Polish phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Polish with translation. | Free & useful
Polish phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of Polish culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
Polish phrases you should know
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Polish phrases and dialogues today.
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Greet someone in Polish
If you want to greet someone in Polish, it’s actually quite easy:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! | Witamy! | [ˈvʲitami] |
| Good day to you! | Dzień dobry! | [d͡ʑɛɲ ˈdɔbrɨ] |
| Good morning to you! | Witaj rano! | [ˈvʲitaj ˈra.nɔ] |
| Good evening! | Dobry wieczór! | [ˈdɔbrɨ ˈvʲɛ.t͡ʂur] |
| Good to see you. | Miło cię widzieć. | [ˈmiwɔ t͡ɕɛ ˈvʲidʑɛt͡ʂ] |
| I’m glad to see you. | Cieszę się, że cię widzę. | [ˈt͡ɕɛʂɛ ɕɛ ʐɛ t͡ɕɛ ˈvʲid.zɛ] |
If you are greeted in Polish, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | Również miłego dnia! | [ˈruvɲɛʐ miˈwɛɡɔ ˈdɲa] |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | Dziękuję, miło cię widzieć również. | [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, ˈmiwɔ t͡ɕɛ ˈvʲidʑɛt͡ʂ ˈruvɲɛʐ] |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | Jak się masz? | [jak ɕɛ maʃ] |
| Are you doing well? | Czy wszystko w porządku? | [t͡ʂɨ fʂɨsˈtʂʨɔ v pɔˈʐɔntku] |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Dziękuję, że zapytałeś, mam się dobrze. | [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, ʐɛ zapɨˈtaˈwɛɕ, mam ɕɛ ˈdɔbʐɛ] |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Dziękuję, mam się dobrze. | [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, mam ɕɛ ˈdɔbʐɛ] |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Dziękuję, nie czuję się zbyt dobrze. | [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, ɲɛ ˈt͡ʂuje ɕɛ zbɨt ˈdɔbʐɛ] |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Dzięki, mam się dobrze. Jak się masz? | [ˈd͡ʑɛŋki, mam ɕɛ ˈdɔbʐɛ. jak ɕɛ maʃ] |
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How do I say goodbye to someone in Polish?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Polish is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | Do widzenia! | [dɔ vʲidˈzɛɲa] |
| Take care of yourself! | Dbaj o siebie! | [d̪baj ɔ ˈɕɛbʲɛ] |
| Goodbye | Do widzenia | [dɔ vʲidˈzɛɲa] |
| See you tomorrow | Do zobaczenia jutro | [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈjutɾɔ] |
| See you soon | Do zobaczenia wkrótce | [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈfkrut͡sɛ] |
| See you later | Do zobaczenia później | [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈpuʐɲɛj] |
| Good night | Dobranoc | [dɔˈbrɑːnɔt͡s] |
| Sleep well | Śpij dobrze | [ɕpʲij ˈdɔbʐɛ] |
| Talk to you later. | Porozmawiamy później | [pɔrɔzˈmaːvjami ˈpuʐɲɛj] |
| Nice to have met you! | Miło cię poznać! | [ˈmiwɔ t͡ɕɛ ˈpɔznat͡ʂ] |
How do I introduce myself in Polish?
When travelling in Poland, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Polish and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Mam na imię Jonas. | [mam na ˈimʲɛ ˈjɔnas] |
| What is your name? | Jak masz na imię? | [jak maʂ na ˈimʲɛ] |
| What is your surname? | Jakie jest twoje nazwisko? | [ˈjakjɛ jɛst ˈtvɔjɛ nazˈfisko] |
| What is your first name? | Jakie jest twoje imię? | [ˈjakjɛ jɛst ˈtvɔjɛ ˈimʲɛ] |
| What is your surname? | Jakie jest twoje nazwisko? | [ˈjakjɛ jɛst ˈtvɔjɛ nazˈfisko] |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | Skąd pochodzisz? | [skɔnt pɔˈxɔd͡ʑiʂ] |
| I am from London. | Jestem z Londynu. | [ˈjɛstɛm z lɔnˈdɨnu] |
| Are you from Birmingham? | Czy jesteś z Birmingham? | [t͡ʂɨ ˈjɛstɛɕ z ˈbɨrmɪŋəm] |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | Nie, jestem z Madrytu. | [ɲɛ, ˈjɛstɛm z maˈdrɨtu] |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | Świetnie, ja też jestem z Madrytu. | [ˈɕfjɛtɲɛ, ja tɛʂ ˈjɛstɛm z maˈdrɨtu] |
| Where do you live? | Gdzie mieszkasz? | [ɡʑɛ ˈmʲɛʂkaʂ] |
| I live in Berlin. | Mieszkam w Berlinie. | [ˈmʲɛʂkam f bɛrˈlʲinʲɛ] |
If you have problems with your Polish, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Polish | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Czy mówisz po angielsku? | [t͡ʂɨ ˈmufʲiʂ pɔ ãɡʲɛlˈsku] |
| Yes, I speak English. | Tak, mówię po angielsku. | [tak, ˈmufʲɛ pɔ ãɡʲɛlˈsku] |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Tak, mówię trochę po angielsku. | [tak, ˈmufʲɛ ˈtɾɔxɛ pɔ ãɡʲɛlˈsku] |
