls and emails.

A- Answering Business Calls in Polish  

Here are some useful business Polish phrases that you can use during a business call.

• Dzień dobry, mówi ___. W czym mogę pomóc? (“Hello, it’s ___ speaking. How may I help you?”)

Instead of dzień dobry, you can also say Halo? (“Hello?”) or Słucham? (literally: “I’m listening,” but translates to “Hello?”)

• Niestety nie ma jej/go. Czy mogę coś przekazać? (“Unfortunately, she/he isn’t in. Can I take a message?”)

The phrase above is perfect for when someone is trying to reach your colleague who’s currently not in.

To say goodbye, simply repeat these words:

• [Dziękuję,] do usłyszenia! (“[Thank you,] I’ll chat with you soon!”)

B- Sending Business Emails 

Depending on the required formality, there are various Polish business phrases you can use for work emails. It’s up to you to figure out what kind of relationship your company prefers. 

Below, you can find common ways to start a business email in Polish. We’ll list them from the least formal to the most formal: 

• Cześć! (“Hi!”) 

• Cześć + [name]! (“Hi + [name]!”)

These first two phrases are only acceptable if this is how you address that person in real life, too. 

• Witam (“Hello”) 

• Witam + [name] (“Hello + [name]”)

• Dzień Dobry (“Good morning”)

• Dzień Dobry + [name] (“Good morning + [name]”)

• Szanowny Panie / Szanowna Pani (“Dear Sir” / “Dear Madam”)

• Szanowny Panie / Szanowna Pani + [name] (“Dear Sir + [name]” / “Dear Madam + [name]”)

Note that all of the phrases above are followed by a comma. 

A business email should also be concluded professionally with one of the phrases below: 

• Serdecznie pozdrawiam, (“Warm Regards,”)

• Pozdrawiam, (“Regards,”)

• Z poważaniem, (literally: “With respect,” but translated to “Yours Faithfully,”)

We hope these Polish business phrases will be useful in your correspondence! 

5. Going on a Business Trip

Going on a business trip in Poland for the first time can be very exciting. You’ll need a number of business phrases in Polish to get around, though!

A- Reservations

Some people are lucky enough to have someone who organizes booking for them. Others need to do this themselves. To book a hotel or purchase a ticket, you should say: 

Chciałbym/Chciałabym zarezerwować pokój… (“I’d like to book a room…”)

                                                            …dla jednej osoby (“for one person”)

                                                            …na dwa tygodnie (“for two weeks”)

                                                            …z wyżywieniem (“with food”)

Chciałbym/Chciałabym zarezerwować bilet… (“I’d like to buy a ticket…”)

                                                            …na jutro (“…for tomorrow”)

                                                            …w klasie biznesowej (“…in a business class”)

                                                            …tam i z powrotem (“…return”)

B- Greetings and Wrapping Up 

When meeting people at the airport or in a hotel lobby during a business trip, the phrase to use is: 

• Przepraszam, czy to Pan/Pani [name]? (“Excuse me, are you [name]?”)

When you present your Polish company to clients, this lesson from PolishPod101 may come in handy. You should also let people know that there’s no need to rush to a decision by saying: 

• Nie ma pośpiechu. (“There’s no rush.”)

• Proszę spokojnie przemyśleć tę decyzję. (“Take your time to arrive at a decision.”)

Remember to remain polite during your business dealings on the trip. Thank your clients or business partners with Polish business phrases like these: 

• Dziękuję za zaproszenie. (“Thank you for the invitation.”)

• Dziękuję za spotkanie. (“Thank you for the meeting.”)

• Dziękuję za uwagę. (“Thank you for your attention.”)

The last expression can be used after a presentation or speech. For more tips on delivering a Polish business presentation, check out our relevant lesson.

6. Final Thoughts

We hope that this guide to the key business phrases in Polish has helped you understand how to communicate in your new work environment. You’ve learned many skills today: how to nail a job interview, how to interact with coworkers, and how to sound smart during a meeting in Poland. Let us know in the comments which business Polish phrases are the most useful in your situation. 

We’ve tried to include the best Polish business phrases in this article, but our website has much more to offer. Would you like to learn how to make small talk in Poland or ask for time off? Start your free trial with PolishPod101 today to fully benefit from all of our resources (not only the business Polish vocabulary!). You can learn Polish for every occasion with us! 

Happy learning, and good luck with your business endeavors.

Studying a second language can be a rewarding experience, but we know that the learning process can be downright boring at times! 

Textbooks, audio lessons, and flashcards are all excellent methods for studying a language. But did you know that as you learn Polish, YouTube can be a great supplementary resource?

The only problem is that if you search for Polish YouTube channels, you’re going to find a wide variety of them, each one promising to help you learn Polish in no time. But not all of them are valuable, and no one YouTube channel can replace a structured course of study.

On PolishPod101.com, you can go through a tailor-made study path that will help you make fast progress by covering the most important topics. In addition to the countless lessons available on the platform, we also run a YouTube channel to give you even more opportunities to improve your Polish skills. 

The PolishPod101 YouTube channel offers you specific advice on topics that many learners struggle with. Because our hosts are native Polish speakers, watching our videos will give you even more exposure to how the language is spoken in real life. Simply put, it’s the perfect complement to our platform. 

We know that our resources are amazing, but if you want to speed up your progress even more, you can add additional channels to your learning curriculum. 

Before you start with our list of the top Polish YouTube channels for learners, remember to check out our Polish word list “Talking About YouTube.”

