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Archive for the 'Polish Phrases' Category

Is Polish Hard to Learn? Find Out Now!

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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!

A Student Thinking Hard about Something

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Learning Polish 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”)
    in dżdżownica (“earthworm”)
    in wig (“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”).

A Pronunciation Teacher

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: 

A Man Reading a Newspaper
    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: 

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

A Child with Flashcards

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

People Surrounding a Round Table that Looks Like a Globe

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

Electronics

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!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Learning Polish

The 10+ Most Common Polish Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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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.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish 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 Man with Letters Coming Out of His Mouth

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, , and

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. 


2. Vocabulary Mistakes

A Child Studying with Flashcards

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.

A Seaside Resort

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

A Birthday Cake with a Question Mark-shaped Candle

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

A Grammar-related Table

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.

A Kitten
  • 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

A Speech Bubble with a Question Mark in It

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!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish

Conversation Starters: Top 10 Polish Questions with Answers

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When you start your language-learning journey with Polish, managing to have a conversation with a native speaker is one of the most rewarding experiences. This is why it’s important to work on your conversational skills early on. 

What’s the best way to do this? By learning the top ten Polish questions with answers, of course!

Once you learn these, you’ll be prepared for whatever may appear in a simple conversation in Poland. Read on and learn how to ask a question in Polish (and answer it yourself)!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish Table of Contents
  1. What’s your name?
  2. Where are you from?
  3. Do you speak Polish?
  4. How are you?
  5. Where do you live?
  6. What did you say?
  7. How old are you?
  8. “What is it?” and “Who is it?”
  9. Are you hungry/thirsty?
  10. How much is it?
  11. Final Thoughts

1. What’s your name?

First Encounter

The Polish word for “question” is pytanie

The first and most important pytanie for conversations is “What’s your name?” In Polish, the way one asks this question depends on the level of formality. The rule of thumb is to use the formal version unless the person you’re speaking with is your age, your family member, or anyone else in an informal context. 

Formal Questions and Answers 

There’s a number of Polish questions you can ask to learn someone’s name. To just ask about their first name, you can say:

  • Jak ma pani na imię? (“What’s your name, Ma’am?”)
  • Jak ma pan na imię? (“What’s your name, Sir?”)

The answer would be:

  • Mam na imię [name]. (“My name is [name].”)

You could also begin by giving your name, and then ask for theirs:

  • Mam na imię [name], a pan/pani? (“My name is [name], and yours, Sir/Ma’am?”)

When you want to ask a question in Polish about someone’s name and surname in a formal context, you can say: 

  • Jak się pani nazywa? (“What’s your name [and surname], Ma’am?”)
  • Jak się pan nazywa? (“What’s your name [and surname], Sir?”)

There’s also another way of asking the same question. It’s slightly old-fashioned, but some people in Poland still use it, particularly in places that have to do with public administration: 

  • [Jaka jest] pani godność? (“[What’s] your name and surname, Ma’am?”)
  • [Jaka jest] pańska godność? (“[What’s] your name and surname, Sir?”)

Both types of questions would be answered with: 

  • Nazywam się [name and surname]. (“My name [and surname] is {name and surname}.”)

If appropriate, you can also add a follow-up question, as follows:

  • Nazywam się [name], a pan/pani? (“My name and surname is [name and surname], and yours, Sir/Ma’am?”)

Informal Questions and Answers

Polish language questions in the informal context are similar to those in the formal context. With certain exceptions, the main difference is that formal questions use the conjugated form of the third person singular, while informal questions use the second person singular. Compare: 

Formal

  • Jak ma pani na imię? (“What’s your name, Ma’am?”)
  • Jak ma pan na imię? (“What’s your name, Sir?”)

Informal

  • Jak masz na imię? (“What’s your name?”)

You can answer this question with or without the follow-up question a ty? (“and you?”). Here are examples of how it would look to use the follow-up: 

  • Mam na imię [name], a ty? (“My name is [name], and yours?”)
  • Jestem [name], a ty? (“I’m [name], and you?”)

When asking informally about someone’s name and surname, you’d ask and answer:

  • Jak się nazywasz? (“What’s your name and surname?”)
  • Nazywam się [name and surname]. (“My name and surname is [name and surname].”)

Of course, there’s more to introductions than just giving your name. These lessons may come in handy:


2. Where are you from?

Another very useful Polish question is “Where are you from?” Here are Polish questions and answers for talking about nationality.

Formal Questions and Answers 

Below you can find the most popular way of asking this question in a formal context: 

  • Skąd pani pochodzi? (“Where do you come from, Ma’am?”)
  • Skąd pan pochodzi? (“Where do you come from, Sir?”)

The answer to this question is: 

  • Pochodzę z Poland. (“I come from Poland.)

As always, you can also add a follow-up question: A pan/pani? (“And you, Ma’am/Sir?”).

Here’s a dialogue showcasing a different way to ask and answer the question:

  • Jakiej jest pani narodowości? (“What’s your nationality, Ma’am?”)
  • Jakiej jest pan narodowości? (“What’s your nationality, Sir?”)
  • Jestem [nationality]. (“I’m [nationality].”)

Informal Questions and Answers

When asking this question in informal contexts, there’s one more possible way to answer. We’ll group each question and answer pair here for ease of reference:

  • Skąd pochodzisz? (“Where do you come from?”)
  • Pochodzę z Poland. (“I come from Poland.”)
  • Skąd jesteś? (“Where are you from?”)
  • Jestem z Poland. (“I’m from Poland.”)
  • Jakiej jesteś narodowości? (“What’s your nationality?”)
  • Jestem [nationality]. (“I’m [nationality], and you?”)

If you’re still unsure how to talk about your home country, go to our lesson “Where are you from?” and deepen your knowledge. 

3. Do you speak Polish?

Introducing Yourself

Asking about someone’s language skills is a good conversation starter. Here are some Polish questions that will help you do that. 

  • Czy mówi pani/pan po Polish? (“Do you speak Polish, Sir/Ma’am?”) [formal]
  • Czy mówisz po Polish? (“Do you speak Polish, Sir/Ma’am?”) [informal]
  • Tak, mówię po Polish. (“Yes, I speak Polish.”)
  • Nie, nie mówię po Polish. (“No, I don’t speak Polish.”)
  • Czy zna pani/pan Polish? (“Do you speak Polish, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Czy znasz Polish? (“Do you speak Polish?”)
  • Tak, znam Polish. (“Yes, I know Polish.”)
  • Nie, nie znam Polish. (“No, I don’t know Polish.”)

How would you ask “Do you speak English?” in Polish? Click on the link and check your comprehension of this topic.

4. How are you?

Asking people how they’re doing is something we do in English a lot. It’s also one of the basic questions in Polish, but it’s not used in every interaction like it is in English. When asking these kinds of questions to Polish people, expect for them to share more than just “Fine, thanks.”

Formal Questions and Answers

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

The answer in this case would be: 

  • Dziękuję, dobrze. (“Well, thank you.”)
  • Mam się dobrze, dziękuję. (“I’m well, thank you.”)

Informal Questions and Answers

There are many more basic Polish questions about someone’s well-being for informal contexts: 

  • Jak się masz? (“How are you?”)
  • Co dobrego? (“What’s good?”)
  • Co u Ciebie? (“How are you doing?”)
  • Co tam? (“What’s up?”)
  • Co słychać? (“How’s it going?”)

There’s also a number of answers that can be given, depending on how much you want to share with the person you’re talking to: 

  • Dobrze, dzięki. (“Good, thanks.”)
  • Spoko, dzięki. (“Cool, thanks.”)
  • Jakoś leci. (“It’s going.”)
  • Nie narzekam. (“I can’t complain.”)
  • A, daj spokój. (“Agh, give me a break.”)

The last answer often begins a list of complaints or bad things that have recently happened to that person. 

5. Where do you live?

Other common conversation questions in Polish are those for asking where someone lives.

A Person about to Write an Address on an Envelope

Formal Questions and Answers

Formal questions in Polish about one’s address are usually asked in official situations, such as in a bank, at a post office, or at a police station: 

  • Gdzie pan/pani mieszka? (“Where do you live, Sir/Ma’am?”) 
  • Jaki jest pański/pani adres zamieszkania? (“What’s your address, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Mieszkam w [city]. (“I live in [city].”)
  • Mój adres to ulica [street name] [street number]. (“My address is [street number] [street name].”)

Informal Questions and Answers

There are two ways you can ask this in informal contexts:

  • Gdzie mieszkasz? (“Where do you live?”)
  • Jaki jest twój adres? (“What’s your address?”)

You can expect these answers:

  • Mieszkam na ulicy [street name] [street number]. (“I live on [street number] [street name].”)
  • Mój adres to ulica [street name] [street number]. (“My address is [street number] [street name].”)

Did you know that “Where do you live?” is one of the top 25 Polish questions? Check out our lesson to learn even more. 

6. What did you say?

Knowing how to ask for clarification is very handy for beginners who may not always understand what’s being said. 

Formal Questions and Answers

Here are the formal questions in Polish:

  • Przepraszam, co pan/pani powiedziała? (“What did you say, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Czy może pan/pani powtórzyć? (“Can you repeat, please, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Przepraszam, nie dosłyszałem, czy może pan/pani powtórzyć? (“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said, can you repeat, please, Sir/Ma’am?”) [if the speaker is a man]
  • Przepraszam, nie dosłyszałam, czy może pan/pani powtórzyć? (“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said, can you repeat, please, Sir/Ma’am?”) [if the speaker is a woman]

Here’s a number of possible answers to these questions: 

  • Oczywiście. (“Certainly.”)
  • Już powtarzam. (“I’m repeating now.”)

Informal Questions and Answers

  • Co powiedziałeś/powiedziałaś? (“What did you say?”) [asked to a man and a woman, respectively]

Be careful! This question, depending on the tone, may be considered aggressive.

  • Co? (“What?”)

The question above is a very common, though not extremely polite, thing to say, making it one of the most important Polish question words. 

  • Sorry, nie dosłyszałem, możesz powtórzyć? (“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said, can you repeat, please?”) [said by a man]
  • Sorry, nie dosłyszałam, możesz powtórzyć? (“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said, can you repeat, please?”) [said by a woman]
  • Weź, powtórz. (“Come again.”)

Here are two possible answers:

  • Jasne. (“Sure”)
  • Zaczekaj chwilę. (“Hold on a second.”)

7. How old are you?

During an initial chat, you may want to ask about your interlocutor’s age. 

Formal Questions and Answers

In the formal context, questions about age are often asked during doctor’s appointments, for other health-related services, and in official situations. 

  • Ile ma pan/pani lat? (“How old are you, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • W jakim jest pan/pani wieku? (“What’s your age, Sir/Ma’am?”) 
  • Mam 30 lat. (“I’m 30 years old.”)
  • Mam 22 lata. (“I’m 22 years old.”)

You can see there’s a difference between the word for “years” in the examples above. To better understand how that word would change with different numbers, check out our lesson “Talking About Your Age.”

Additionally, a man could be asked: 

  • Kiedy się pan urodził? (“When were you born, Sir?”)
  • Jaka jest pańska data urodzenia? (“What’s your birth date?”)

And answer:

  • Urodziłem się [day] [month] [year]. (“I was born on [day] [month] [year].”)

The same dialogue with a woman would look like this:

  • Kiedy pani się urodziła? (“When were you born, Ma’am?”)

  • Jaka jest pani data urodzenia? (“What’s your birth date?”)
  • Urodziłam się [day] [month] [year]. (“I was born on [day] [month] [year].”)

Informal Questions and Answers

When having a friendly chat, you’ll probably be more interested in learning someone’s age than getting their actual birthdate. So, the informal question would be as follows:

  • Ile masz lat? (“How old are you?”)
  • W jakim jesteś wieku? (“What’s your age?”)
  • Mam [number] lat/lata. (“I’m [number] years old.”)

A related and often-asked informal question is: 

  • Kiedy masz urodziny? (“When’s your birthday?”)
  • 20 lipca. (“On the 20th of July.”)

8. “What is it?” and “Who is it?”

The two most important “wh-” questions in Polish are “What is it?” and “Who is it?”

A Person Scratching Their Head, Visibly Pondering on Something

Formal and Informal Polish Questions with Answers

The most commonly used “wh-” questions in Polish, these can come in handy when you’re confused (which happens often in a foreign country):

  • Przepraszam, czy wie pan/pani co to jest? (“Excuse me, do you know what it is, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Przepraszam, czy wie pan/pani kto to jest? (“Excuse me, do you know who it is, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Wiesz co to jest? (“Do you know what it is?”) [informal]
  • Wiesz kto to jest? (“Do you know who it is?”) [informal]
  • Co/kto to jest? (“What/who is it?”) [informal]

The answer would be a simple: 

To jest + [noun in the nominative case mianownik or the person’s name]. (“This is [noun or a name].”)

Would you like to learn more about Polish sentence patterns? Read our article about it! You can also read a list of other question pronouns (Polish question words) on WikiBooks.

9. Are you hungry/thirsty?

I’m sure you would agree that communicating your basic needs and asking about the needs of others are among the most common questions and answers in Polish, and any other language.

Formal Questions and Answers

Here are some ways of asking these questions in Polish formally, and answering them likewise: 

  • Chciałby pan coś zjeść? (“Would you like to eat something, Sir?”)
  • Chciałaby pani coś zjeść? (“Would you like to eat something, Ma’am?”)
  • Dziękuję, nie jestem głodny/głodna. (“Thank you, I’m not hungry.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]
  • Dziękuję, niedawno jadłem/jadłam. (“Thank you, I’ve just eaten.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]
  • Jest pan głodny? (“Are you hungry, Sir?”)
  • Jest pani głodna? (“Are you hungry, Ma’am?”)
  • Nie, nie jestem głodny/głodna, dziękuję. (“No, I’m not hungry.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]
  • Tak, chętnie bym coś przekąsił/przekąsiła. (“Yes, I’d like to have a snack.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]

As you may already know, Poland is known for great food. If you’re not quite familiar with the Polish cuisine yet, check out this complete guide

  • Chce się panu/pani pić? (“Would you like to drink something, Sir/Ma’am?”)
  • Jest pan spragniony? (“Are you thirsty, Sir?”)
  • Jest pani spragniona? (“Are you thirsty, Ma’am?”)
  • Nie, dziękuję, proszę się nie kłopotać. (“No, thank you, please don’t go to any trouble.”)
  • Tak, chętnie napiłbym/napiłabym się wody. (“Yes, I’d like some water, please.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]

Informal Questions and Answers

Here’s how to have a similar dialogue informally:

  • Chcesz coś zjeść? (“Do you want to eat something?”)
  • Jesteś głodny/głodna? (“Are you hungry?”)
  • Dzięki, nie jestem głodny/głodna. (“Thanks, I’m not hungry.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]
  • Nie, nie jestem głodny/głodna. (“No, I’m not hungry.”) [answered by a man and a woman, respectively]
  • Chce ci się pić? (“Would you like to drink something?”)
  • Nie, dzięki. (“No, thanks.”)
  • Chętnie! (“Sure!”)
  • Jasne! (“Okay!”)