Table of Contents

1. Polski z Anią
2. Smerfy • Po Polsku
3. Foreigners in Poland
4. Chido-Fajny
5. Audycje Radiowe
6. Arlena Witt
7. Mówiąc Inaczej
8. Koreanka
9. The PolishPod101 YouTube Channel
10. Final Thoughts

1. Polski z Anią

Polski z Anią is one of the best YouTube channels for learning Polish. It’s run by Ania, an assistant professor at the Polonicum Centre of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners. She explains Polish grammar in plain language that’s easy to understand, and her explanation of cases is spot-on. She has already helped many YouTube users.

Ania speaks Polish clearly and there are English subtitles for people who don’t speak Polish very well yet. There are two seasons available so far, with insightful explanations that cover many different levels while remaining relevant for learners at any level.

2. Smerfy • Po Polsku

Category: Cartoon
Level: Beginner – Intermediate

Children from all around the world adore the Smurfs. Like in many cartoons, the stories presented are easy to follow, which makes them a great tool for language learning. In the Polish version of this beloved cartoon, the Smurfs speak slowly and their elocution leaves nothing to be desired. 

There’s not much talking in most episodes and the focus is on the action. This means that learners can enjoy a lot of the story from the context, and then easily rewind to listen to particular phrases. The Smurfs also use everyday vocabulary, which is great for emerging Polish speakers. Are you ready to be a kid again? Smerfastycznie! (“Smurftastic!”)

By the way, did you know that children in Poland have their own special holiday? Click on the link to find out all you need to know about Children’s Day.

3. Foreigners in Poland

Category: Language Learning
Level: Any

Unfortunately, this channel is no longer active. It has a small collection of videos with Polish vocabulary for everyday situations. You can learn Polish food vocabulary, expressions for ordering in a restaurant, how to ask for directions, and other useful things. 

This channel is appropriate for learners at any level, as the hosts mainly speak in English; when Polish is spoken, there are subtitles in both Polish and English.

4. Chido-Fajny

Category: A Foreigner Living in Poland
Level: Any

Chido-Fajny’s channel includes many videos to help learners with the Polish language, some of which cover more specific topics such as the differences between Spanish or Polish and specific language learning tools. You can find these videos on his playlists entitled “Learn Polish” and “Aprende Polaco.”

This Polish language YouTube channel is more than just another language learning resource. There are also many funny videos with foreigners trying to pronounce challenging Polish words, as well as videos about places in Poland and Polish traditions. Most videos are available in English, but there are also some recorded in Spanish. If you’re interested in Polish food in particular, remember to check out our lesson 10 Polish Foods.

5. Audycje Radiowe

Category: Polish History and Culture
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

If you’re looking to learn Polish on YouTube, but none of the other channels on this list seem challenging enough, such gems as Audycje Radiowe (“Radio Auditions”) will be invaluable to you. 

This channel features many great recordings from the Polish radio, and is great for language learners as they can play and stop the videos as needed (which one can’t do when an audition is being broadcast on the radio). 

Learners can not only work on their Polish skills, but also improve their understanding of Polish history and culture. The playlist “Sensacje XX wieku” is particularly good for language learning, as it has links to transcripts. Reading along with the material you’re listening to can greatly improve your comprehension, and it makes working with the recorded material much easier. 

Are you a history buff? You can learn even more about Polish history in our lesson Learn Your Polish History. 

6. Arlena Witt

Category: Language Learning
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Arlena Witt teaches Polish people English…but we still consider this one of the top channels for learning Polish on YouTube. Each video is recorded in Polish and has Polish subtitles, so intermediate level learners should be able to follow what she’s saying. She speaks relatively fast, but clearly. 

How can this channel help you learn Polish? By exposing you to the Polish language and giving you Polish equivalents of English terms. Additionally, she gives general language learning tips that are useful regardless of the language you’re trying to learn.

7. Mówiąc Inaczej

Category: Language Learning
Level: Intermediate – Advanced

This is one of the most common YouTube channels to learn Polish, used by…Polish people! Even native speakers have things left to learn in their own language. Just think how many native English speakers don’t know the difference between “it’s” and “its”!

Paulina helps people improve their Polish when it comes to common problems in this language. The issues that native speakers encounter are common among language learners, too. In other words, there’s plenty for you to learn from this channel.

These are some of the more challenging Polish lessons YouTube has to offer, since they’re designed for native speakers. The channel is almost entirely in Polish and there are no subtitles. If you’re at the intermediate level and like challenges, it’s worth giving it a go.

8. Koreanka

Category: A Foreigner Living in Poland
Level: Intermediate

Do you want to learn real Polish with YouTube, from a foreigner’s perspective? Koreanka (“Korean woman”) lives in Poland, her channel is recorded in Polish, and she often invites other foreigners as guests. She records videos about her life in Poland, everything Polish, and her Korean roots. There are subtitles for those who need them.

This isn’t your typical Polish language YouTube channel, but it can serve as great encouragement for you. What could be more inspirational than hearing a foreigner speak fluent Polish?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5v9HTQU7A

9. The PolishPod101 YouTube Channel

Category: Language Learning
Level: Any

Learn Polish with PolishPod101.com

YouTube offers countless opportunities for Polish learners, as you’ve seen. But there’s nothing better for truly learning a language than a well-structured course like the ones offered by PolishPod101. Our YouTube channel goes hand in hand with our website.

If you’re enjoying our audio content, you’re going to love the PolishPod101 YouTube channel. There, you’ll find even more useful tips on learning Polish and lots of handy vocabulary. What’s more? You can count on extended listening comprehension practice and informative videos about Polish culture. Check it out!

10. Final Thoughts

We hope that our guide to the top Polish YouTube channels for learners has been useful to you, and that you’ve found the best resources to take your Polish to the next level. Let us know in the comments which channel is your favorite! Or, tell us why the PolishPod101 YouTube channel is your favorite. 