The last three answers could also be used to answer the questions about eating. 

10. How much is it?

A Price Tag

Some of the most common questions and answers in Polish that every beginner should learn are those for asking the price. This question is most likely to be asked in a formal context. 

Formal Questions and Answers

  • Przepraszam, ile to kosztuje? (“Excuse me, how much does it cost?”)
  • Przepraszam, po ile te jabłka? (“Excuse me, how much for these apples?”)

Would you like to practice how to ask “How much does it cost?” in Polish and learn more Polish question words? Go to our lesson “Asking how much something costs.”

  • To kosztuje [number] złotych/złote. (“It costs [number] PLN.”)
  • [Number] złotych/złote. (“[Number] PLN.”)

Are you still a bit shaky on the Polish numbers? These lessons may help you:


11. Final Thoughts

Today you’ve learned common questions and answers in Polish. These are the top Polish questions you need to know for conversations with Polish people. Which question do you think you’ll use the most? Let us know in the comments section! 

If you’re set on truly learning Polish and knowing more than just how to ask questions in Polish, you should get an account with PolishPod101! You’ll be able to use hundreds and hundreds of Polish audio and video lessons, get access to unique materials and tools, and get your daily dose of Polish delivered straight to your inbox with 365 mini-lessons. 

Check it all out with a free trial!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish

Sentence Patterns in English and Polish to Help You Speak

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Memorizing useful sentence patterns in English and Polish will help you speak Polish with more confidence. Once you know them, it’ll be easier for you to form simple Polish phrases and sentences of your own. Let’s start with the basics, though. Do you know how to say “sentence pattern” in Polish? Wzór zdania.

In this article, you’ll see more than ten sentence patterns in Polish with numerous examples. Soon, creating your own sentences in this language will be no problem for you!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Polish Sentence Pattern: A is B
  2. Using Adjectives for Description
  3. The Polish Sentence Pattern for Expressing Wants
  4. What Do You Need?
  5. Expressing Likes in Polish
  6. Please: Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
  7. Asking for Permission
  8. What…?: How to Ask About Something
  9. When…?: Asking Questions About Time
  10. Where is…?: Asking Questions About Location
  11. Who…?: Asking Questions About People
  12. Final Thoughts

1. Polish Sentence Pattern: A is B

Sentence Patterns

Let’s start with one of the most common Polish sentence patterns: that for linking two nouns. Here are some examples:

  • Marek jest moim bratem. (“Marek is my brother.”)

This Polish sentence structure requires the narzędnik (“instrumental”) case after the conjugated form of the verb być (“to be”). If you’re not sure what the forms are for this case, use this tool

A Judge’s Gavel
  • Mój brat jest prawnikiem. (“My brother is a lawyer.”)

As you can see, the first noun stays in the basic case (the form you’ll find in a dictionary), which is called mianownik (“nominative”). The second one requires the narzędnik (“instrumental”) case. 

  • Ten prawnik jest znanym ekspertem. (“This lawyer is a well-known expert.”)

Remember that the narzędnik (“instrumental”) case is required for both the adjective znany and the noun ekspert

  • Moi rodzice bardzo hojnymi ludźmi. (“My parents are very generous people.”)
  • Ten dom jest prezentem od moich rodziców. (“This house is a present from my parents.”)

Here, the narzędnik (“instrumental”) case applies to the noun prezent. However, the phrase moich rodziców is in the genitive case (dopełniacz) because it’s required by the preposition od (“from”). Here’s a list of hints to help you correctly predict the grammatical case on the basis of prepositions. 

Alternatively, you can avoid using the instrumental case altogether, and use a Polish sentence pattern with the same meaning that requires mianownik (“nominative”):

  • Marek to mój brat. (“Marek is my brother.”)
    • Literally: “Marek this my brother.”
  • Ten prawnik to znany ekspert. (“This lawyer is a well-known expert.”) 
    • Literally: “This lawyer this a well-known expert.
  • Ten dom to prezent od moich rodziców. (“This house is a present from my parents.”)
    • Literally: “This house this a present from my parents.

If you need more vocabulary for talking about your family in Polish, click on the link for a listening comprehension exercise. 

2. Using Adjectives for Description

This easy Polish sentence pattern is used for describing things. Have a look at the following Polish sentence examples with the conjugated forms of the verb być (“to be”):

  • (Ja) jestem zmęczona/zmęczony. (“I’m tired.”) 
    • For a female and male speaker, respectively

In Polish, personal pronouns are usually dropped when it’s clear from the context who the speaker is. 

Film był ciekawy. (“The movie was interesting.”)

Two People Sitting in the Cinema
  • Bluzka, którą kupił/kupił jest droga. (“The shirt that you’ve bought is expensive.”) 
    • For a female and male speaker, respectively

This sentence includes a relative pronoun który (“that”). The nominative case is która for feminine nouns such as bluzka, but in this sentence, it requires the accusative case (biernik) as it answers the question “What (did you buy)?” You can learn more about Polish cases in this article about Polish grammar.   

You can also use the structure you know from the first Polish sentence pattern, to jest. When you use this pattern with adjectives, like in the example below, you can’t drop the verb:

  • To jest pyszne! (“This is delicious!”)

Don’t forget to visit our page about high-frequency adjectives to expand your vocabulary.  

3. The Polish Sentence Pattern for Expressing Wants

Talking about what you want is very important when you’re trying to communicate in a foreign language. Here are some examples of how to do this:

  • Chcę coś zjeść. (“I want to eat something.”)

The simplest way to express what you want is to use the conjugated form of the verb “to want” (chcieć) and the infinitive of the verb expressing the desired action. (P.S.: Need some advice on getting what you want in Poland?)

  • Chcę pójść do kina. (“I want to go to the cinema.”)
  • Nie chcę być niegrzeczna. (“I don’t want to be impolite.”)

In Polish, we negate by simply saying nie (“no”) in front of the verb (or the first verb, if there are two of them in a given sentence). Did you know that Polish allows the double negative

  • Chciałabym o tym porozmawiać. (“I’d like to talk about it.”)
    • The speaker is a woman.

We can also say “I’d like to” by using the Polish conditional form of the verb chcieć (“to want”). It makes the sentence more polite.  

  • Chciałbym mieć więcej wolnego czasu. (“I’d like to have more free time.”) 
    • The speaker is a man.

Are you unsure about the forms of the conditional mood in Polish? No problem. Check out the cooljugator. In addition, you can learn about the conditional mood on Wikipedia. 

4. What Do You Need?

Sentence Components

The basic Polish sentence patterns for talking about needs express “I need” and “I have to” with forms of the verb potrzebować (“to need”). Familiarize yourself with the examples below:

  • Potrzebuję dziś samochodu. (“I need the car today.”)
A Car
  • Nie potrzebujesz mojej pomocy. (“You don’t need my help.”)
  • Potrzebujemy pieniędzy. (“We need money.”)

The meaning of both “have to” and “must” is usually expressed by a conjugated form of musieć:

  • Muszę to zrobić. (“I must do it.”)
  • Tym razem muszę się z Tobą zgodzić. (“This time I have to agree with you.”)

5. Expressing Likes in Polish

Expressing likes comes in handy when introducing ourselves to others, as well as in many other life situations. Here are some examples of great Polish sentences for beginners: 

  • Lubię cię. (“I like you.”)

This is one of the simplest Polish sentence patterns for expressing likes. The conjugated form of the verb lubić (“to like”) can be followed by an object in the accusative case (biernik) or another verb in the infinitive. 

  • Lubię gotować. (“I like cooking.”)
  • Lubię francuskie filmy. (“I like French movies.”)
  • We wtorkowe wieczory lubię chodzić na spacery. (“On Tuesday evenings, I like to go for walks.”)
  • Nie lubię truskawek. (“I don’t like strawberries.”)

Remember that adding nie (“no”) in front of the appropriate form of lubić is enough to express your dislike

Would you like to learn more verbs to express likes and dislikes in Polish? Check out our article about verbs in Polish. 

6. Please: Politely Asking Someone to Do Something

Asking people to do things in a polite way is a useful skill, even for complete beginners. Here are some of the Polish sentence patterns that will help you do exactly that with the use of the word proszę (“please”) and the required verb in the infinitive: 

  • Proszę cię. (“Please.”) 
    • Literally: “I ask you.”
  • Proszę, usiądź. (“Sit down, please.”)
  • Proszę, uspokój się. (“Please, calm down.”)
  • Proszę, podaj mi sól. (“Pass me the salt, please.”)
A Salt Cellar

This is the simplest way of asking for things in Polish. You can see a more complicated structure below: 

  • Proszę, żebyś przestał tak się zachowywać. (“Please, stop behaving in this way.”)
    • Literally: “I ask you to stop behaving in this way.”

To learn how to ask about a bill, head to our survival phrases lesson “Check, please.”

7. Asking for Permission

An easy Polish sentence pattern used for asking permission requires the conjugated form of the verb móc (“can” or “to be able to”):

  • Czy mogę wejść? (“Can I come in?”)
  • Czy mogę ci coś powiedzieć? (“Can I tell you something?”)
  • Czy mogę odejść od stołu? (“Can I leave the table?”)
  • Czy mogę poprosić o szklankę wody? (“Can I ask for a glass of water?”)

Remember that using czy is optional for forming questions in the spoken language, as a question is often expressed through a rising intonation. 

  • Czy mógłbym poprosić cię do tańca? (“Could I ask you to dance?”) 
    • For male speakers

The form of the verb móc used in conditional is considered more polite, just like in the case of the verb chcieć discussed in an earlier section.

  • Czy mogłabym prosić o napój bez słomki? (“Could I ask for a drink without a straw?”)
    • For female speakers
Colorful Straws

To find out how to ask “Can I Take Your Picture in Poland?” don’t forget to go to our survival phrases lesson about this topic. 

8. What…?: How to Ask About Something

“What is this?” and related questions use an easy Polish sentence pattern, which is incredibly useful for a beginner. Have a look at the following examples to learn how to construct your own sentences: 

  • Co to jest? (“What’s this?”)
  • Co robisz? (“What are you doing?”)
  • Co się stało? (“What’s happened?”)
  • Co mogę dla ciebie zrobić? (“What can I do for you?”)
  • Co to za zwierzę? (“What animal is that?”)

Be careful, though. To say “What’s your name?” in Polish, you’d say: Jak masz na imię? This question is on our list of the top 25 Polish questions, so we recommend you check it out. 

9. When…?: Asking Questions About Time

Sentence patterns in English and Polish often differ, but this one is rather similar. You should use the word kiedy (“when”) to form questions about time:

  • Kiedy masz urodziny?/Kiedy są twoje urodziny? (“When is your birthday?”)
  • Kiedy wyjeżdżasz? (“When are you leaving?”)
  • Kiedy jedziesz na wakacje? (“When are you going on holiday?”)
A Couple on the Beach
  • Kiedy masz czas się spotkać? (“When do you have time to meet?”)

As we’ve promised, it’s quite a simple Polish sentence pattern.

10. Where is…?: Asking Questions About Location

Were you glad that the sentence patterns for “when” questions are very similar in Polish and English? Then we have some more good news for you! This is also true for the “where is” question pattern. Have a look below to learn how to ask about location or position in Polish: 

  • Gdzie jest toaleta/łazienka/WC? (“Where is the restroom?”)
  • Gdzie jest wyjście? (“Where’s the exit?”)
  • Gdzie jest Adam? (“Where’s Adam?”)
  • Gdzie jest posterunek policji? (“Where’s a police station?”)
  • Gdzie jest najbliższy przystanek autobusowy? (“Where is the nearest bus stop?”)

In case you need more help with the word gdzie, we suggest looking at the following pages:

11. Who…?: Asking Questions About People

Sentence patterns in English and Polish can differ when it comes to “who” questions with Kto…? Carefully study the examples below: 

  • Kto to jest? (“Who is it?”) 
    • Literally: “Who this is?”

Note that some “Who is…?” questions in Polish can be in reverse order of the English versions. Here’s another example in the past tense: 

  • Kto to był? (“Who was it?”) 
    • Literally: “Who this was?”
A Girl Hiding behind the Door
  • Kto tam? (“Who’s there?”) 
    • Literally: “Who there?”

In this question, the verb disappears entirely. However, it’s a correct and natural way of asking the question in Polish. 

  • Kto ma tyle pieniędzy? (“Who has so much money?”)
  • Kto mógłby pomóc mi z pracą domową? (“Who could help me with [my] homework?”)

In the last two examples, the order is exactly the same in the two languages. You’ll be safe as long as you don’t count on it. To learn more about the Polish word order, read our article about it.  

12. Final Thoughts 

How many sentence patterns are there in Polish? Many. But what’s more important is that today you’ve learned the most useful Polish sentence patterns that will help you form your own sentences. As you’ve seen, Polish and English sentence patterns can be quite different from each other. Remain mindful of that, and you’ll learn to speak Polish correctly. 

Which sentence pattern do you find the most useful? Let us know in the comments section.

Learning sentence patterns is important to get you speaking Polish. On its own, however, it’s not enough to allow you to have valuable conversations. If you really want to work on your Polish, you need a proper plan of action. We’ve gathered many resources for people like you on PolishPod101.com: you’ll find thousands of lessons with recordings from native speakers on our website. Get your free lifetime account today!

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Polish Verb Conjugation Rules for Beginners

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Learning vocabulary is very important, but to improve your language skills, you need to know certain grammar rules too. For example, to be able to speak Polish properly, you have to learn the rules of Polish verb conjugation. 

You may be wondering what a verb conjugation is. Don’t worry! We’ve prepared this article so that even an absolute beginner can learn the basic Polish verb conjugation rules.

Let’s get started.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Useful Verbs in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Verb Conjugation: Introduction
  2. Conjugation Verb Groups
  3. The Conjugation of “To Be” in Polish
  4. Polish Verb Conjugation in the Past Tense
  5. Let’s Talk About the Future
  6. Polish Conjugation Practice
  7. Final Thoughts

1. Verb Conjugation: Introduction

A Girl in Glasses Holding a Tablet

When a verb is conjugated, it means that it has different forms, depending on certain factors. In Polish, these factors are: tense, aspect, mood, person, number, and grammatical gender. In the following sections, we’ll be going over each of these Polish language conjugation factors.

1- Tense

In modern Polish, there are three tenses:

  • The past tense (czas przeszły) — “I bought bread.” (Kupiłam chleb.)
  • The present tense (czas teraźniejszy) — “I’m eating breakfast.” (Jem śniadanie.) 

The present tense can also be used for talking about your daily routine in Polish

  • The future tense (czas przyszły) — “I’ll go away in a week.” (Wyjadę za tydzień.)

This is very different than English, which has an astonishing number of sixteen tenses. 