Learning a language is an amazing journey that’s much easier with someone to help you. By joining a platform like PolishPod101, you get exactly that. Start your free trial today to enjoy hundreds of recordings from native speakers, vocabulary lists, and more. 

We hope to see you around!

Like saying hello, saying goodbye is an important part of being polite. These are the most basic skills you need to have a conversation in any language, so it’s crucial that you acquire them early on. 

In this article, we’ll tell you how to say goodbye in Polish in a variety of situations. For example, you’ll learn the best parting words for formal versus informal environments, how to see someone off at the airport, and how to end a phone conversation. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll have the perfect Polish goodbye for any situation you find yourself in. Are you ready to get your Polish up to scratch? Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. The Most Common Ways of Saying Goodbye
2. Specific Ways of Saying Goodbye in Polish
3. Final Thoughts

1. The Most Common Ways of Saying Goodbye

Before we look into the more specific ways of saying goodbye in Polish, let’s discuss the simplest ways to do so. Remember that you should address people differently depending on whether the situation is formal or informal. 

Formal verb forms use the third person singular and the words Pan (“Mister”) and Pani (“Ma’am”). For example, to ask “What’s your name?” in a formal manner, you would say: Jak ma Pan/Pani na imię? 

The informal verb forms use the second person singular. To ask “What’s your name?” in an informal manner, you would say: Jak masz na imię? 

So how do these rules apply to Polish goodbye phrases? Let’s find out!

A- Goodbye in Polish (Informal)

The most common informal way of saying bye in Polish is: Cześć! Note that this word is also used for saying hello. (If you want to learn more about this topic, you can check out our lesson “Saying Hello No Matter the Time of Day in Polish.”)

Cześć is very versatile, and you can use it to say goodbye when you’re leaving any informal situation. We also use a variation: No to cześć!

Both Cześć! and No to cześć! are used with either the nominative case (mianownik) or the vocative case (wołacz):

• Cześć, Ania! – “Bye, Ania!” (nominative, mianownik)
• Cześć, Aniu! – “Bye, Ania!” (vocative, wołacz)

B- Goodbye in Polish (Formal)

The most common formal goodbye in Polish is: Do widzenia! This phrase is used in all kinds of formal situations, such as when you’re leaving a corner shop, post office, or doctor’s office. It’s often accompanied by Dziękuję! (“Thank you!“) if a service was provided:

• Oto Pani/Pańska reszta. – “Here’s your change.” (to a man and a woman, respectively)
• Dziękuję, do widzenia. – “Thank you. Goodbye!”

We can also say Dobranoc Panu/Pani to wish someone a good night’s rest. 

Practice your pronunciation of Do widzenia! whenever you can. Try to use this phrase in real life, even if the rest of your conversation is in English. Practice makes perfect!

2. Specific Ways of Saying Goodbye in Polish

There are many Polish language goodbyes that you can use in more specific situations. 

When you’re formal with someone, you simply don’t have certain conversations with them. This is why Do widzenia! is your go-to goodbye in formal contexts. 

Keep reading to find out how to say goodbye in Polish when the situation is informal! 

A- Alternative Ways to Say Bye in Polish

Apart from simply saying Cześć! when you’re leaving a group of friends, you can also say: 

• Na razie!
• Nara! 
• Narka!

Each of the phrases above is equivalent to “Bye for now” in Polish. Here are a few more ways to say bye in Polish:

• Pa pa!
• Pa
• No to pa!

Make sure to memorize these expressions, as they’re very often used when speaking informally. 

B- See You Later!

There are a couple of ways to say “See you” in Polish:

• Do zobaczenia! 
• Do zo! 

“See you later!” is Do zobaczenia później! You should only use this phrase, though, when you’re going to actually see that person later (for instance, later that day). In certain English-speaking countries, people say “See you later!” as a general farewell expression. But this is not a convention in Poland, and it’d confuse the person you say it to.

If you know when you’ll see that person next, you can say: 

• Do zobaczenia jutro! (“See you tomorrow!”)
• Do zobaczenia w/we [day of the week]! (“See you on [day of the week]!”) 
• Do zobaczenia w poniedziałek! (“See you on Monday!”)
• Do zobaczenia we wtorek! (“See you on Tuesday!”)

You can also use this sentence pattern with different times of day:

• Do zobaczenia wieczorem! (“See you in the evening!”)
• Do zobaczenia rano! (“See you in the morning!”)

As you can see, there are many ways to say goodbye in Polish. The more you study them, the more comfortable you’ll be having a conversation in Polish. 

C- Seeing Someone Off

How do you say goodbye in Polish when you’re taking someone to the airport or a train station, where they’re about to start a long journey? Of course, you say Do zobaczenia! But there are other things that you can add, such as:

• Trzymaj się! (“Take care!”)
• Uważaj na siebie! (“Be careful!”)
• Szerokiej drogi! (“Have a good/safe trip!”) (Literally: “Have a wide road!”)
• Napisz wiadomość jak dojedziesz! (“Text me a message when you arrive!”)
• Zadzwoń jak dojedziesz! (“Call me when you arrive!”)

Parents who are seeing their children off may say something like: 

• Nie szalej! / Tylko bez szaleństw! (“Don’t go crazy!”)

D- When You Need to Excuse Yourself

Sometimes you need to leave the party before everyone else. Here are some phrases you can use to let your hosts know you have to get going: 

• [Naprawdę] muszę lecieć! (“I [really] need to go!”)
• Będę się zbierać. (“I’ll be off!”)
• Niestety nie mogę dłużej zostać. (“Unfortunately, I can’t stay any longer.”)
• Pora na mnie! (“It’s time for me to go.”) [Literally: “It’s time for me.”]