2- Aspect

Grammatical aspect is more prevalent in some languages than others. In Polish, there’s:

  • An imperfective (niedokonany) aspect, used for uncompleted actions and actions that are habitual. The imperfective aspect exists in the past, present, and future tenses.
  • A perfective (dokonany) aspect, used for completed actions. This one doesn’t exist in the present tense.

3- Mood

There are three moods in Polish:

  • The indicative mood, used for statements
  • The imperative mood, used for orders
  • The conditional mood, which refers to possibilities

Today, we’ll focus on the indicative mood.

4- Person and Number

Grammatical person and number go together in Polish verb conjugation. There are six grammatical persons and two numbers in Polish. Have a look at the chcieć (“to want”) Polish conjugation in the present tense:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja chcę (“I want”)my chcemy (“we want”)
ty chcesz (“you want”)wy chcecie (“you want”)
on, ona, ono chce (“he, she, it wants”)oni, one chcą (“they want”)

It’s important to remember that the personal pronoun is often dropped in Polish. That’s because the form of the verb is enough to tell who the subject is. A pronoun is used only when it’s needed to avoid ambiguities. 

Compare these examples:

  • Chcę coś powiedzieć. (“I want to say something.”)

It’s clear that “I” is the subject because of the verb form.

  • Chce coś powiedzieć. (“[He/she/it] wants to say something.”)

In this case, we would add the appropriate pronoun to indicate who the subject is, unless it’s easy to guess from the context. For instance, you could be standing next to a man, in which case the subject would remain understandable and the pronoun could be omitted. 

5- Gender 

In the singular, Polish has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. In the plural, there are two: masculine personal and non-masculine personal. For simplicity, we’ll be referring to the masculine personal gender as masculine, and the non-masculine gender as feminine. 

Gender can influence the form of the verb in some cases. The table above shows the conjugation of a verb in the present tense, where gender has no bearing. Nevertheless, there’s a number of cases where gender matters. For example, in the conditional mood and in the past tense.

Before we move on, keep in mind that this article focuses on Polish conjugation rules; if you’re looking for more verbs to learn, check out the resource 100 Most Common Polish Verbs for Beginners.  

2. Conjugation Verb Groups

A Notebook with Exercises

Polish conjugation patterns are grouped according to what the first and second person singular look like. There are four main conjugation groups, but certain sources mention as many as eleven. 

1- Conjugation I

The first Polish conjugation pattern uses the ending in the first person singular and -esz in the second person singular. Here’s the Polish conjugation table for the verb kopać, meaning “to kick” or “to dig”:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja kopię (“I kick”)my kopiemy (“we kick”)
ty kopiesz (“you kick”)wy kopiecie (“you kick”)
on, ona, ono kopie (“he, she, it kicks”)oni, one kopią (“they kick”)

Example: Kopiemy czy nie? (“Are we digging or not?”)

Other verbs that conjugate according to this pattern include: 

  • pisać (“to write”)
    Piszę list. (“I’m writing a letter.”)
  • dawać (“to give”)
    Daję radę. (“I’m managing.”)
  • nieść (“to carry”)
    Niosę walizki. (“I’m carrying suitcases.”)
  • płakać (“to cry”)
    Nie płaczę. (“I’m not crying.”)

The examples above show you why you need to know the form of the first person singular to be able to predict the conjugation pattern. As you can see, the first person differs from the infinitive form in a way that’s difficult to predict. 

2- Conjugation II

Second conjugation verbs in the first person singular also end in . Fortunately, the second person singular with -isz and -ysz endings come in handy here in differentiating the two. Here’s a Polish verb conjugation table for the second group, using the verb robić, meaning “to do” or “to make”:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja robię (“I do”)my robimy (“we do”)
ty robisz (“you do”)wy robicie (“you do”)
on, ona, ono robi (“he, she, it does”)oni, one robią (“they do”)

Example: Robię pranie. (“I’m doing the laundry.”)

Some other verbs that conjugate according to the second conjugation pattern are: 

  • płacić (“to pay”)
    Płacisz mi. (“You pay me.”)
  • ganić (“to scold”)
    Ganisz swoje dzieci? (“Do you scold your children?”)
  • wrócić (“to come back”)
    Wrócisz jutro? (“Will you come back tomorrow?”)
  • suszyć (“to dry”)
    Suszysz pranie w mieszkaniu? (“Are you drying your clothes at your flat?”)

3- Conjugation III

The third Polish conjugation pattern uses the ending -(a)m in the first person singular, and the ending -a(sz) in the second person singular. Have a look at this Polish conjugation table of the verb grać (“to play”):

SINGULARPLURAL
ja gram (“I play”)my gramy (“we play”)
ty grasz (“you play”)wy gracie (“you play”)
on, ona, ono gra (“he, she, it plays”)oni, one gra (“they play”)

Example: Gram w tenisa. (“I play tennis.”)

Here are some additional verbs that follow the third conjugation pattern: 

  • czytać (“to read”)
    Czytam książkę. (“I’m reading a book.”)
  • mieć (“to have”)
    Nie mam dzieci. (“I don’t have children.”)
  • padać (“to fall”)
    Pada śnieg. (“It’s snowing.”) [literally: “Snow is falling.”]
  • wołać (“to call”) [when you want someone to come to you]
    Wołam Cię! (“I’m calling you!”)

4- Conjugation IV

The last Polish conjugation pattern uses -(e)m in the first person, and -(e)sz in the second person singular. Here’s a Polish verb conjugation table for the verb wiedzieć (“to know”):

SINGULARPLURAL
ja wiem (“I know”)my wiemy (“we know”)
ty wiesz (“you know”)wy wiecie (“you know”)
on, ona, ono wie (“he, she, it knows”)oni, one wiedzą (“they know”)

Example: Wiesz kto to? (“Do you know who this is?”)

A Question Mark

The fourth conjugation group is the rarest one. Here are two more verbs conjugated according to this pattern: 

  • jeść (“to eat”)
    Jem obiad. (“I’m eating lunch.”)
  • umieć (“to know [how to do something]”)
    Umiem czytać. (“I can [know how to] read.”)

Remember that to know how to conjugate Polish verbs, you need the first (and preferably the second) form of the singular. 

3. The Conjugation of “To Be” in Polish

Top Verbs

The form of the first person singular in Polish often differs from the infinitive, but no form is as different as that of the irregular verb “to be.” Here’s a Polish conjugation table for być (“to be”) in the present tense:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja jestem (“I am”)my jesteśmy (“we are”)
ty jesteś (“you are”)wy jesteście (“you are”)
on, ona, ono jest (“he, she, it is”)oni, one (“they are”)

Example: Jesteśmy szczęśliwi. (“We’re happy.”)

Perhaps not surprisingly, this verb in the past tense also has an unpredictable form. In the table below, you can find the right way to conjugate the Polish verb być in the feminine gender:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja byłam (“I was”)my byłyśmy (“we were”)
ty byłaś (“you were”)wy byłyście (“you were”)
ona była (“she was”)one były (“they were”)

Example: Byłam na Ciebie zła. (“I was angry with you.”)

You can find the forms for the masculine gender below:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja byłem (“I was”)my byliśmy (“we were”)
ty byłeś (“you were”)wy byliście (“you were”)
on był (“he, she, it was”)oni byli (“they were”)

The form for the third person singular ono (“it”) is było

Example: Byliśmy w domu. (“We were at home.”)

As you can see, the form for the Polish past tense conjugation is completely different. Now, let’s have a look at this verb in the future tense:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja będę (“I will be”)my będziemy (“we will be”)
ty będziesz (“you will be”)wy będziecie (“you will be”)
on, ona, ono będzie (“he, she, it will be”)oni, one będą (“they will be”)

Example: Będziesz grzeczny? (“Will you be nice?”)

Remember to learn these forms by heart; it’s important to know how to conjugate the top ten Polish verbs, including this one. In fact, why don’t you learn with us the top 25 Polish verbs straight away? 

4. Polish Verb Conjugation in the Past Tense

Ruins

The Polish past tense is useful for talking about past events and Polish history. What are the Polish verb conjugation rules for the past tense? We’ll have a look at some Polish verb conjugation tables, using the examples we’ve already discussed for the Polish present tense conjugations. The first conjugation table is applicable to feminine subjects:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja kopałam (“I kicked”)my kopałyśmy (“we kicked”)
ty kopałaś (“you kicked”)wy kopałyście (“you kicked”)
ona kopała (“she kicked”)one kopały (“they kicked”)

Example: Kopałam piłkę. (“I was kicking the ball.”)

Masculine subjects require the following changes to their endings:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja kopałem (“I kicked”)my kopaliśmy (“we kicked”)
ty kopałeś (“you kicked”)wy kopaliście (“you kicked”)
on kop (“he kicked”)oni kopali (“they kicked”)

Example: Kopaliście doły. (“You were digging holes.”)

The form for neuter in the third person singular would be kopało.

Example: Dziecko kopało psa. (“The child was kicking a dog.”)

Now, look at the forms of the verb “to do” (robić) for feminine subjects:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja robiłam (“I did”)my robiłyśmy (“we did”)
ty robiłaś (“you did”)wy robiłyście (“you did”)
ona robiła (“she did”)one robiły (“they did”)

For masculine subjects, we’ll have the same changes as in the previous masculine examples:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja robiłem (“I did”)my robiliśmy (“we did”)
ty robiłeś (“you did”)wy robiliście (“you did”)
on rob (“he did”)oni robili (“they did”)

The forms of the first person singular for grać (“to play”) are grałam and grałem for feminine and masculine subjects, respectively. For wiedzieć (“to know”), the forms are wiedziałam and wiedziałem. Can you predict the rest of the forms in the past tense? Let us know your answers in the comments’ section!

1- Perfective and Imperfective Aspects

We mentioned aspects in the introduction, but it’s important to understand how they work in practice. The English verb “to buy,” for instance, has two equivalents in Polish: kupić and kupować. Kupić is a perfective verb, while kupować is imperfective. Compare: 

  • Kupiłam chleb w tym sklepie. (“I bought bread in this shop.”) [female speaker]

It’s a completed, once-off action and an example of the perfective aspect.

  • Kupowałam chleb w tym sklepie. (“I used to buy/had been buying bread in this shop.”) [female speaker]

The action here is not defined as completed, but repetitive. Maybe I used to buy bread in this shop, or I had been buying it, until something happened. The point is that, in the past, I repeatedly bought bread in this shop.

Have a look at another possible use of the imperfective form: 

  • Kupowałam chleb w tym sklepie, gdy ktoś krzyknął. (“I was buying bread in this shop, when someone shouted.”) [female speaker]
Loaves of Bread in a Basket

As you can see, aspects are crucial in Polish. More often than not, there are (at least) two Polish verbs for one English one. How do you know which one is which? You have to learn it by heart. Fortunately, there are certain regularities, so you should be able to get the hang of it with practice. 

5. Let’s Talk About the Future

More Essential Verbs

Are you wondering how to conjugate Polish verbs in the future tense? There are three ways to form the future tense in Polish: one for the perfective verbs, and two for imperfective verbs. Now, let’s look at some examples of the conjugation of Polish verbs for future tense.

1- Perfective Verbs in the Future Tense

I have some good news for you! In the case of perfective endings, the forms are very easy to predict when you know the rules of the Polish present tense conjugation. 

We’ve already discussed the conjugation of the verb robić (“to do” and “to make”) in the present. It’s an imperfective verb, as it has a present form. Another verb for “to do” is zrobić in the perfective aspect. You can find the forms in the Polish conjugation table below:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja zrobię (“I will do”)my zrobimy (“we will do”)
ty zrobisz (“you will do”)wy zrobicie (“you will do”)
on, ona, ono zrobi (“he, she, it will do”)oni, one zrobią (“they will do”)

You can see that the perfective verbs follow the same Polish conjugation patterns as verbs in the present tense. 

Example: Zrobimy dla Ciebie pierogi. (“We’ll make pierogi for you.”)

Can you eat Polish food? If you don’t know what pierogi are or whether you can eat them, you should certainly check out our lesson about the top 5 Polish dishes

2- Imperfective Verbs in the Future Tense

There are two Polish future tense conjugation patterns for perfective verbs. We’re going to have a look at the forms for robić again for ease of comparison. 

First of all, you should remember that the future forms for imperfective verbs need a “helping” verb. This is one of the forms of the Polish “to be” conjugation in the future, which we discussed earlier. Here are two conjugations of Polish verbs in the future tense for imperfective verbs:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja będę robić (“I will do”)my będziemy robić (“we will do”)
ty będziesz robić (“you will do”)wy będziecie robić (“you will do”)
on, ona, ono będzie robić (“he, she, it will do”)oni, one będą robić (“they will do”)

The first version requires the infinitive form of the second verb, which makes it very easy to use. There’s no difference in how often this version is used compared to the second version, so the former is a better choice for beginners.

A Road Sign with

The second pattern requires changes to the second verb, and these changes depend on the subject’s gender. For feminine subjects, this conjugation looks like this:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja będę robiła (“I will do”)my będziemy robiły (“we will do”)
ty będziesz robiła (“you will do”)wy będziecie robiły (“you will do”)
ona będzie robiła (“she will do”)one będą robiły (“they will do”)

For the masculine gender, the conjugation pattern changes to:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja będę robił (“I will do”)my będziemy robili (“we will do”)
ty będziesz robił (“you will do”)wy będziecie robili (“you will do”)
on będzie robił (“he, she, it will do”)oni będą robili (“they will do”)

For neuter, the third person singular would be ono będzie robiło

6. Polish Conjugation Practice

Today you’ve learned how to conjugate in Polish. Now it’s time for a bit of language practice with our quick quiz: 

1. Ja (kupować) ____________ dziś mleko.   

“I bought milk today.” (male speaker)

    a) kupiłam
    b) kupię
    c) kupiłem
    d) kupić

2. On (grać) _____________ w piłkę nożną.

“I play football.” 

    a) wygram
    b) grałam
    c) gra
    d) grasz

3. My (być) _______________ Polakami. 

“We are Polish.”

    a) jestem
    b) jesteście
    c) jesteś
    d) jesteśmy

4. Ty (zrobić) ______________ sałatkę. 

“You’ll make a salad.”

    a) zrobię
    b) zrobimy
    c) zrobisz
    d) robicie

5. Oni (chcieć) _____________ spać. 

“They want to sleep.”

    a) chcą
    b) chcemy
    c) zrobimy
    d) chcę

Now think about the answers…

Keep scrolling…

Hourglass

1. Ja (kupować) __kupiłem___ dziś mleko.   

“I bought milk today.” (male speaker)

Ja is the first person singular, so we need that form for the past tense in the masculine gender.

    a) kupiłam – first person singular, past tense, feminine gender
    b) kupię – first person singular, future tense
    c) kupiłem – first person singular, past tense, masculine gender
    d) kupić – infinitive, imperfective aspect

2. On (grać) ____gra_________ w piłkę nożną.

“He plays football.” 