If you’ve bumped into someone you know on the street, but don’t have time for a conversation, you can say: 

• Miło się gada, ale muszę lecieć! (“It’s nice chatting with you, but I have to go!”)
• Miło się gada, ale jestem już spóźniony/spóźniona! (“It’s nice chatting with you, but I’m already late!”) [for a male and female, respectively]

E- Polish Goodbye Phrases for Phone Conversations

Politely ending a phone call in Polish is easy: 

• Do usłyszenia! (“Chat soon!”) [Literally: “Until we hear one another again!”]
• No to do usłyszenia! (“Chat soon, then!”) [Literally: “Until we hear one another again, then!”]

You can also add a specific time reference to let the other person know when you’ll talk with them again:

• Do usłyszenia jutro! (“I’ll speak to you tomorrow!”)
• Do usłyszenia w przyszłym tygodniu! (“I’ll speak to you next week!”)

Do you have a cell phone? Learn all you need to know about Polish manners on the phone with PolishPod101.com. 

F- Saying Goodbye in a Text Message

When you’re texting with someone and you’ve set an appointment to meet with them, you can use one of the expressions we’ve already covered in this article:

• Do zobaczenia!
• Do zobaczenia niedługo!
• Do zo!

You’d probably agree that knowing how to text is an important skill in the modern world. Boost your Polish technology vocab with our lesson. 

G- Saying Goodbye to Someone Who’s Sick

When you bid farewell to someone who’s sick at home or at a hospital, it’s good manners to wish them good health. Here’s how you can do this in Polish: 

• Wracaj do zdrowia! (“Get better soon!”) 
• Szybkiego powrotu do zdrowia! (“I’m wishing you a speedy recovery!”)
• Mam nadzieję, że szybko wydobrzejesz. (“I hope you’ll get better soon.”)

To say goodbye, simply add one of the other phrases you’ve already learned, such as: Do zobaczenia!

Speaking of health, do you know how to talk about health concerns and explain your allergies in Polish? Also, if you’re moving to Poland, you may want to learn more about the Polish healthcare system.

H- Wishing Someone Good Luck

We all need a little luck sometimes, but there are life situations that call for it more than others. Such situations include taking an exam, going to a job interview, or performing in front of an audience. If you’re parting ways with someone who’s about to do something major, you can say:

• Powodzenia! (“Good luck!”)
• Połamania nóg! (“Break a leg!”)
• Trzymam kciuki! (“Fingers crossed!”)

You’re likely to hear these phrases if you study or work in Poland. Some Polish people are superstitious, though, so not everyone is going to thank you for wishing them luck. It’s believed that doing so may actually bring bad luck. In this case, you may hear the reply: 

• Nie dziękuję! (“I’m not thanking you.”)

3. Final Thoughts

By now, you definitely have a better idea of how to say goodbye in Polish in a variety of contexts. 

Remember to use these expressions whenever you can. Even if it’s the only thing you’ll say in Polish during a conversation, it’s still better than speaking only in English! 

Which way of saying goodbye do you like the most? Let us know in the comments before you go. 

Saying goodbye is an important skill, but on its own, it’s not enough for a smooth conversation. To boost your Polish speaking and comprehension skills, get your free account with PolishPod101 today. 

Our website gives you access to countless language lessons and resources. Our recordings by native speakers will help you get the hang of Polish pronunciation in no time. You can also access your account whenever and wherever you want, thanks to our mobile apps. 

Would you like to know more about our teaching methods? Check out our lessons and methodology page to find out more. 

Happy Polish learning!

If you’re thinking about learning Polish but haven’t started yet, it’s probably because you have a few questions: Why should you learn Polish in the first place? Is Polish hard to learn, and if so, is it really worth it? 

Well, there are many reasons you may want to learn Polish: traveling to Poland, a Polish partner, a Polish heritage, personal development, and the list goes on. You surely have your own reason for wanting to learn the language. The most important thing is to not let other people scare you with their negativity and the myths they share about the Polish language.  

In this article, we’ll give you an in-depth review of what makes Polish hard to learn for some students, how to overcome those challenges, and what things about Polish are actually pretty easy. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Is Polish Hard to Learn?
2. The Hardest and Easiest Aspects of Polish
3. How to Start Learning Polish
4. Things to Keep in Mind When Learning Polish
5. Why is PolishPod101 Great for Learning Polish?
6. Final Thoughts

1. Is Polish Hard to Learn?

The short answer to this question is “No!” But we don’t blame you for asking.

Many people, before they start learning a language, try to find out whether that language is hard to learn. There are also many myths about languages—such as Polish—being particularly hard to learn. These myths, however, often come from people who failed to put enough effort into learning that language. 

We can tell you that statements such as “Polish is so difficult” (Polski jest taki trudny!) are just excuses not to learn the language. 

Other people simply study hard and manage to successfully learn Polish, whether they live in Poland or not. Of course, like any language, Polish has certain concepts that are rather challenging. But rest assured, it has plenty of simpler concepts as well! 

2. The Hardest and Easiest Aspects of Polish 

How difficult is it to learn Polish, then? It’s as difficult to learn as any other language; if you put your heart in it and keep studying, fluency in Polish is definitely accessible!

Let’s have a look at the hardest aspects (najtrudniejsze zagadnienia) of learning Polish, and then the easiest ones (najłatwiejsze zagadnienia). 

A- The Hardest Aspects of Polish

There’s a number of concepts that Polish-learners find particularly hard to master (materiał wyjątkowo trudny do opanowania). In no particular order, here are the things that make Polish hard to learn: 

• Pronunciation

Polish pronunciation can be quite challenging in the beginning. There are many Polish letters that are written similarly to each other but are pronounced differently: 

➢ dz in dzwon (“bell”)
➢ dż in dżdżownica (“earthworm”)
➢ dź in dźwig (“crane”)

➢ s in sosna (“pine”)
➢ ś in śnieg (“snow”)
➢ sz in szlak (“trail”)

➢ c in ciocia (“aunt”)
➢ ć in ćma (“moth”)
➢ cz in cześć (“hi”)

There are also letters that are spelled differently but are pronounced the same way: 

➢ ch in choinka (“Christmas tree”)
➢ h in herbata (“tea”)

➢ rz in rzeka (“river”)
➢ ż in żaba (“frog”)

➢ u in uroda (“beauty”)
➢ ó in próba (“attempt”)

Last but not least, we have the famous consonant clusters in words such as szczęście (“happiness”), czkawka (“hiccups”), or grzmot (“thunder”).

Even if Polish pronunciation is challenging, there are a few ways you can make the learning process easier. For example, both listening to Polish and repeating Polish words out loud are helpful in this regard. Check out our lesson Polish Pronunciation Made Easy for more tips. 

• Noun Gender and Agreement

Polish nouns have grammatical gender. There are three genders in the singular (żeński – “feminine” / męski – “masculine” / nijaki – “neuter”) and two genders in the plural (męskoosobowy – “masculine personal” and niemęskoosobowy – “non-masculine personal”). 

➢ kobieta (“woman”) – rodzaj żeński (feminine) 
➢ facet (“guy”) – rodzaj męski (masculine) 
➢ okno (“window”) – rodzaj nijaki (neuter)

➢ kobiety (“women”) – rodzaj niemęskoosobowy (“non-masculine personal”)
➢ faceci (“guys”) – rodzaj męskoosobowy (“masculine personal”)

Other parts of speech, such as adjectives, also undergo agreement with nouns in terms of gender, number, and case: 

➢ Inteligentna kobieta (“a smart woman”) – rodzaj żeński (feminine), singular
➢ Przystojni faceci (“good-looking guys”) – rodzaj męskoosobowy (masculine), plural

• Noun Cases and Agreement

Nouns are governed by more than just gender; they also have cases. Grammatical case refers to a noun having different forms depending on the context in which it’s used. There are seven cases in Polish:

• To jest inteligentna kobieta. (“She’s a clever woman.” Or literally: “It’s a clever woman.”) 
  • the nominative case mianownik 
• Nie znam tej inteligentnej kobiety. (“I don’t know this clever woman.”) 
  • the genitive case dopełniacz
• Opowiem ci o tej inteligentnej kobiecie. (“I’ll tell you about this clever woman.”) 
  • the dative case celownik
• Często widzę tę inteligentną kobietę. (“I often see this clever woman.”) 
  • the accusative case biernik 
• Poszłam na spacer z tą inteligentną kobietą, o której ci mówiłam. (“I went for a walk with this clever woman I told you about.”) 
  • the instrumental case narzędnik 
• Mówiłam ci o tej inteligentnej kobiecie w moim biurze. (“I told you about this clever woman from my office.”) 
  • the locative case miejscownik
• Hej, inteligentna kobieto! (“Hey, clever woman!”)
  • the vocative case wołacz

B- The Easiest Aspects of Polish

Uff! We’re done with the hardest aspects of learning Polish. Now, we’ll go over the easier aspects of learning Polish! 

• Tenses

So how easy is Polish to learn? Quite easy when you compare its tenses to those in English (which has as many as sixteen tenses!). Polish, on the other hand, has only three tenses: the past, the present, and the future. Have a look at the following examples: 

➢ Czytam gazetę. (“I’m reading a newspaper.”)
➢ Czytam gazetę codziennie. (“I read a newspaper every day.”)
➢ Czytałem/Czytałam gazetę i słuchałem muzyki. (“I was reading a newspaper and listening to music.”)

The past tense in Polish has, respectively, masculine and feminine forms of verbs.

➢ Nie czytałem/czytałam tej powieści. (“I haven’t read this novel.”)
➢ Nie wiem czy będę im czytać dziś wieczorem. (“I don’t know whether I’ll read to them tonight.”)

• Polish is a phonetic language

Do you remember when we said that Polish pronunciation can be challenging because of certain letters? Some sounds are indeed challenging, but Polish is a phonetic language which means that it’s read as it’s written. To see why this is so significant, just read the following English words to yourself: 

➢ bone – done – gone
➢ wall – wax – want
➢ loud – should – mould

Even though the bolded letter combinations are spelled the same way, they’re pronounced differently. 

Many people ask things like “How hard is Polish to learn for English-speakers?” And to me, it seems that it’s much easier than their native language at times! Let’s have a look at some words in Polish that contain the same letters: 

➢ koń (“horse”) – krowa (“cow”) – Kraków (“Cracow”)
➢ nowy (“new”) – kobieta (“woman”) – stolica (“capital city”)
➢ atak (“attack”) – tramwaj (“tram”) – mama (“mother”)

You can click on the words to go to recordings of their pronunciation. You see? The letters are read just like they’re written.

• Lack of articles 

Articles are an important part of English. So you may be surprised to hear that when native Polish-speakers start learning English, they often forget to use them because their native language has no articles. Yes, you’ve heard us right: there are no articles in Polish. 

• Kot siedzi i czeka. (“A/the cat is sitting and waiting.”)
• Pies szczeka. (“A/the dog is barking.”)
• Krowa muczy. (“A/the cow is mooing.”)

How hard is Polish to learn for English-speakers if they don’t have to learn certain grammar concepts, but forget them? It seems like a sweet deal to us. 😉

3. How to Start Learning Polish

Learning a language is a much easier process if it’s well-structured. As such, there are a few things you should focus on at the beginning of your language journey to make the entire process that much smoother.

A- Learn Pronunciation and Reading Rules

Polish pronunciation is a major reason that new learners tend to find the language difficult. That said, Polish pronunciation only seems challenging. When you put proper effort into learning it, you’re going to see that it’s really not that difficult. 