On is the third person singular, so we need the form of the present tense. 

    a) wygram – first person singular, future tense, the verb is wrong (wygrać)
    b) grałam – first person singular, past tense, feminine gender
    c) gra – third person singular, present tense
    d) grasz – second person singular, present tense

3. My (być) ___jesteśmy________ Polakami. 

“We are Polish.”

    a) jestem – first person singular, present tense
    b) jesteście – second person plural, present tense
    c) jesteś – second person singular, present tense
    d) jesteśmy – first person plural, present tense

4. Ty (zrobić) __zrobisz_____ sałatkę. 

“You’ll make a salad.”

Ty is the second person singular, so we need its form in the future tense. 

    a) zrobię – first person singular, future tense
    b) zrobimy – first person plural, future tense
    c) zrobisz – second person singular, future tense
    d) robicie – second person plural, present tense, wrong verb (robić)

5. Oni (chcieć) ____chcą_____  spać. 

“They want to sleep.”

Oni is the third person plural, so we need the form of the present tense. 

    a) chcąthird person plural, present tense
    b) chcemy – first person plural, present tense
    c) zrobimy – first person plural, future tense, wrong verb (zrobić)
    d) chcę – first person singular, present tense

7. Final Thoughts

Today, you’ve learned all about how to conjugate Polish verbs in the present, past, and future, taking into account numerous variables. 

Now that you know the grammar rules of the chcieć Polish conjugation and others, you may want to learn some additional verbs to expand your vocabulary. We recommend you check out this list of the Top 20 Polish Verbs

If you’re ever in doubt when it comes to the right form of the verb, don’t guess. Use an online conjugation tool such as cooljugator instead. 

We hope you found this resource helpful. If you want to get access to many more Polish learning tools and materials, start a free trial with PolishPod101. Learn the language with audio and video lessons featuring real teachers, use our word of the day service, and more!

Before you go, please remember to let us know how well you managed to do on the test in the comments section! 🙂

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The 100 Most Common Polish Verbs for Beginners

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A verb is a crucial part of any sentence. Today, we’re going to introduce you to the most commonly used Polish verbs, the basic rules governing their placement in a sentence, and their conjugation. By the time you finish this article, you’ll be able to see massive progress in your Polish-speaking abilities! 
Other similarly useful articles you should have a look at are: 100 Adjectives (link) and 100 Nouns (link).

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Useful Verbs in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Using Polish Verbs in a Sentence
  2. Polish Verb Conjugation Rules
  3. Polish Verbs of Motion and Action
  4. Verbs for Talking About Feelings, Thoughts, and Preferences
  5. Polish Modal Verbs
  6. Final Thoughts

1. Using Polish Verbs in a Sentence 

A Person Writing on a Chalkboard

We’re not going to go into much detail, but it’s important that you understand certain concepts about Polish language verbs so that you can use them correctly.

A. Various Forms of Polish Verbs

Before we start introducing you to new Polish verbs, we’d like you to understand that they can have different forms. Polish verbs are modified depending on the:

  • Tense

There are three modern Polish verb tenses: the past tense (czas przeszły), the present tense (czas teraźniejszy), and the future tense (czas przyszły). For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on one of the Polish verb tenses: the present tense. 

  • Aspect

There are two aspects in Polish: imperfective (niedokonany) referring to incomplete actions, and perfective (dokonany) referring to complete actions. 

  • Mood  

There are three moods of Polish verbs: indicative, imperative, and conditional. 

  • Person and Number

Each person, depending on the number, has a form of the verb attributed to it. This is why personal pronouns are often dropped in Polish. If you’d like to know more about Polish pronouns, we’ve written a whole article about them (link). 

Some verb forms differ depending on the gender of the person to whom the verb is referring. This is relevant, for example, when creating forms in the past tense. 

B. Verb Placement in a Sentence

Where do you place a verb in an affirmative sentence in Polish? It’s quite easy, as Polish uses a similar sentence structure as English:

Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)

  • “I’ve eaten a banana.”

Ja zjadłam banana

As we’ve mentioned before, pronouns in Polish are often dropped. This is why it would be more natural to get rid of the pronoun “I” (ja), and say:

  • Zjadłam banana.
a Bunch of Bananas

If you’re not a fan of bananas, find the name of your favorite fruit or vegetable on our food vocabulary list. Now, to form a question, we just have to add the word czy before this sentence:

  • “Have I eaten a banana?”

Czy zjadłam banana? 

While in English, you use different words depending on the context, such as “does,” “do,” and “did,” in Polish you always use czy. Czy is also often dropped, especially in speech:

  • Zjadłam banana? 

To learn more about questions in Polish, check out our list of “Top 25 Polish Questions You Need to Know.” 

2. Polish Verb Conjugation Rules 

Top Verbs

Verbs in Polish are conjugated and there are four conjugation groups. So how does Polish conjugation work?

Well, Polish verb conjugation rules are a bit different than those in many other languages. Namely, the verbs aren’t grouped according to the verbs’ endings. To know a conjugation pattern, you need at least the first-person singular. 


It may come in handy to have a Polish verbs PDF with conjugation patterns. You can create one by choosing “Print” and “Save as PDF” from your browser settings on this page. Here are three other ways to convert a webpage to PDF

A. Conjugation I

Have a look at the first conjugation. It’s defined by the form of the first-person singular ending in ę and the second-person singular ending in esz. We’ll use the verb pisać (“to write”) as an example in the Polish verb conjugation chart below:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja piszę (“I write”)my piszemy (“we write”)
ty piszesz (“you write”)wy piszecie (“you write”)
On / ona / ono pisze (“he / she / it writes”)oni, one piszą (“they write”)
  • Ona pisze list

“She’s writing a letter.” 

Some other verbs that follow this conjugation pattern are: 

1- Nieść (“to carry”)


Niosę walizki

“I’m carrying the suitcases.” 

2- Kopać (“to kick”) or (“to dig”)

Kopię dół

“I’m digging a hole.”

3- Dawać (“to give”)

Dajemy prezent Annie

“We’re giving a present to Anna.”

4- Płakać (“to cry”)

Płaczę przez Ciebie

“I’m crying because of you.”

B. Conjugation II

The second conjugation is associated with different Polish verb endings: the first-person singular ending is ę and the second-person singular ending is isz or ysz. We’ll examine this by looking at the Polish verb conjugation table for płacić (“to pay”):

SINGULARPLURAL
ja płacę (“I pay”)my płacimy (“we pay”)
ty płacisz (“you pay”)wy płacicie (“you pay”)
on / ona / ono płaci (“he / she / it pays”)oni, one płacą (“they pay”)
  • Ja płacę! 

“I’m paying!”

Two People Sitting at the Table in a Restaurant, One Person Asks for the Bill

Other verbs following the same conjugation pattern are: 

1- Ganić (“to scold”)

Dlaczego mnie ganisz? 

“Why are you scolding me?”

2- Suszyć (“to dry”)

Czy suszysz włosy? 

“Are you drying your hair?” 

3- Robić (“to do”)

No i co mi zrobisz? 

“And what will/can you do to me?”

4- Wrócić (“to come back”)

Nigdy nie wrócę! 

“I’ll never come back!”

C. Conjugation III

It’s time to learn more about the third conjugation pattern, where the first-person singular ends in -(a)m and the second-person singular in -(a)sz. Below, you’ll find the Polish verb conjugation table for czytać (“to read”): 

SINGULARPLURAL
ja czytam (“I read”)my czytamy (“we read”)
ty czytasz (“you read”)wy czytacie (“you read”)
on / ona / ono czyta (“he / she / it reads”)oni, one czytają (“they read”)
  • Czytasz gazety? 

“Do you read newspapers?”

Other verbs following the same conjugation pattern include the following: 

1- Padać (“to fall”)

Pada deszcz

“It’s raining.” (Literally: “Rain is falling.”)

2- Grać (“to play”)

Gramy w bingo

“We’re playing bingo.” 

3- Mieć (“to have”)

Czy macie dzieci? 

“Do you have children?”

4- Wołać (“to call [someone to come])

Wołam i wołam! 

“I’m calling and calling!”

D. Conjugation IV

This is the fourth and final regular Polish verb conjugation you may encounter. The form of the first-person singular is -(e)m and the form of the second-person singular is -(e)sz. Have a look at its forms for the verb jeść (“to eat”):

SINGULARPLURAL
ja jem (“I eat”)my jemy (“we eat”)
ty jesz (“you eat”)wy jecie (“you eat”)
on / ona / ono je (“he / she / it eats”)oni, one jedzą (“they eat”)
  • Jem gruszkę

“I’m eating a pear.”

Here are some other Polish verbs that fall under this pattern:

1- Umieć (“to know how to”)

Umiem liczyć

“I can count.” 

2- Wiedzieć (“to know”)

Wiem o Tobie sporo

“I know a lot about you.”

E. The Irregular Polish Verb “To Be”

The most important verb in any language, “to be,” is an example of an irregular Polish verb conjugation. To be (być) or not to be (czy nie być)? 

A Question Mark on a Birthday Cake

Find out in the table below:

SINGULARPLURAL
ja jestem (“I am”)my jesteśmy (“we are”)
ty jesteś (“you are”)wy jesteście (“you are”)
on / ona / ono jest (“he / she / it is”)oni, one (“they are”)
  • Ona jest zła. 

“She’s angry.” 

The extremely important verb być is linked to a number of expressions. Click on the link to learn more about them. 

Are there any other Polish irregular verbs apart from the Polish verb “to be?” Yes and no. Most verbs that don’t follow a pattern from any Polish verb conjugation table we’ve included are only partial exceptions. A form, or forms, may be different, but the verb still mostly follows one of the conjugation patterns.

Polish verb conjugation rules require a lot of practice, but you can do it! If in doubt, you can always use one of the online conjugation resources, such as Cooljugator or Ba.bla, that give you a nice breakdown of forms according to Polish verb tenses and other variables.

3. Polish Verbs of Motion and Action

More Essential Verbs

To kick off our Polish verbs list, this is a category of Polish verbs that’s very important. Verbs of motion and action (as well as those indicating the lack thereof) are the most common verbs in any language. Here’s a list of the most important ones with examples:

VERBEXAMPLE
Iść (“to go”)Idę do pracy
“I’m going to work.”
Chodzić (“to walk”)

This verb has many derivatives due to changes to the prefix. Click on the link to learn more about them.
Chodzę po domu
“I’m walking around the house.”
Skakać (“to jump”)Skaczesz wysoko
“You jump high.”
Biegać (“to run”)Biegam wolno
“I run slowly.”
Łapać (“to catch”)Łapię piłkę
“I’m catching the ball.”
Uderzać (“to hit”)Uderzasz w stół
“You’re hitting the table.”
Rzucać (“to throw”)Rzucę Ci piłkę
“I’ll throw the ball to you.”
Czekać (“to wait”)Czekasz na kogoś? 
“Are you waiting for someone?”
Rysować (“to draw”)Co rysujesz
“What are you drawing?”
Nalewać (“to pour”)Nalewasz nam soku
“You’re pouring us some juice.”
Ciągnąć (“to drag”) / (“to pull”)Ciągniesz za mocno. 
“You’re pulling too hard.”
Pchać (“to push”)Pcham wózek
“I’m pushing a trolley.”
Podnosić (“to lift”) / (“to raise”)Podnosisz głos niepotrzebnie
“You’re unnecessarily raising your voice.”
Odłożyć (“to put down”)Odłożę to na miejsce
“I’ll put it in its place.”
Zamknąć (“to close”)Czy zamkniesz drzwi? 
“Will you close the door?”
Otworzyć (“to open”)Otworzyłam słoik
“I’ve opened a jar.”
Trzymać (“to hold”)Trzymasz psa? 
“Are you holding the dog?”
Stać (“to stand”)Stoję w kolejce
“I’m standing in a queue.”
Siedzieć (“to sit”)Siedzisz przy stole. 
“You sit at the table.”
Klaskać (“to clap”)Klaszczę do rytmu
“I’m clapping to the beat.”
Tańczyć (“to dance”)Czy tańczysz tango? 
“Do you dance tango?”
Machać (“move [in slang]”) / (“wave [with a hand]”)Leżeć (“to lie down”)Leżę na podłodze
“I’m lying down on the floor.”
Pić (“to drink”)Piję colę
“I’m drinking a Coke.”
Gotować (“to cook”)Gotujesz kolację
“You’re cooking dinner.”
Przygotowywać (“to prepare”)Przygotowujesz konia? 
“Are you preparing the horse?”
Budzić się (“to wake up”)Budzę się rano. 
“I wake up in the morning.”
Malować (“to paint”)Maluję obraz
“I’m painting (a painting).”
Narzekać (“to complain”)Ciągle narzekasz
“You’re complaining all the time.”
Latać (“to fly”)Dokąd lecisz
“Where are you flying to?”
Wspinać się (“to climb”)Wspinam się po górach
“I climb mountains.”
Przyjść (“to come”)Rozciągasz się po jodze. 
“You’re stretching after yoga.”
Przyjść (“to come”)Czy przyjdziesz jutro? 
“Will you come tomorrow?”
Uciekać (“to run away”)Nie uciekam
“I’m not running away.”
Wyjść (“to go out”) / (“to leave”)Zaraz wyjdę z domu
“I’ll leave the house in a minute.”
Zostać (“to stay”)Zostajesz w szkole
“You’re staying at school.”
Oglądać (“to watch”)Oglądam telewizję.
“I watch TV.”
Wąchać (“to smell”)Wącham kwiaty. 
“I’m smelling the flowers.”
Czyścić (“to clean”)Czyszczę podłogę. 
“I’m cleaning the floor.”
Próbować (“to try”) / (“to taste”)Spróbujesz zupy? 
“Will you taste the soup?”
Bawić się (“to play”)Bawię się z dziećmi. 
“I’m playing with the kids.”
Pytać (“to ask”)Pytam go o zdanie. 
“I’m asking him about his opinion.”
Odpowiedzieć (“to answer”)Odpowiesz na moje pytanie? 
“Will you answer my question?”
Mówić (“to speak”)Mówię powoli. 
“I speak slowly.”
Opowiadać (“to tell”)Opowiadam historię. 
“I’m telling a story.”

https://wordlist.languagepod101.com/wordlist/media/17388&v=medium.jpg (a list of verbs)

All of these Polish motion verbs examples are either in the first- or second-person singular so that you know which conjugation they’re likely to follow. If you would like a Polish verbs PDF, you can click “Print” on your browser and “Save as PDF” to have access to the article whenever you need it.

4. Verbs for Talking About Feelings, Thoughts, and Preferences

Negative Verbs

More useful Polish verbs are those used for talking about feelings, thoughts, and preferences. This section will cover the top Polish verbs you should know to talk about these subjects! 