Start by focusing only on how to pronounce individual sounds, then clusters of consonants, then whole words, and then the last stage, which is sentences. You can learn Polish pronunciation rules on our Polish pronunciation page. 

While you practice your pronunciation, it’s important that you don’t forget to work on your reading skills. Reading rules in Polish are predictable, so learning to read is an easy way to see progress more quickly. Once you know how to read, it’ll also be easier to pronounce words and sentences in Polish.     

B- Learn Basic Vocabulary

You’d be surprised how much easier Polish communication is once you master the basic vocabulary. Expressing yourself will make you feel more comfortable with the language. You’ll also have a great foundation to build upon as you advance to intermediate and advanced levels. 

To learn what’s considered to be a “basic vocabulary,” check out the European Union (Unia Europejska) resource about what’s expected from lower levels according to the CEFR global scale. You can also opt to let PolishPod101 guide you through this process with our curated pathways for each level.

C- Work on Your Listening Comprehension Skills 

Learning vocabulary allows you to not only express yourself, but also to understand what’s being said to you. 

Listening to a new language can be an extremely fun activity. When you start understanding what’s being said, you’ll find it very rewarding! 

Listening to Polish is particularly important if you want to really understand things like cases and gender agreement. Instead of sitting and studying grammar rules for hours and hours, you can spend this time more productively by listening to the language and training yourself to understand what sounds right and what doesn’t. 

You can work on your listening comprehension skills by watching Polish movies (polskie filmy), listening to recordings (nagrania), and exploring the PolishPod101 lesson library. 

4. Things to Keep in Mind When Learning Polish

Instead of asking yourself “Is Polish hard to learn?” keep the following things in mind: 

1. You Should Practice Every Day

You don’t need to spend hours a day learning Polish. In fact, if you overcommit early on, you’re likely to experience burnout. Instead, focus on spending a bit of time with Polish every single day. Set a goal for yourself. Can you do ten minutes of Polish seven times a week? I’m sure you can. 

2. Don’t Listen to People Trying to Discourage You

Many people, when they hear about your plan to learn Polish, will ask you if it’s worth it. They’re just trying to put you in a negative frame of mind; they want you to focus only on the negative or difficult aspects of the language, and not on the easier aspects.

Any language is difficult to learn if you take the wrong approach. Remember that learning Polish will be as easy for you as you make it for yourself. 

3. Surround Yourself with the Language

Surround yourself with Polish as much as you can. There are Polish series and movies on platforms such as Netflix and Showmax that you can opt to watch in lieu of your regular English-language shows. In addition, you can find Polish music that you like or sneak some Polish in by changing the language of your phone and/or social media to Polish.

4. Find a Language Partner or Tutor

A language can’t be learned in a vacuum. Find someone with whom you can practice what you’re learning. You can find a language partner, but an even better option is to find a qualified language teacher or a tutor. You can upgrade your PolishPod101 account to get one-on-one access to a personal teacher. 

5. Why is PolishPod101 Great for Learning Polish?

PolishPod101 knows exactly how difficult learning Polish can be, and we provide resources specifically for people who speak English as their native language. We offer a number of functionalities that will make your language-learning experience much easier, such as: 

1. Lesson Recordings with Native Speakers

PolishPod101 has a massive library of lessons recorded by native speakers to help you learn Polish. By listening to Polish that you could hear on the street, you’ll be prepared for the real-life experience.  

2. Unique Learning Modes

As a premium member, you can benefit from many unique learning modes. You could access in-depth lesson notes, exclusive custom word lists, interactive lessons and quizzes, voice recording tools, a Polish audio library, and much more. 

3. Vocabulary Learning

PolishPod101 allows you to learn vocabulary through many different lessons, the word bank functionality, a Word of the Day email, a vocabulary slideshow, and a list of Polish core words and phrases. That’s a great opportunity to acquire all the useful vocabulary you need to get started. 

4. Blog Articles

To learn more about the Polish language and culture, you can access our blog. You’ll find useful, real-life Polish expressions there, and so much more. 

5. Learning On-the-Go

With PolishPod101, you can easily learn on-the-go on your devices. Download your InnovativeLanguage101 app for Android, iPhone, iPad, or Kindle Fire, and save time learning when you’d otherwise be idle. 

6. Final Thoughts

I hope we’ve answered the question “Is Polish difficult to learn?” and have shown you that with the right attitude and tools, it’s not so hard at all. Like in any other language, there are easier and harder aspects to the language to consider.

By now, you should also know that learning with a well-designed tool is very helpful. An easy way to learn Polish is with PolishPod101, which offers our students an organized system to master the Polish language with little trouble. Don’t take our word for it, though. Start your account today and enjoy the platform for seven days. It’s on us!

Before you go, we’re curious: Is Polish a hard language for you so far? Which things do you struggle with the most? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll do our best to help you out!

It’s natural for a beginner to make mistakes in a new language. But fortunately, there are ways in which you can minimize them. To help you do exactly that, in this article, we’re going to discuss the ten plus most common Polish mistakes. 

By understanding what kind of mistakes other students make, you can prevent yourself from falling into those same linguistic traps. For your convenience, we’ve put the most common Polish mistakes by English-speakers into groups. 

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Pronunciation and Spelling Mistakes
2. Vocabulary Mistakes
3. Polish Grammar Mistakes
4. Level of Formality
5. Other Polish Mistakes
6. The Biggest Mistake
7. Final Thoughts

1. Pronunciation and Spelling Mistakes 

The most common Polish mistakes that learners of different language backgrounds tend to make have to do with pronunciation and spelling.