Tell Me About Your Feelings in Polish

Here’s a number of useful verbs for talking about your feelings, both positive and negative, in Polish: 

VERBEXAMPLE
Positive feelings:
Lubić (“to like”)Lubię psy
“I like dogs.”
Kochać (“to love”)Kochasz mnie? 
“Do you love me?”
Uwielbiać (“to adore”)Uwielbiam festiwale filmowe! 
“I love film festivals!”
Przepadać (“to really like”)Przepadam za teatrem
“I really like theatre.”
Cieszyć się (“to be happy [for]”)Cieszysz się? 
“Are you happy?”
Uśmiechać się (“to smile”)Uśmiecham się często
“I smile often.”
Śmiać się (“to laugh”)Lubię, gdy się śmiejesz
“I like when you laugh.”
Zakochać się (“to fall in love”)Zakocham się
“I’ll fall in love.”
Podziwiać (“to admire”)Podziwiam Cię! 
“I admire you.”
Dogadywać się (“to get on well”)(Dobrze) dogaduję się z nim
“I get on well with him.” 

“Well” (dobrze) is often added for emphasis.
Czuć (“to feel”)Czujesz to? 
“Do you feel it?”
Woleć (“to prefer”)Wolę zostać w domu. 
“I prefer to stay home.”
Interesować się (“to be interested in”)Interesuję się dinozaurami. 
“I’m interested in dinosaurs.”
Pasjonować się (“to have a passion for”)On pasjonuje się historią. 
“He’s passionate about history.”
Negative feelings:
Nienawidzić (“to hate”)Nienawidzę jej! 
“I hate her!”
Bać się (“to be scared of”)Boisz się? 
“Are you scared?”
Złościć się (“to get angry”)Złoszczę się bez powodu
“I get angry without a reason.”
Kłócić się (“to have arguments”)Kłócisz się z ojcem? 
“Do you have arguments with (your) father?”
Denerwować się (“to be nervous about”)Denerwuję się trochę
“I’m a bit nervous about it.”
Brzydzić się (“to detest”) / (“to be disgusted by”)Brzydzisz się karaluchów? 
“Are you disgusted by cockroaches?”
Wyśmiewać się (“to laugh at”)Wyśmiewasz się ze mnie
“You’re laughing at me.”
Wstydzić się (“to be ashamed”) / (“to be embarrassed”)Wstydzę się
“I’m ashamed of myself.”
Czerwienić się (“to blush”)Czy często się czerwienisz
“Do you blush often?”
Zazdrościć (“to be jealous”) / (“to envy”)Naprawdę mi zazdrościsz
“Do you really envy me?”
Żałować (“to regret”)Nie żałuję tego. 
“I don’t regret it.”
Martwić się (“to worry”)Za dużo się martwisz.  
“You worry too much.”
A Person Saying

We’ve only included negative verbs that are verbs in their own right. To express a negative feeling, you can also simply use the negation nie (“no”):

  • Nie lubię truskawek

“I don’t like strawberries.”

That’s a lot of useful Polish verbs, right? 

What Do You Think About It?

Expressing your thoughts and opinions in Polish is important for effective communication. Here’s a number of essential Polish verbs that will come in handy when doing that: 

VERBEXAMPLE
Myśleć (“to think”)Myślę, więc jestem
“I think, therefore I am.”
Sądzić (“to reckon”)Sądzisz, że on to zrobił? 
“Do you reckon he was the one who did it?”
Wierzyć (“to believe”)Wierzę, że to nieprawda
“I believe that it’s not true.”
Wątpić (“to doubt”)Wątpisz w moje słowa? 
“Do you doubt my words?”
Zgadzać się (“to agree”)Nie zgadzam się z Tobą. 
“I disagree with you.”
Zgadywać (“to guess”)Zgaduję, nie wiem na pewno. 
“I’m guessing, I don’t know for sure.”

5. Polish Modal Verbs

The last category of Polish verbs we’ll discuss today are modal verbs. They’re most often used in conjunction with another verb in the infinitive form.

VERBEXAMPLE
Móc (“can”) / (“to be able to”)Mogę Ci pomóc.  
“I can help you.”
Musieć (“have to”) / (“must”)Musisz coś zrobić! 
“You must/have to do something.”
Chcieć (“to want”)Chcę iść do kina
“I want to go to the cinema.”
Powinno się (“should”)Powinnam pójść do lekarza. 
“I should go to the doctor.”

As you can see in the table, you only conjugate the modal verb. 

6. Final Thoughts

When you’ve just started learning a language, memorizing the most important Polish verbs is a great idea. Even if you don’t always know the correct forms, people will often be able to understand what you mean from the context. There are two other lists on PolishPod101 that you can use to learn the main verbs in Polish: 25 Most Commonly Used Verbs for Any Language and 50 Most Common Verbs
With PolishPod101, you can learn much more than just the verbs. Get your free lifetime account today and start exploring countless audio and video lessons with real teachers. We offer you more than 160 hours of learning, and the best part is that you can use this language-learning tool wherever you go.

One more thing before you close your browser: What’s your favorite Polish verb? Did we miss any important ones? Let us know in the comments section!

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Polish Sentence Structure: Master the Word Order in Polish

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The Polish sentence structure is one of the most important things to study at the beginning of your language-learning journey. Constructing sentences in Polish is easy when you know the rules. So, are you ready to master the Polish word order?

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Polish Word Order: Overview
  2. Polish Word Order Rules: SVO
  3. Word Order with Adverbs
  4. Polish Word Order with Modifiers
  5. Check Your Understanding: Translation Exercise
  6. Final Thoughts

1. Polish Word Order: Overview 

Improve Pronunciation

Let’s start with the basics: the Polish sentence structure for beginners. 

The basic word order in Polish is the so-called SVO, which means that the subject comes first, followed by the verb and the object (if there is an object). 


The word order in Polish isn’t fixed, but the SVO is a very common sentence structure. Polish allows for considerable creativity, particularly for the sake of emphasis. Having said that, using the SVO structure should come naturally to you as an English speaker, so try to stick to it in the beginning.

2. Polish Word Order Rules: SVO

A Grammar-related Picture with Subject and Object Words

As we said before, the Polish word order looks like this: 

subject + verb + (object) = SV(O)

The subject in a sentence is simply the doer of an activity, which is expressed by the verb. The object is the part of a sentence that’s affected by the verb. Like in English, an object isn’t always required in Polish sentences. 

Personal pronouns are dropped in Polish when it’s clear who the “doer” is. This means that a simple sentence in Polish could consist of only a verb. For example: 

  • Czytam

“I’m reading.”

Most sentences, for obvious reasons, are more complicated than that: 

  • Czytam (v) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading a newspaper.”

To emphasize the “doer,” you can also say: 

  • Ja (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading a newspaper.”

The form of the verb czytać (“to read”) indicates that the subject is the first person singular, so it’s not really necessary to use a personal pronoun here.

Also note that Polish doesn’t have the simple or continuous aspects. This means that the same verb form is used to express both. For example: 

Czytam (v) gazetę (o). This sentence can be translated as “I’m reading a newspaper,” or “I read a newspaper.”

The meaning is derived from the context.

1- Emphasis and Word Order

From time to time, people change the word order in spoken Polish to stress a different part of the sentence: 

  • (Ja) gazetę czytam

“I’m reading a newspaper.”

This sentence stresses the fact that I’m reading a newspaper and not something else. Please remember that it’s not necessary to use a personal pronoun. When it’s there, it’s read as emphasis: It’s I (and not somebody else) who’s reading the newspaper. 

2- Different Kinds of Sentences

A Person with Exclamation Marks and a Question Mark above Her Head

The Polish sentence structure remains the same for different types of sentences, such as affirmation and negation

Affirmation

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading a newspaper.”

Negation

  • (Ja) (s) nie czytam (v) gazety (o)

“I’m not reading a newspaper.”

Nie, used for negation, always directly precedes the verb. 

Exclamatory sentences

  • Czytaj (v) gazetę (o)! 

“Read a newspaper!”

The subject is missing in this example, as it wouldn’t sound natural. 

Questions

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o)

“Am I reading a newspaper?”

Polish questions in spoken language are usually indicated by a rising tone. Sometimes in spoken Polish, and as a rule in written Polish, we add czy:

  • Czy (ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o)?

“Am I reading a newspaper?”

Czy doesn’t translate well into English as its meaning depends on the context. Have a look at the examples below:

  • Czy czytałeś gazetę? 

Were you reading a newspaper?” 

  • Czy przeczytasz gazetę? 

Will you read a newspaper?”

  • Czy on czyta gazetę? 

Does he read a newspaper?”

Remember to simply add czy in front of a sentence to form a question when you’re writing.

Now that we’ve covered the basic word order in Polish for simple sentences, let’s move on to discuss more complex ones. 

3. Word Order with Adverbs 

A Man Reading a Newspaper

In Polish language word order, we usually place adverbs before the verb they modify. Here’s a number of examples for this Polish sentence structure: 

  • (Ja) (s) szybko (a) czytam (v). 

“I read fast.”

Adverbs of manner, such as szybko (“fast”) and wolno (“slowly”), are placed in front of the verb. Would you like to learn some more adverbs? Check out our article, where you can find over 100 of them. 

  • (Ja) (s) codziennie (a) czytam (v) gazetę (o). 

“I read a newspaper every day.”

Adverbs of time and frequency are also placed after the subject, but in front of the verb, if the sentence is a full SVO in Polish. To practice adverbs of frequency, go to our lesson titled “How often do you go to the gym in Poland?

  • (Ja) czytam (v) gazetę (o) w domu

“I read a newspaper at home.”

  • (Ja) (s) w domu (a) czytam (v) gazetę (o). 

“I read a newspaper at home.”

Adverbs of place are often placed toward the end of the sentence. 

1- Change of Placement for Emphasis

The only time we’d change the structure is, yet again, for emphasis: 

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) szybko (a). 

“I read fast.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o) codziennie

“I read a newspaper every day.”

  • (Ja) (s) w domu (a) czytam (v) gazetę (o). 

“I read a newspaper at home.”

4. Polish Word Order with Modifiers

Improve Listening

Modifiers usually modify nouns, and are placed in front of them. Modifiers include adjectives, determiners, numerals, and relative clauses. Relative clauses are an exception as they’re placed after nouns. 

1- Placement of Adjectives

Adjectives describe qualities of nouns, like in the example below: 

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) ciekawą (adj) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading an interesting newspaper.”

As you can see above, the adjective breaks up the (S)VO structure, creating (S)VADJO. Have a look at some more examples: 

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) starą (adj) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading an old newspaper.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) lokalną (adj) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading a local newspaper.”

Do you want to learn more adjectives in Polish? Check out this list of high-frequency adjectives

2- Determiners and Their Placement

A Newspaper

A determiner lets you know which noun you’re talking about. Here’s an example of a determiner: 

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) (det) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading this newspaper.”

Polish determiners also include: 

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) tamtą (det) gazetę (o)

“I’m reading that newspaper.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) tamte (det) gazety (o)

“I’m reading those newspapers.”

3- Polish Word Order with Numerals

“Numerals” is a fancy word for numbers. Just like other modifiers, they’re placed in front of the noun:

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) jedną (num) gazetę (o)

“I read one newspaper.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) dwie (num) gazety (o)

“I read two newspapers.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) trzy (num) gazety (o)

“I read three newspapers.”

The pattern remains the same for all numerals. Do you know numbers in Polish well? If not, consult these pages: 

4- Polish Word Order Rules for Relative Clauses

A relative clause is an additional way to identify a noun. They’re an exception among modifiers, placed after the noun. Here’s a number of examples for Polish:

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o), którą lubię

“I’m reading a newspaper that I like.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o), którą mi poleciłeś

“I’m reading a newspaper that you’ve recommended to me.”

  • (Ja) (s) czytam (v) gazetę (o), której nie znajdziesz w wielu sklepach

“I’m reading a newspaper that you won’t find in many shops.”

The main difference between the word order in Polish vs. English for relative clauses is that Polish rarely uses non-defining relative clauses. For example: 

“My mom, whom I love deeply, lives in England.” 

A Heart

The direct translation is Moja mama, którą bardzo kocham, mieszka w Anglii, which is correct but not natural in Polish. A native speaker would be more likely to use two separate sentences to express the same idea. 

Have you noticed that relative clauses are preceded by a comma in Polish? You can learn more about Polish punctuation in the Wikipedia entry on Polish orthography

5. Check Your Understanding: Translation Exercise

Reading an article is one thing, and making sure that you understand it and can use what you’ve learned is another. This is why we’ve prepared a translation exercise for you. It will help you remember what you’ve read. Remember: practice makes perfect!

Step 1 

Translate the sentence “I eat a sandwich,” to Polish. Mark the subject, the verb, and the object. Are all parts of the sentence necessary or can you omit some? If you’re not sure, read the section Polish Word Order Rules: SVO again.

Step 2

Form a question with czy from the sentence “I eat a sandwich.”

Step 3

Add the adverb teraz (“now”) to the sentence “I eat a sandwich.”

Step 4

Add the adjective smaczną (“delicious”) in the correct form to the sentence “I eat a sandwich.” Speaking of delicious food, you should learn about the top 5 Polish dishes

Step 5

Include the determiner (“this”) to the sentence “I eat a sandwich.”

Step 6

Make the sentence “I eat a sandwich,” more specific by including the numeral jedną (“one”).

Step 7

Expand the sentence “I eat a sandwich,” by adding the relative clause którą mi kupiłeś (“that you’ve bought for me”). Don’t forget about the comma. 

A Person-shaped Figure Showing Thumbs Up with a Green Tick in Front of Them

How did it go? Was it difficult? Let us know in the comments section. 

6. Final Thoughts

Today you’ve learned a very important thing, and now you know how to form simple and more complicated sentences in Polish. You can also see the differences between the Polish vs. English sentence structures. Take your time to learn about the word order in Polish grammar, as it’s something you’ll have to build on in order to speak Polish well. 

Knowing the basic word order in Polish isn’t enough to become a fluent speaker, though. You’ll need more than that to master the language. Fortunately, PolishPod101 has everything you need! Create your lifetime account today and get access to countless audio and video lessons with native speakers. 

Remember to let us know about the results of your translation exercise before you go. 

Happy learning!

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Time in Poland: Expressions to Tell the Time in Polish

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What time is it in Poland right now? Depending on your time zone, you may have to add or subtract hours to find this out, because this Eastern European country is in the GMT+2 time zone. 


Knowing the time in Poland allows you to be punctual for meetings and events, but to communicate effectively, you also need to know how to tell the time in Polish. Fortunately for you, we’ve prepared this resource to help you learn everything you need to know about it.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Time Phrases in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Asking for the Time in Polish
  2. Hours in Polish
  3. Minutes in Polish
  4. Polish Clock Time: “Half” and “Quarter”
  5. General Time References
  6. Adverbs of Time
  7. Idiomatic Expressions, Proverbs, and Sayings
  8. Final Thoughts

1. Asking for the Time in Polish

Man Checking His Watch

When you live in Poland or visit the country for a holiday or vacation, you may be approached by a stranger asking you for the time. You don’t want to be caught off-guard in this situation. Here’s some indispensable vocabulary to help you know when someone is asking you for the time—or when you want to know the current time in Polish yourself! 