A- Similar Spelling, Different Pronunciation

Certain consonants in Polish are particularly difficult for language-learners due to the fact that they’re written similarly to each other. Some students also feel that their pronunciation is relatively similar. The following letters and sounds are a source of common pronunciation and spelling mistakes for Polish-learners: 

• s, ś, and sz
• c, ć, and cz
• dz, dź, and dż

Pay particular attention to how words with these letters are written when you’re reading something out loud. When writing down vocabulary, you need to be very careful as well, especially when you’re making notes of what you hear. In this case, check a given word in a dictionary to make sure you’re learning the correct form of it. Last but not least, listen to how native speakers pronounce words with these letters to train your ear. 

B. Different Spelling, Same Pronunciation

The good news here is that people learning Polish as a foreign language are not the only ones with this problem. It’s quite common for native speakers to make this spelling mistake in Polish, too! This is because the letters in question are pronounced the same way, but spelled differently. However, a mistake that hits foreigners particularly hard is trying to pronounce double letter sounds as if they were separate letters.

Here’s another source of common Polish pronunciation mistakes: 

• ch and h
• rz and ż
• u and ó

A good way to fight this problem is to learn vocabulary words along with their spelling and pronunciation. Reading plenty of articles and books can also minimize your chances of making these common pronunciation mistakes for Polish-learners. 

→ Do you feel like you need more practice? Go to our lessons “An Alphabet Full of Polish Tongue Twisters” and “Polish Pronunciation Made Easy.” 

2. Vocabulary Mistakes

There are many vocabulary items that are confusing for learners because certain ideas don’t exist in their native language. In the following sections, we’ll outline frequent errors in Polish that foreign learners tend to make. 

A- Verbs of Motion

Polish verbs of motion are definitely among the top Polish-English mistakes. Have a look at the following verbs: 

chodzić vs. iść

Both verbs can mean “to go” in English, which certainly doesn’t make your task any easier. However, what you should remember is the context in which we use them. Iść is used for activities that happen in a given moment, while chodzić is used for repetitive actions.

• Idę do pracy. (“I’m going to work.”) 
• Chodzę do pracy pięć razy w tygodniu. (“I go to work five times a week.”)

Because chodzić refers to something that’s done frequently, it’s often accompanied by a plural form of the noun when talking about habits. Compare: 

• Idziesz na spacer? (“Are you going for a walk [now]?”)
• Chodzisz na spacery? (“Is it your habit to take walks?”)

You’d also use chodzić to speak about “walking” as a general activity and iść to refer to “walking” in a given moment. For example: 

• On nie może chodzić. (“He can’t walk.”)
• Czemu tak wolno idziesz? (“Why are you walking so slowly?”)

jeździć vs. jechać

Jeździć and jechać have a similar relationship as the previous pair of verbs. Both mean to go somewhere with a mode of transport. Jeździć is used for repetitive situations, and jechać for a description of something that’s happening in a given moment:

• Co roku jeździm nad morze. (“Every year, we go to the seaside.”)
• Dzisiaj jedziemy nad morze. (“Today, we’re going to the seaside.”)

How often do you go to the seaside? Learn how to talk about it with our lesson on how to express frequency.

Both verbs can also mean “to drive”:

• Ile lat jeździsz tym samochodem? (“How long have you been driving this car?”)
• Jadę samochodem, nie mogę rozmawiać. (“I’m driving, I can’t talk.”)

B- Imperfective and Perfective Verbs

Polish verbs have an aspect and are divided into perfective aspect and imperfective aspect verbs. 

Perfective verbs focus on completion of an action, so they’re associated with the past and the future. Imperfective verbs, on the other hand, focus on the fact that the action is being performed. 

The difference isn’t obvious to many foreigners, which makes it a common source of Polish grammar mistakes. Have a look at the following pairs with examples to see the difference:

kupować (imperfective) vs. kupić (perfective) – “to buy”

• Kupowałam pierogi, kiedy zadzwoniła mi komórka. (“I was buying pierogi, when my phone rang.”) 
• Kupiłam pierogi. (“I’ve bought pierogi.”)

Go to our lesson “10 Polish Foods” to learn what else you can eat in Poland. 

śpiewać (imperfective) vs. zaśpiewać (perfective) – “to sing”

• Śpiewam w chórze. (“I sing in a choir.”)
• Zaśpiewam ci piosenkę. (“I will sing a song for you.”)

jeść (imperfective) vs. zjeść (perfective) – “to eat”

• Jem obiad. (“I’m eating lunch.”)
• Zjesz obiad? (“Will you eat lunch?”)

C- Talking About Age

In Polish, you should use the verb “to have” (mieć) to speak about your age. This is different from English, where you use the verb “to be,” making this one of the most common mistakes in Polish made by English-speakers. Compare: 

• Mam 32 lata. (“I’m 32 years old.”)
• Ile masz lat? (“How old are you?”)

Are you still not sure how to talk about your age? Go to our “Polish in three minutes“ lesson about this topic.

D- Knowledge Verbs in Polish

There are three different verbs that refer to knowledge in Polish: umieć, wiedzieć, and znać. As luck would have it, they all translate to the English verb “to know,” and therefore, they’re among the most typical Polish mistakes made by foreigners.

umieć 

We use this verb to talk about skills, such as:

• umieć liczyć (“to know how to count”)
• umieć śpiewać (“to know how to sing”)
• umieć czytać (“to know how to read”)

wiedzieć

We use this verb to talk about knowledge in more specific situations:

• Nie wiem, co masz na myśli. (“I don’t know what you mean.”)
• Nie wiem, czy to prawda. (“I don’t know whether it’s true.”)
• Nie wiem, ile ma lat. (“I don’t know how old he is.”)

znać 

We use this verb to talk about people we know, languages we speak, and when a noun follows the verb directly:

• Nie znam jej męża. (“I don’t know her husband.”)
• Nie znam angielskiego. (“I don’t know/speak English.”)
• Nie znam prawdy. (“I don’t know the truth.”)