  • Która godzina? 

What time is it?

While this is the most common expression to ask about the time, godzina actually means “hour.” The word for “time” in Polish is czas

  • Przepraszam, czy wiesz która jest godzina? 

“Excuse me, do you know what time it is?” [Informal]

In the informal context, we use the second person singular of the verb wiedzieć (“to know”), which is wiesz (“you know”).

  • Przepraszam Panią, czy wie Pani, która jest godzina? 

“Excuse me, do you know what time it is?” [Formal, to a woman]

In the formal context, we use the third person singular of the same verb (wie – “he/she/it knows”) with the right form of the noun Pani (“Ma’am”) when dealing with a woman or Pan (“Sir”) when dealing with a man: 

  • Przepraszam Pana, czy wie Pan, która jest godzina? 

“Excuse me, do you know what time it is?”

There’s also another Polish expression used to ask about time: Czy masz zegarek? It translates literally as “Do you have a watch?” Remember that there’s a difference between the word “watch” (zegarek) and “clock” in Polish (zegar). 

Sometimes you have to ask about the time in a specific context, such as when you want to know what time an event or a meeting will take place. It’s important to be on time in Poland, and especially important not to be late for work as Polish people are pretty strict about it.

  • O której jest? 

“What time is…?”

spotkanie? 

“…the meeting?”

Twoja randka? 

“…your date?”

impreza? 

“…the party?”

How do you tell someone the current time or the time of an event that’s yet to come? You’ll find out in the next section. If you’d like to know survival phrases related to time, such as “What time does the museum open?“, spend some time exploring PolishPod101. 

2. Hours in Polish 

An Alarm Clock

Although in Polish, both the twelve-hour clock and the twenty-four-hour clock are used, the twenty-four-hour clock is preferred in formal communication. Let’s first focus on the twelve-hour clock, which is used in many English-speaking countries. 

1- Twelve-hour Clock 

Does six o’clock mean six o’clock in the morning in Polish, or in the evening? As you can see, using the twelve-hour clock may cause confusion. This is why, when the context isn’t clear, you should clarify what time of day you mean by adding certain expressions, similar to A.M. and P.M. in English: 

  • Dwunasta 

“12 o’clock”

  • Dwunasta w nocy / Północ 

“Twelve at night” / “Midnight”

  • Dwunasta w południe / Południe 

“12 P.M.” / “Midday” / “Noon”


Both “midnight” and “midday” are an exception to the rule, but otherwise, the way to say A.M. and P.M. in Polish is predictable. 

  • Pierwsza 

“1 o’clock”

  • Pierwsza rano 

“1 A.M.

  • Pierwsza po południu 

“1 P.M.

The next hours follow the same pattern as “1 o’clock.” So to express “A.M.,” we add rano after the name of the hour; to express “P.M.,” we add po południu.

  • Druga 

“2 o’clock”

  • Trzecia 

“3 o’clock”

  • Czwarta 

“4 o’clock”

  • Piąta 

“5 o’clock”

From six P.M. onwards, you don’t say szósta po południu, but szósta wieczorem meaning “6 in the evening”: 

  • Szósta 

“6 o’clock”

  • Szósta wieczorem 

“6 P.M.”

The pattern of saying “in the evening” in Polish continues for the remaining hours:

  • Siódma 

“7 o’clock”

  • Ósma 

“8 o’clock”

  • Dziewiąta 

“9 o’clock”

  • Dziesiąta 

“10 o’clock”

  • Jedenasta 

“11 o’clock”

How do you use them in a sentence? It’s very simple. Have a look: 

  • Która jest godzina w Polsce? 

“What is the time in Poland?”

  • Jest jedenasta rano. 

It’s 11 A.M.”

  • Jest ósma wieczorem. 

It’s 8 P.M.”

In other words, we simply use the conjugated verb jest and add the hour with or without the indicator for A.M./P.M. Just like in English, in Polish, people often use numbers instead of full written words (e.g. for “7 A.M.” they’d write 7 rano instead of siódma rano). 

2- Twenty-four-hour clock

A Hand Reaching for An Alarm Clock

Talking about the time using the twenty-four-hour clock is much simpler. It’s also less confusing as there are twenty-four hours in a day. When you name one of these hours, there’s no doubt what you mean:

  • Która godzina? 

“What time is it?”

  • Jest… 

“It’s…”

północ – 00:00 – “midnight”

pierwsza – 01:00 – “…1 A.M.”

…druga – 02:00 – “…2 A.M.”

trzecia – 03:00 – “…3 A.M.”

czwarta – 04:00 – “…4 A.M.”

piąta – 05:00 – “…5 A.M.”

szósta – 06:00 – “…6 A.M.”

siódma – 07:00 – “…7 A.M.”

ósma – 08:00 – “8 A.M.”

dziewiąta – 09:00 – “9 A.M.”

dziesiąta – 10:00 – “10 A.M.”

…jedenasta – 11:00 – “11 A.M.”

…dwunasta – 12:00 – “12 P.M.”

…trzynasta – 13:00 – “1 P.M.”

…czternasta – 14:00 – “2 P.M.”

…piętnasta – 15:00 – “3 P.M.”

…szesnasta – 16:00 – “4 P.M.”

…siedemnasta – 17:00 – “5 P.M.”

…osiemnasta – 18:00 – “6 P.M.”

dziewiętnasta – 19:00 – “7 P.M.”

dwudziesta – 20:00 – “8 P.M.”

dwudziesta pierwsza – 21:00 – “9 P.M.”

dwudziesta druga – 22:00 – “10 P.M.”

dwudziesta trzecia – 23:00 – “11 P.M.”

dwudziesta czwarta – 24:00 – “12 A.M.” 

The last expression is only acceptable in speech. In writing, you’d use the word at the beginning of the list: północ for “midnight.” 

3- Useful Expressions

Here’s a handful of useful expressions and examples of how to use them, so that you can do a bit more than just saying the time in Polish.

  • Jest już piąta po południu.

“It’s already 5 o’clock!”

  • Nie ma jeszcze czwartej. 

“It’s not 4 o’clock (yet).” 

  • Już prawie dwudziesta pierwsza

“It’s almost 9 P.M.” 

3. Minutes in Polish

A Timer

“A minute” in Polish is minuta. Using the hours and minutes together will allow you to give someone the exact time in Polish.

Let’s look at how to write time in Polish a few different ways:

  • Jest… 

“It’s…”

…11.38

…11:38

…1138 

…1138

If you don’t know the numbers in Polish well yet, study the numbers from 1-10 and 11-10:

  • Jest jedenasta trzydzieści osiem. 

“It’s eleven thirty-eight.”  

That reminds me of one special way of telling time in Poland. Since 1936, a “speaking clock” (zegarynka) has been telling time in Polish to everyone who calls a special number (19226).  

1- Using “Past” and “To” with Minutes

It’s useful to know how to use “past” (po) and “to” (za) when telling the time in Polish. The following examples show you how to use these words while answering the question: “What’s the current time in Poland?”:

  • Jest dwanaście po trzeciej.

“It’s 12 past 3.”

  • Jest dwadzieścia dwie po drugiej.

“It’s 22 past 2.”

Are you wondering why you see the word trzeciej instead of trzecia, and drugiej instead of druga? This is because nouns in Polish have cases. You can find out more about them by visiting the lesson Painless Polish Grammar.

After “half past,” we start to use “to” (za): 

  • Jest za dwadzieścia dwunasta

“It’s 20 to 12.” 

If we were to translate it literally, it’d be “It’s in 20 (minutes) 12.” It makes no sense in English, but shows you that the structure of how to say time in Polish with za and minutes is:

Za (“to”) + number of minutes “missing” + the upcoming hour 

Here’s another example: 

  • Jest za pięć ósma

“It’s 5 to 8.” (Or in literal translation “It’s in 5 [minutes] 8.”)

Did you notice that there’s no need to say what time of day it is? It’s because with conversations about the exact time, the context is almost certainly understandable for both speakers. 

2- Useful Expressions with “Minute”

“A minute” in Polish, just like in English, is used in a number of idiomatic expressions. You’ll find them below:

  • Potrzebna mi jeszcze minutka

“I need one more minute.”  

  • Czy masz minutę?

“Do you have a minute?”

Another way of saying the same thing is Czy masz chwilę? (“Do you have a spare moment?”)  

  • Zabierze Ci to dwie minuty. 

“It’ll take you two minutes.”

4. Polish Clock Time: “Half” and “Quarter”

A Close-up of Hands with One Touching a Watch

To become a pro in telling time in Polish, you need to acquire skills to talk about “halves” and “quarters.” 

1- Quarter Past and To

The good news is that you already know how to say: 

  • Jest dziewiąta piętnaście.

“It’s 9:15.”

  • Jest piętnaście po trzeciej.

“It’s 15 past 3.”

  • Jest za piętnaście czwarta.

“It’s 15 to 4.”

You can express the same idea by mentioning a “quarter” (kwadrans):

  • Jest kwadrans po drugiej. 

“It’s a quarter past two.” 

  • Jest za kwadrans dwunasta. 

“It’s a quarter to 12.” 

That wasn’t too difficult, was it? I have no idea why the BBC in the article 10 Facts about the Polish Language claims it’s one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn… 

2- Half Past and To

You also already know how to say “half past.” We covered this topic earlier on, but here’s a reminder on how to answer the question “What is the time in Poland?”: 

  • Jest trzynasta trzydzieści. 

“It’s 13:30.”

It’s also possible to say that thirty minutes are “missing” before a certain hour. In English there’s no such thing, but try to think about it as “half to.” To say “It’s 13:30” in this manner, you’d say: 

  • Jest w pół do drugiej. 

Literally: “It’s half to two.”

After jest, you need to add w pół do (“half to”) and the hour that’s about to come. Have a look at another example:

  • Jest w pół do czwartej. 

“It’s half past three.” (Literally: “It’s half to four.”)

I know it’s a new idea, but with some practice you’ll get the hang of it!

5. General Time References

Time

You already know that to say A.M. in Polish, we add rano to the hour. You also know that to say P.M. in Polish, we use po południu until five o’clock, and wieczorem from six o’clock onwards. There are also other time references that are useful when you’re trying to learn time in Polish:

wcześnie rano“early in the morning
wschód Słońca“sunrise”
wczesne popołudnie“early in the afternoon
zachód Słońca“sunset”

Here you can see the above-mentioned expressions used in sentences:

  • Wstaję wcześnie rano. 

“I wake up early in the morning.”

  • Oglądam wschód Słońca. 

“I watch the sunrise.” Noqw  Poland. For instance, in the morning, you should greet people by saying Dzień Dobry (“Good morning”) and in the evening you say Dobry wieczór (“Good evening”).

Would you like to learn more about this topic? Check out the lessons Saying Hello No Matter the Time of Day in Polish and Polish Farewells on PolishPod101. 

1- Weeks, Months, and Years

You know how to talk about specific parts of the day and how to answer the question “What time is it in Poland?”, but you should also learn other expressions referring to longer periods of time: 

tydzień — “week”

  • Tydzień to 7 dni. 

A week is 7 days.”

miesiąc — “month”  

  • Miesiąc to 30 lub 31 dni.

A month is 30 or 31 days.”

rok — “year”

  • Rok to 12 miesięcy.

A year is 12 months.”

Knowing how to tell time in Polish and how to ask for it are important skills, but it’s equally important for you to be able to talk about dates. If you don’t know how to do it yet, read our article about reading dates in Polish.

6. Adverbs of Time

Improve Listening

Adverbs of time are used to indicate when something happened or how long it lasted. They include the following: 

  • Mam czas teraz.

“I have time now.”

  • Obecnie jestem w Warszawie.

Currently I’m in Warsaw.”

  • Urodzili się w tym samym czasie.

“They were born at the same time.”

  • Piję kawę po śniadaniu.

“I drink coffee after breakfast.”

  • Jem śniadanie przed pracą.

“I eat breakfast before work.”

  • Niedługo skończę.

“I’ll finish soon.”

  • Wyjeżdżam na długi czas.

“I’m going away for a long time.”

  • Zrób to tak szybko jak to możliwe.

“Do it as soon as possible.”

7. Idiomatic Expressions, Proverbs, and Sayings

Basic Questions

You’ve mastered the skills you need to chat about the Polish clock time. Well done! Now, it’s time to learn a number of idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and sayings to enrich your Polish vocabulary.  

1- Idiomatic Expressions Related to Time

  • Marnujesz czas.

“You’re wasting your time.”

  • To strata czasu.

“It’s a waste of time.”

  • Nie ma czasu do stracenia.

“There’s no time to waste.”

There are also two Polish equivalents for “It’s high time…” (Najwyższy czas… and Najwyższa pora…):

  • Najwyższy czas/Najwyższa pora na naukę polskich przysłów.

“It’s high time to learn Polish proverbs.”

2- Proverbs and Sayings Related to Time

A Person with Multiple Arms, Holding Different Objects including an Alarm Clock

What English proverbs and sayings related to time are also used in Polish? Let’s have a look:

  • Czas to pieniądz.

“Time is money.”

  • Jak ten czas leci! / Ale ten czas leci! 

“Time flies.”

  • Czas leczy wszystkie rany. 

“Time heals all wounds.”

  • Komu w drogę, temu czas.

Roughly translated as “It’s time to go.” 

This proverb means that the faster you start doing something, the faster you’ll finish. 

  • Nie czas żałować róż, gdy płoną lasy. 

This proverb translates as “Don’t cry over roses, when the forest is on fire.” 

This is a reminder of priorities and the need to focus on the biggest problem first. 

8. Final Thoughts

We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about telling the time in Polish. You’ll have no problems answering the question “What is the time in Poland?”, giving people the exact time in Polish, or asking them about the time if you forget your watch. You’ve also memorized a number of useful expressions related to time. 

If you want to become more confident in your Polish skills, get a free account with PolishPod101. It’s an amazing opportunity to practice the language by listening to real life dialogue with native speakers on a platform available 24/7.  

Don’t forget to let us know what time it is where you are right now, in Polish. In case you have any questions, don’t be shy. We’re here for you!

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Essential Vocabulary for Directions in Polish

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Do you know your left from your right in Polish? Asking for directions can mean the difference between a heavenly day on the beach and a horrible day on your feet, hot and bothered and wondering how to even get back to the hotel. Believe me – I know! On my earlier travels, I didn’t even know simple terms like ‘go straight ahead’ or ‘go west,’ and I was always too shy to ask locals for directions. It wasn’t my ego, but rather the language barrier that held me back. I’ve ended up in some pretty dodgy situations for my lack of directional word skills.

This never needs to happen! When traveling in Poland, you should step out in confidence, ready to work your Polish magic and have a full day of exploring. It’s about knowing a few basic phrases and then tailoring them with the right directional words for each situation. Do you need to be pointed south in Polish? Just ask! Believe me, people are more willing to help than you might think. It’s when you ask in English that locals might feel too uncertain to answer you. After all, they don’t want to get you lost. For this reason, it also makes sense that you learn how to understand people’s responses. 

Asking directions in Poland is inevitable. So, learn to love it! Our job here at PolishPod101 is to give you the confidence you need to fully immerse and be the intrepid adventurer you are.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Around Town in Polish Table of Contents
  1. Talking about position and direction in Polish
  2. Getting directions in Polish
  3. Conclusion

1. Talking about position and direction in Polish

Have you ever tried saying the compass directions of north, south, east and west in Polish? These words are good to know, being the most natural and ancient method of finding direction. In the days before GPS – before the invention of the compass, even – knowing the cardinal directions was critical to finding the way. Certainly, if you were lost somewhere in the mountain regions now and using a map to navigate, you’d find them useful. Even more so if you and a Polish friend were adrift at sea, following the stars!

In most situations, though, we rely on body relative directions – your basic up, down, left and right, forward and backwards. Most cultures use relative directions for reference and Polish is no exception. Interestingly, in a few old languages there are no words for left and right and people still rely on cardinal directions every day. Can you imagine having such a compass brain?

A black compass on a colored map

Well, scientists say that all mammals have an innate sense of direction, so getting good at finding your way is just a matter of practice. It’s pretty cool to think that we were born already pre-wired to grasp directions; the descriptive words we invented are mere labels to communicate these directions to others! Thus, the need to learn some Polish positional vocabulary. So, without further ado… let’s dive in.

1- Top – szczyt

If planting a flag at the top of the highest mountain in Poland is a goal you’d rather leave for  adrenaline junkies, how about making it to the top of the highest building? Your view of the city will be one you’ll never forget, and you can take a selfie  for Twitter with your head in the clouds. 

man on the top rung of a ladder in the sky, about to topple off

2- Bottom – dno

The ‘bottom’ can refer to the lower end of a road, the foot of a mountain, or the ground floor of a building. It’s the place you head for after you’ve been to the top!

What are your favorite ‘bottoms’? I love the first rung of a ladder, the base of a huge tree or the bottom of a jungle-covered hill. What can I say? I’m a climber. Divers like the bottom of the ocean and foxes like the bottom of a hole. Since you’re learning Polish, hopefully you’ll travel from the top to the bottom of Poland.

3- Up – góra

This is a very common and useful word to know when seeking directions. You can go up the street, up an elevator, up a cableway, up a mountain… even up into the sky in a hot air balloon. It all depends on how far up you like to be!

Hot air balloons in a blue cloudy sky

4- Down – dół

What goes up, must surely come down. This is true of airplanes, flaming arrows and grasshoppers – either aeronautics or gravity will take care of that. In the case of traveling humans who don’t wish to go down at terminal velocity, it’s useful to know phrases such as, “Excuse me, where is the path leading back down this mountain?”

5- Middle – środek

In Lord of the Rings, Tolkien’s characters live in Middle-earth, which is just an ancient word for the inhabited world of men; it referred to the physical world, as opposed to the unseen worlds above and below it. The ancients also thought of the human world as vaguely in the middle of the encircling seas.

When we talk about the ‘middle’, we’re referring to a point that’s roughly between two horizontal lines – like the middle of the road or the middle of a river. While you’re unlikely to ask for directions to the ‘middle’ of anything, you might hear it as a response. For example, “You’re looking for the castle ruins? But they’re in the middle of the forest!”

Castle ruins in a forest

6- Center – środek

In Polish, the words for “middle” and “center” are the same. Technically, “center” means the exact central point of a circular area, equally distant from every point on the circumference.  When asking for directions to the center of town, though, we don’t mean to find a mathematically-accurate pinpoint!

Bull’s eye on a dartboard

7- Front – przód

The front is the place or position that is seen first; it’s the most forward part of something.  In the case of a hotel, the front is going to be easy to recognize, so if you call a taxi and are told to wait “in front of the hotel”, you won’t have a problem. It’s pretty cool how just knowing the main Polish directional words can help you locate something if there’s a good landmark nearby.

8- Back – tył

I once rented a house in a charming little street that was tucked away at the back of a popular mall. It was so easy to find, but my boss took three hours to locate it from 300 meters away. Why? Well, because she spoke no English and I had no clue what the word for ‘back’ was. All she heard, no matter which way I said it, was “mall, mall, mall”.  As a result, she hunted in front of and next to the mall until she was frazzled. 

Knowing how to describe the location of your own residence is probably the first Polish ‘directions’ you should practice. This skill will certainly come in handy if you’re lost and looking for your way home. 

9- Side – strona

If the place you’re looking for is at the ‘side’ of something, it will be located to the left or the right of that landmark. That could mean you’re looking for an alleyway beside a building, or a second entrance (as opposed to the main entrance). 

As an example, you might be told that your tour bus will be waiting at the right side of the building, not in front. Of course, then you’ll also need to understand “It’s on the right” in Polish.

Jeepney taxi parked at the side of a building

10- East – wschód

If you’re facing north, then east is the direction of your right hand. It’s the direction toward which the Earth rotates about its axis, and therefore the general direction from which the sun appears to rise. If you want to go east using a compass for navigation, you should set a bearing of 90°. 

We think of Asia as the ‘East’. Geographically, this part of the world lies in the eastern hemisphere, but there’s so much more that we’ve come to associate with this word. The East signifies ancient knowledge and is symbolic of enlightenment in many cultures.

Monks reading on a boulder in front of a Buddha statue

11- West – zachód

West is the opposite to east and it’s the direction in which the sun sets. To go west using a compass, you’ll set a bearing of 270 degrees. 

If you were on the planet Venus, which rotates in the opposite direction from the Earth (retrograde rotation), the Sun would rise in the west and set in the east… not that you’d be able to see the sun through Venus’s opaque clouds. 

Culturally, the West refers mainly to the Americas and Europe, but also to Australia and New Zealand, which are geographically in the East. The Western way of thinking is very different to that of the East. One of the most striking differences is individualism versus collectivism. In the West, we grew up with philosophies of freedom and independence, whereas in the East concepts of unity are more important. 

Food for thought: as a traveler who’s invested in learning the languages and cultures of places you visit, you have an opportunity to become a wonderfully balanced thinker – something the world needs more of.

12- North – północ

North is the top point of a map and when navigating, you’d set a compass bearing of 360 degrees if you want to go that way. Globes of the earth have the north pole at the top, and we use north as the direction by which we define all other directions.

If you look into the night sky, the North Star (Polaris) marks the way due north. It’s an amazing star, in that it holds nearly still in our sky while the entire northern sky moves around it. That’s because it’s located nearly at the north celestial pole – the point around which the entire northern sky turns. Definitely a boon for lost travelers!

The North Star with the Big Dipper in a night sky

13- South – południe

South is the opposite of north, and it’s perpendicular to the east and west. You can find it with a compass if you set your bearings to 180 degrees. 

The south celestial pole is the point around which the entire southern sky appears to turn. In the night sky of the southern hemisphere, the Southern Cross is a very easy to find constellation with four points in the shape of a diamond. If you come from the southern hemisphere, chances are your dad or mum pointed it out to you when you were a kid. You can use the Southern Cross to find south if traveling by night, so it’s well worth figuring it out!

14- Outside – na zewnątrz

This word refers to any place that is not under a roof. Perhaps you’ve heard talk about some amazing local bands that will be playing in a nearby town on the weekend. If it’s all happening outside, you’ll be looking for a venue in a park, a stadium or some other big open space. Come rain or shine, outside definitely works for me!

A young woman on someone’s shoulders at an outdoor concert

15- Inside – w środku

I can tolerate being inside if all the windows are open, or if I’m watching the latest Homeland episode. How about you? I suppose going shopping for Polish-style accessories would be pretty fun, too, and that will (mostly) be an inside affair. 

16- Opposite – przeciwny

This is a great word to use as a reference point for locating a place. It’s right opposite that other place! In other words, if you stand with your back to the given landmark, your destination will be right in front of you. 

17- Adjacent – obok

So, the adorable old man from next door, who looks about ninety-nine, explains in Polish that the food market where he works is adjacent to the community hall on the main road. ‘Adjacent’ just means next to or adjoining something else, so… head for the hall! 

While you’re marveling at the wondrous and colorful displays of Polish food, think about how all of these delicious stalls lie adjacent to one another. Having a happy visual association with a new word is a proven way to remember it!

Outdoor food market fruit display

18- Toward – w kierunku

To go toward something is to go in its direction and get closer to it. This word can often appear in a sentence with ‘straight ahead’, as in:

“Go straight ahead, toward the park.”

If you’ve come to Poland to teach English, you might have to ask someone how to find your new school. Depending on what town you’re in, you could simply head toward the residential area at lunch time. You’ll see (and probably hear) the primary school soon enough – it will be the big fenced building with all the kids running around the yard!

19- Facing – naprzeciw

If you look at yourself in a mirror, you’ll be facing your reflection. In other words: you and your reflection look directly at each other.  Many plush hotels are ocean-facing or river-facing, meaning the main entrance is pointed directly at the water, and the beach out front faces the hotel. 

20- Beside – obok

I know of a special little place where there’s a gym right beside a river. You can watch the sun go down over the water while working out – it’s amazing. What’s more, you can park your scooter beside the building and it will still be there when you come out.

21- Corner – róg

I love a corner when it comes to directions. A street corner is where two roads meet at an angle – often 90 degrees – making it easier to find than a location on a straight plane. 

“Which building is the piano teacher in, sir?”

“Oh, that’s easy – it’s the one on the corner.”

The key to a corner is that it leads in two directions. It could form a crossroads, a huge intersection, or it could be the start of a tiny one-way cobblestone street with hidden treasures waiting in the shadow of the buildings.

A white and yellow building on the corner of two streets

22- Distant – odległy

When a location is distant, it’s in an outlying area. This Polish word refers to the remoteness of the site, not to how long it takes to get there. For that reason, it’s a very good idea to write the directions down, rather than try to memorize them in Polish. Even better, get a Polish person to write them down for you. This may seem obvious, but always include the location of your starting point! Any directions you’re given will be relative to the exact place you’re starting from.

Man lost on a dusty road, looking at a road map and scratching his head

23- Far – daleko

This word has a similar meaning to the previous one, but it speaks more about the fact that it will take some time to get there. If you’re told that your destination is “far”,  you’ll no doubt want to go by public transport if you don’t have your own vehicle. Get your hands on a road map and have the directions explained to you using this map. Don’t hesitate to bring out the highlighters. 

24- Close – blisko

This word is always a good one to hear when you have your heart set on a very relaxing day in the sun. It means there’s only a short distance to travel, so you can get there in a heartbeat and let the tanning commence. Remember to grab your Nook Book – learning is enhanced when you’re feeling happy and unencumbered. Being close to ‘home’ also means you can safely steal maximum lazy hours and leave the short return trip for sunset! 

A smiling woman lying in a hammock on the beach

25- Surrounding – otaczać

If something is surrounding you, it is on every side and you are enclosed by it – kind of like being in a boat. Of course, we’re not talking about deep water here, unless you’re planning on going fishing. Directions that include this word are more likely to refer to the surrounding countryside, or any other features that are all around the place you’re looking for.

A polar bear stuck on a block of ice, completely surrounded by water.

26- All sides – wszystkie strony

Another useful descriptive Polish term to know is ‘all sides’. It simply means that from a particular point, you will be able to see the same features to the front, back and sides of you. It doesn’t necessarily imply you’ll be completely surrounded, just more-or-less so. Say, for example, you’re visiting the winelands for the day. When you get there, you’ll see vineyards on all sides of you. How stunning! Don’t neglect to sample the local wines – obviously. 

27- Next to – obok

The person giving you directions is probably standing next to you. The place being described as ‘next to’ something is in a position immediately to one side of it. It could refer to adjoining buildings, neighbouring stores, or the one-legged beggar who sits next to the beautiful flower vendor on weekdays. ‘Next to’ is a great positional term, as everything is next to something! 

“Excuse me, Ma’am.  Where is the train station?”

“It’s that way – next to the tourist market.”

28- Above – nad

This is the direction you’ll be looking at if you turn your head upwards. Relative to where your body is, it’s a point higher than your head. If you’re looking for the location of a place that’s ‘above’ something, it’s likely to be on at least the first floor of a building; in other words, above another floor.

‘Above’ could also refer to something that will be visible overhead when you get to the right place. For example, the road you’re looking for might have holiday decorations strung up from pole to pole above it. In the cities, this is very likely if there’s any kind of festival going on.

View from below of a carnival swing, with riders directly above the viewer

29- Under – pod

Under is the opposite of above, and refers to a place that lies beneath something else. In the case of directions in Polish, it could refer to going under a bridge – always a great landmark – or perhaps through a subway. In some parts of the world, you can even travel through a tunnel that’s under the sea!

Of course, you might just be missing your home brew and looking for an awesome coffee shop that happens to be under the very cool local gym you were also looking for. Nice find!

2. Getting directions in Polish

The quickest and easiest way to find out how to get where you’re going is simply to ask someone. Most people on the streets of Poland won’t mind being asked at all and will actually appreciate your attempt to ask directions in Polish. After all, most tourists are more inclined to ask in their own language and hope for the best. How pedestrian is that, though?

Asking directions

I know, I know – you normally prefer to find your own way without asking. Well, think of it like this: you obviously need to practice asking questions in Polish as much as you need to practice small talk, counting, or ordering a beer. Since you can’t very well ask a complete stranger if they would please help you count to five hundred, you’ll have to stick with asking directions!

We spoke earlier about body relative directions and these tend to be the ones we use most. For example:

“Turn left.”

“Go straight.”

“Turn right.” 

Remember, too, that your approach is important. Many people are wary of strangers and you don’t want to scare them off. It’s best to be friendly, direct and get to the point quickly.  A simple ‘Hi, can you help me?” or “Excuse me, I’m a bit lost,” will suffice. If you have a map in your hand, even better, as your intentions will be clear. 

The bottom line is that if you want to find your way around Poland with ease, it’s a good idea to master these basic phrases. With a little practice, you can also learn how to say directions in Polish. Before you know it, you’ll be the one explaining the way!

3. Conclusion

Now that you have over thirty new directional phrases you can learn in Polish, there’s no need to fear losing your way when you hit the streets of Poland. All you need is a polite approach and your own amazing smile, and the locals will be excited to help you. It’s a chance for them to get better at explaining things to a foreigner, too. Most will enjoy that!

I advise keeping a few things handy in your day pack: a street map, a highlighter, a small notebook and pen, and your Polish phrasebook. It would be useful to also have the Polish WordPower app installed on your phone – available for both iPhone and Android

Here’s a quick challenge to get you using the new terms right away. Can you translate these directions into Polish?

“It’s close. Go straight ahead to the top of the hill and turn left at the corner. The building is on the right, opposite a small bus stop.”