3. Polish Grammar Mistakes

Many of the top Polish-English mistakes have to do with grammar elements that are confusing for English-speakers. Following is a list of Polish mistakes you should always try to avoid! 

A- Expressing “Going to” in Polish

Some English-speakers try to express the idea of “going to” with verbs of movement. The confusion has to do with the fact that you can say:

• Idziemy na basen. (“We’re going to a swimming pool.”)

What’s important to remember is that the meaning of this sentence has to do with the verb iść (“to go”).

• Planujemy pójść na basen. (“We’re going to go to a swimming pool.”)

To refer to planned actions and express “going to” for future events, you should use other verbs, such as planować (“to plan”) as in the example above. 

B- Gender Agreement

Lack of gender agreement is among the most common Polish grammar mistakes. In English, nouns do not have gender, so the mere concept is alien to English-speakers. In Polish, though, each noun has gender and it always has to be in agreement with the adjective used to describe it:

• mądra kobieta (noun, feminine) – “a smart woman”
• mądry człowiek (noun, masculine) – “a smart human being”
• mądre dziecko (noun, neuter) – “a smart child”

The agreement also takes place with other parts of speech that are modified, such as pronouns: 

• taka mądra kobieta (noun, feminine) – “such a smart woman”
• taki mądry człowiek (noun, masculine) – “such a smart human being”
• takie mądre dziecko (noun, neuter) – “such a smart child”

The gender agreement is also affected by number. Compare singular and plural: 

• mądra kobieta (singular) / mądre kobiety (plural)
• mądry człowiek (singular) / mądrzy ludzie (plural)
• mądre dziecko (singular) / mądre dzieci (plural)

To learn more about the topic of gender, familiarize yourself with our lesson “The Secret to Understanding Polish Noun Gender.”

C- Case Agreement

The Polish language has seven different cases, and Polish noun cases are a source of many common Polish grammar mistakes. Students who struggle with this particular grammar concept the least are speakers of other Slavic languages.

• Ala ma kota. (“Ala has a cat.”)

The proper noun “Ala” is in the nominative case here. If you decide to add an adjective or pronoun to modify a noun, you’ll have to use the nominative case for it. Case agreement is done in conjunction with gender agreement:

• To sympatyczna dziewczyna [feminine noun]. (“She’s a nice girl.”)

Would you like to learn more Polish adjectives? Check out our lesson about high-frequency adjectives. 

The same process takes place for pronouns: 

• Moja mama [feminine noun] ma dwa psy. (“My mother has two cats.”)

This is true for all cases, and it’s something you should always keep in mind when forming sentences in Polish. A good way to practice is to create simple sentences to make sure you understand when to use which case. This process is much more effective under the eye of a teacher. You can gain access to one through a Premium PolishPod101 membership. 

This sums up the most common Polish grammar mistakes. Now, it’s time to move on and discuss another common mistake in Polish, namely, the level of formality. 

4. Level of Formality

One of many important mistakes in Polish to avoid are related to the level of formality. In English, you’re used to using “you” with almost everyone. But Polish recognizes two types of “you,” the formal one and the informal one.

The informal version, ty, is used among friends, family members, and people of the same age. It requires the second person singular form of the verb: 

• Jak się masz? (“How are you?”)

The formal version—pan for a man or pani for a woman—uses the third person singular. We use it with people who we don’t know, unless they’re children or teenagers. We can also use it if the context seems to call for it. Here are two examples: 

• Jak się pani ma? (“How are you, Ma’am?”)
• Jak się pan ma? (“How are you, Sir?”)

To be on the safe side, use formal Polish. Being too formal is certainly better than being overly familiar.

5. Other Polish Mistakes

Other common Polish mistakes have to do with question formation and negation. 

A- Forming Questions

It’s easy to make a mistake in Polish when forming questions. This is because, in the spoken language, questions are simply indicated by the change of intonation. Many other questions, even in writing, get the same word: czy. In English, on the other hand, the question word differs depending on the tense:

• Czy masz ochotę na kawę? (“Would you like a coffee?”)
• Czy Marcin kupił jajka? (“Did Marcin buy eggs?”)
• Czy mam rację? (“Am I right?”)

Of course, Polish has words for “who” (kto), “what” (co), and so on. Want to learn more? See our lesson on the 10 questions you should know. 

B- Negation

Polish allows double negation, leading to many Polish-English mistakes because it seems particularly unnatural to English-speakers. Have a look at the following examples: 

• Nikogo nie widzę. (“I don’t see anyone.”) – Literal translation: “I don’t see no one.”
• Nigdy tego nie zrobię. (“I’ll never do it.”) – Literal translation: “I’ll never not do it.”
• Marek niczego nie czyta. (“Marek doesn’t read anything.”) – Literal translation: “Marek doesn’t read nothing.”

6. The Biggest Mistake

The biggest mistake in Polish is…not practicing the language. Perfection is something many of us aspire to, but it’s impossible to achieve. You should simply try your best and keep practicing. To make a mistake in Polish isn’t a sign of weakness, but simply an indication that you’re learning. Using the language is the only way to get better at it!

7. Final Thoughts

Today, we’ve discussed the most common Polish language mistakes. Thanks to this article, you’ll be able to avoid the top Polish-English mistakes!

Before you go, remember to let us know in the comments section which of these common mistakes in learning Polish bother you the most! 

Don’t stop your learning journey here. Continue improving your Polish skills with PolishPod101. We have countless resources for you to learn with, and all of our audio and video lessons featuring native speakers will help you avoid common pronunciation mistakes in particular. Get your lifetime account today!