You’re doing amazingly well to have come this far! Well done on tackling the essential topic of ‘directions’ – it’s a brave challenge that will be immensely rewarding. Trust me, when you’re standing at a beautiful location that you found just by knowing what to ask in Polish, you’re going to feel pretty darn good.

If you’re as excited as I am about taking Polish to an even deeper level, we have so much more to offer you. Did you know that we’ve already had over 1 billion lesson downloads? I know – we’re blown away by that, too. It’s amazing to be bringing the world’s languages to people who are so hungry for learning. Let me share some of our best options for you:

  • If you haven’t done so already, grab your free lifetime account as a start. You’ll get audio and video lessons, plus vocabulary building tools. 
  • My favorite freebie is the word of the day, which will arrive in your inbox every morning. Those are the words I remember best!
  • Start listening to Polish music. I’m serious – it really works to make the resistant parts of the brain relax and accept the new language. Read about it here for some tips.
  • If you enjoy reading, we have some great iBooks for your daily commute.
  • If you have a Kindle and prefer to do your reading on a picnic blanket,  there are over 6 hours of unique lessons in Polish for you right there.

That’s it for today! Join PolishPod101 to discover many more ways that we can offer you a truly fun and enriching language learning experience. Happy travels!

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Useful Polish Phrases: Compliments for Every Occasion

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Among useful Polish phrases, compliments are particularly handy in social situations. Giving a compliment can make you feel good, and also bring joy to the lives of others. What are the best Polish compliments, though? Keep reading and you’ll learn how to compliment people in Polish in any situation.

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Table of Contents

  1. Complimenting Someone’s Appearance
  2. Praising Someone in Polish for Their Work
  3. Complimenting Someone on Their Skills
  4. Making Compliments Sound More Sincere
  5. What to Expect After You Give a Compliment
  6. Final Thoughts

1. Complimenting Someone’s Appearance

A Pageant Queen

We all compliment someone’s appearance from time to time. And yet, sometimes people may feel offended by certain remarks.

The easiest way to avoid making someone feel uncomfortable is to consider the context before complimenting them. Shouting “You are beautiful!” in Polish (Jesteś piękna!) to a woman or “You’re handsome!” (Jesteś przystojny!) to a man on the street is an example of bad manners. In fact, catcalling is a form of street harassment.

Similarly, commenting on someone’s appearance is often inappropriate in professional contexts, such as a job interview or a shareholder meeting.

You should save such compliments for positive acquaintances, friends, and family.

1- Polish Compliments to a Girl or Woman

There’s a number of lovely Polish compliments to a girl or woman you can use. Here are some compliments in Polish for women of any age:

A- Hair

  • Bardzo ładnie ci w tych włosach! (“This hairstyle looks great on you!”)
  • Masz bardzo zadbane włosy. (“Your hair is in great shape!”)
  • Bardzo fajna fryzura! (“What a cool haircut!”)
  • Super cięcie! (“Great haircut!”)

B- Outfit

  • Ale śliczna sukienka! (“What a lovely dress!”)
  • Fajna stylówka! (“Cool style!”)
  • Do twarzy ci w tym kolorze! (“This color suits you!”)
  • Ekstra/super bluzka! (“I love your shirt!”)
  • Podoba mi się twoja torebka. (“I like your handbag.”)
  • Gdzie kupiłaś ten sweter? Jest przepiękny! (“Where did you buy this sweater? It’s gorgeous!”)

Learn more words for clothes in Polish to expand your complimenting abilities!

C- Smile

  • Masz bardzo ładny uśmiech. (“You have a very pretty smile.”)
  • Pięknie się uśmiechasz. (“You smile beautifully.”)

D- General compliments on appearance

  • Jesteś najpiękniejszą kobietą, jaką kiedykolwiek widziałem. (“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”)

This phrase can be said to a woman by a man in a romantic context. If a woman wanted to say it, the form of the verb widzieć (“to see”) would change to widziałam.

  • Świetnie/Super/Ekstra wyglądasz! (“You look great!”)

We could compliment a man in the same way.

  • Macierzyństwo ci służy! (“Motherhood suits you!”)

The literal meaning is closer to: “Motherhood serves you well!”) It’s a Polish compliment specifically for women who’ve become mothers.

  • Z roku na rok wyglądasz coraz lepiej! (“You look better every year!”)

This phrase is stereotypically considered one of the top Polish compliments for a girl or woman.

  • Zżera mnie zazdrość jak na ciebie patrzę. (“I’m green with envy when I look at you.”)

This is a compliment in Polish told by a woman to a woman.

2- Polish Compliments for Men on Appearance

A Man

Compliments about a man’s smile and hair would be the same as for women, even though they’re certainly used less often. You can also compliment a man on the following:

A- Outfit

  • Podoba mi się Twój garnitur. (“I like your suit.”)
  • Fajne jeansy! (“Cool jeans.”)
  • Szykowna marynarka! (“Stylish jacket!”)
  • Nieźle sie odstawiłeś! (“You look very fancy.”)

The last expression is humorous and can be used in a mean way, so make sure you’re on good terms with someone and that they get your sense of humor before you use it.

B- General compliments on looks

  • Jesteś najwspanialszym mężczyzną, jakiego znam. (“You’re the best man I know.”)

This phrase is romantic in nature. Are you keen to learn more about romance and love in Polish?

  • Kim jest ten przystojniak? (“Who’s that handsome man?”)

Another humorous way to comment on the fact that someone looks good.

  • Bardzo wyprzystojniałeś. (“You’ve gotten much more handsome.”)

This one is a compliment often used for someone who we’ve known as a child or teenager.

  • Nieźle się trzymasz. (“You still look good.”)

This expression is used for someone who’s aging well. Are you still unsure of how to compliment a guy? Wikihow to the rescue!

2. Praising Someone in Polish for Their Work

A Group of People Representing Different Professions

Everyone likes to feel appreciated, which is why it’s so important to know the best Polish compliments to give on a job well done. If you don’t feel confident about your work-related Polish vocabulary, go to our jobs/work vocabulary builder.

1- General Work-Related Compliments

There’s a number of Polish compliments applicable in many work-related situations. They include:

  • Dobra robota! (“Good job!”)
  • Widać, że się starał! (“I can tell you’ve put a lot of work into it!”) [to a man]
  • Widać, że się starał! (“I can tell you’ve put a lot of work into it!”) [to a woman]
  • Zasłużył na pochwałę! (“You’ve earned your praise!”) [to a man]
  • Zasłużył na pochwałę! (“You’ve earned your praise!”) [to a woman]

By the same token, you could humorously suggest that someone’s work is so good that he or she deserves a raise:

  • Zasłużył na podwyżkę! (“You should get a raise!”) [to a man]
  • Zasłużył na podwyżkę! (“You should get a raise!”) [to a woman]
  • Twoje wyniki przerosły moje oczekiwania. (“Your results have surpassed my expectations.”)

2- Specific Compliments on Someone’s Work

There are also many compliments you can use in specific situations, depending on the gender of the noun:

A- Feminine

  • Bardzo podobała mi się twoja prezentacja. (“I’ve really enjoyed your presentation.”)
  • Ciekawa przemowa. (“An interesting talk.”)
  • Znakomita sugestia. (“An excellent suggestion.”)

B- Masculine

  • Bardzo podoba mi się twój pomysł. (“I really like your idea.”)
  • Ciekawy plan. (“An interesting plan.”)
  • Znakomity raport. (“An excellent report.”)

C- Neutral

  • Bardzo podobało mi się twoje wystąpienie. (“I’ve really enjoyed your speech.”)
  • Ciekawe podejście. (“An interesting approach.”)
  • Znakomite podsumowanie. (“An excellent summary.”)

3. Complimenting Someone on Their Skills

Compliments

Sometimes, in your private life, you may want to compliment a friend or an acquaintance on their skills. After all, complimenting someone in Poland may earn you brownie points.

One thing to remember is that Polish compliments for a girl or woman are often different than those for a man. This is due to the changes in the form of adjectives and gender-dependent nouns.

Learn high-frequency adjectives in Polish, and then get ready to use them in Polish compliments!

1- Saying Nice Things About Someone’s Cooking

A Person Seasoning a Dish

If someone makes an effort to cook for you, you should at least know how to say how much you’ve enjoyed the meal. By the way, have you ever tried Polish cuisine?

  • Jesteś świetną kuchar. (“You’re a great cook.”) [to a woman]
  • Jesteś świetnym kucharzem. (“You’re a great cook.”) [to a man]
  • Naprawdę pycha, dziękuję! (“It’s really delicious, thank you.”)
  • Świetnie gotujesz. (“You’re a great cook.”) [Literally: “You cook great.]
  • Przepyszna sałatka [or other feminine noun]. (“Great salad!”)
  • Przepyszny makaron [or other masculine noun]. (“Great pasta!”)
  • Niebo w gębie. Dasz mi przepis? (“Super-tasty! Can you give me the recipe?”) [Niebo w gębie is an idiomatic slang expression that literally means “Heaven in the mouth.”]

2- Praising Someone’s Artistic Skills

When a friend unleashes their inner artist, there’s nothing nicer for them than hearing some genuine appreciation for their skills. Here’s a number of handy phrases to use for that purpose:

A- Photography

  • Masz naprawdę dobre oko. (“You have a really good eye for photography.”)
  • Piękne ujęcie! (“What a beautiful shot!”)
  • Gdzie się nauczył robić takie świetne zdjęcia? (“Where did you learn to take such great pictures?”) [to a man]
  • Gdzie się nauczył robić takie świetne zdjęcia? (“Where did you learn to take such great pictures?”) [to a woman]
  • Super zdjęcie! (“Great picture!”)

Curious for more photography words? Listen to this conversation about a Polish photograph!

B- Painting

  • Świetnie malujesz! (“You paint well!”)
  • To ty to namalow? (“You’re the one who painted it?”) [to a woman]
  • To ty to namalow? (“You’re the one who painted it?”) [to a man]

These expressions, through doubt, introduce a suggestion that something is almost too good to be done by a non-professional. Such compliments are not uncommon in Polish culture.

  • Ten pies [or other masculine noun] wygląda jak żywy. (“This dog looks as if he was real.”)
  • Ta kobieta [or other feminine noun] wygląda jak żywa. (“This woman looks as if she was real.”)
  • To dziecko [or other neuter noun] wygląda jak żywe. (“This child looks as if it was real.”)

Żywy literally means “alive,” but in this context, it translates as “real.”

  • Przepiękny obraz! (“What a stunning painting!”)

C- Playing an instrument

A Young Man Playing the Piano

  • Pięknie grasz! (“You play beautifully!”)
  • Jesteś bardzo uzdolnioną pianist/saksofonist/gitarzyst. (“You’re a very talented pianist/saxophone player/guitar player.”) [to a woman]
  • Jesteś bardzo uzdolnionym pianistą/saksofonistą/gitarzystą. (“You’re a very talented pianist/saxophone player/guitar player.”) [to a man]
  • Grasz jak anioł! (“You play like an angel!”)

To learn how to talk about hobbies in Polish, don’t forget to go to our lesson “What do you do in your free time in Poland?”

3- Compliments About Language Skills

As a language-learner, you should know that learning a foreign language isn’t easy and that it’s extremely nice to be complimented on your skills. Here’s how you can say a few nice words about someone’s language fluency in Polish:

  • Świetnie mówisz po angielsku. (“You speak English very well.”)
  • Mówisz po włosku jak native speaker. (“You speak Italian like a native speaker.”)
  • Mówisz po niemiecku, jakbyś urodził się w Niemczech. (“You speak German as if you were born in Germany.”) [to a man]
  • Mówisz po niemiecku, jakbyś urodziła się w Niemczech. (“You speak German as if you were born in Germany.”) [to a woman]
  • Masz bardzo bogate słownictwo. (“You have a very rich vocabulary.”)
  • Jestem pod wrażeniem twoich zdolności językowych. (“I’m impressed by your language skills.”)

A Number of Dictionaries

Do you know how to brag about your own language skills in Polish? If not, check out our lesson “Who wants to be a polyglot?”

4. Making Compliments Sound More Sincere

Positive Feelings

Knowing the best Polish compliments is one thing, and knowing when to give them so that they sound natural is another. Below, you can find tips on making your compliments sound more sincere.

1. Speak only the truth.

The best way to make your compliments more sincere is being honest. Don’t tell someone you like their new hairstyle just because you think that’s what’s expected.

2. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.

Only give the compliments you mean, and if you have nothing nice to say, remain quiet. This means you should refrain from negativity. Your sincere compliment later on will mean nothing if you manage to offend someone beforehand.

3. Comment on specific things.

Vague compliments such as Wyglądasz świetnie! (“You look great!”) can be nice, but people prefer specific compliments, as they come off as more genuine. That’s why Uwielbiam takie kolorowe kolczyki! (“I love such colorful earrings!”) sounds more like it’s coming from the heart than simply saying Fajne kolczyki! (“Cool earrings!”)

4. Smile and look people in the eye.

A sincere smile and looking people in the eye are sure ways to make a compliment feel genuine.

5. Respect people’s personal space.

Polish people are much less touchy than, for instance, Americans or people in some other nations. You don’t want to come off as pushy or flirty, if that’s not your intention. Observe your environment and ask around to learn how close you should get to a person and in what situations touch is appropriate.

If you feel like you need more help, read the guide on Wikihow “How to Give a Compliment.” Psychology Today is also there for you to tell you about 9 types of compliments that do and don’t work.

5. What to Expect After You Give a Compliment

Polish people enjoy compliments just like people in any other nation. However, compliments in Polish culture are often diminished by people who receive them. For instance, if you praise someone’s piano-playing skills with:

  • Pięknie grasz na pianinie. (“You play the piano beautifully.”)

You can expect a reply of Dziękuję (“Thank you”), followed by something along the lines of: To tylko zasługa mojego nauczyciela. (“It’s only because of my teacher.”)

A Thank You Note

Other ways to say “thanks” for the compliment in Polish include:

  • Dzięki, ale to nic wielkiego! (“Thanks, but it’s nothing special!”)
  • Naprawdę tak sądzisz? Dzięki! (“Do you really think so? Thanks!”)
  • Dzięki wielkie! (“Thanks a lot!”)

Trip Savvy has some great information on the intricacies of the Polish culture, if you would like to learn even more!

6. Final Thoughts

Today, you’ve learned many useful Polish phrases. Compliments, after all, are an indispensable communication tool. Polish compliment translations don’t always have exact matches in English, but there’s a wide variety of compliments in this language.

Whenever you need Polish compliments for a girl, woman, or man, you can consult our article again to find them. You can also read about the top 10 compliments you always want to hear in Polish. Which compliment would you like to hear the most? Let us know in the comments section before you go.

PolishPod101.com can offer you much more than just Polish compliments, though. If you want to learn how to speak Polish from scratch, PolishPod101 is a perfect tool for that. Get your free lifetime account now and access thousands of audio and video lessons, lesson materials, and other learning tools on your mobile device of choice.

Happy learning!

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