| No, I do not speak any English. | Nie, nie mówię wcale po angielsku. | [ɲɛ, ɲɛ ˈmufʲɛ ˈfʲt͡sɑːlɛ pɔ ãɡʲɛlˈsku] |
| I only speak English. | Mówię tylko po angielsku. | [ˈmufʲɛ ˈtɪlkɔ pɔ ãɡʲɛlˈsku] |
| I understand some Polish. | Rozumiem trochę po polsku. | [rɔˈzuːjɛm ˈtɾɔxɛ pɔ ˈpɔlskʊ] |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Polish and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | Jestem Anglikiem. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm anˈɡlʲi.kʲɛm/ |
| I am injured. | Jestem ranny. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈran.nɨ/ |
| I am here. | Jestem tutaj. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈtu.taj/ |
| I am hungry. | Jestem głodny. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈɡwɔd.nɨ/ |
| I am thirsty. | Chce mi się pić. | /ˈxʨɛ mi ɕɛ ˈpit͡ɕ/ |
| I am a single person. | Jestem osobą singlową. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ɔˈsɔ.bɔ̃ ˈsin.ɡlɔ.vɔ̃/ |
| I need help! | Potrzebuję pomocy! | /pɔˈtʂɛ.bujɛ pɔˈmɔ.t͡sɨ/ |
| I am tired. | Jestem zmęczony. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈzmɛn.t͡ʂɔ.nɨ/ |
| I am happy. | Jestem szczęśliwy. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈʂt͡ʂɛ̃ɕ.lʲi.vɨ/ |
| I am sad. | Jestem smutny. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈsmut.nɨ/ |
| I am in love. | Jestem zakochany. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm za.kɔˈxan.ɨ/ |
| I am ill. | Jestem chory. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈxɔ.rɨ/ |
| I am ready. | Jestem gotowy. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ɡɔˈtɔ.vɨ/ |
| I am busy. | Jestem zajęty. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm zaˈjɛ̃tɨ/ |
| I am lost. | Jestem zgubiony. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm zɡuˈbʲɔ.nɨ/ |
| I am a tourist. | Jestem turystą. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm tuˈrɨ.stɔ̃/ |
| I am new here. | Jestem tu nowy. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm tu ˈnɔ.vɨ/ |
| I am confident. | Jestem pewny siebie. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈpɛv.nɨ ˈɕi.bʲɛ/ |
| I am proud. | Jestem dumny. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈdum.nɨ/ |
| I am a teacher. | Jestem nauczycielem. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm naʊ.t͡ʂɨˈt͡ʂjɛ.lɛm/ |
| I am late. | Jestem spóźniony. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm spuʑˈnʲɔ.nɨ/ |
| I am 30 years old. | Mam 30 lat. | /mam ˈtɾɨˈd͡ʐɨt͡ɕi lat/ |
| I am in a hurry. | Śpieszę się. | /ˈɕpʲɛʂɛ ɕɛ/ |
| I am happy. | Jestem szczęśliwy. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈʂt͡ʂɛ̃ɕ.lʲi.vɨ/ |
| I am surprised. | Jestem zaskoczony. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm zas.kɔˈt͡ʂɔ.nɨ/ |
| I am angry. | Jestem zły. | /ˈjɛs.tɛm zwɨ/ |
Apologising in Polish
Here’s how to apologise to a Polish speaker:
| English | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Przepraszam. | /pʂɛˈpraʂam/ |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Przepraszam, to nie było zamierzone. | /pʂɛˈpraʂam, tɔ nʲɛ ˈbʲiˈwɔ zaˈmjɛˈrɔ.nɛ/ |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Przepraszam, nie zrobiłem tego celowo. | /pʂɛˈpraʂam, nʲɛ zroˈbʲiɛm ˈtɛɡɔ ˈt͡sɛ.lɔ.vɔ/ |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Przepraszam, to było bardzo niezdarne z mojej strony. | /pʂɛˈpraʂam, tɔ ˈbɨwɔ ˈbar.d͡zɔ ˈɲɛz.dar.nɛ z ˈmɔ.jɛj ˈstrɔ.nɨ/ |
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Useful signs and notices in Polish
Useful signs and messages in Polish that you will often see.
| English | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Wejście | /ˈvɛjɕt͡ɕɛ/ |
| Toilet | Toaleta | /tɔaˈlɛta/ |
| Exit | Wyjście | /ˈvɨjɕt͡ɕɛ/ |
| Attention! | Uwaga! | /uˈvaɡa/ |
| Police | Policja | /pɔˈlʲit͡sja/ |
| Emergency services | Służby ratunkowe | /ˈswuʐbɨ raˈtunkɔvɛ/ |
| Fire brigade | Straż pożarna | /straz pɔˈʐarna/ |
| Passage forbidden. | Przejście zabronione. | /ˈpʂɛjɕt͡ɕɛ zaˈbrɔɲɔnɛ/ |
| Caution! | Ostrzeżenie! | /ɔsˈtʂɛʐɛɲɛ/ |
| This building is under video surveillance. | Ten budynek jest objęty monitoringiem wideo. | /tɛn buˈdɨnɛk jɛst ɔbˈjɛntɨ mɔnɪˈtɔrɪŋʲɛm vʲiˈdɛɔ/ |
Numbers to 25 in Polish
Counting in Polish is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Polish from 1 to 25.
| English Number | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | jeden | /ˈjɛ.dɛn/ |
| 2 | dwa | /dva/ |
| 3 | trzy | /t͡ʂɨ/ |
| 4 | cztery | /ˈt͡ʂtɛ.rɨ/ |
| 5 | pięć | /pʲɛɲt͡ɕ/ |
| 6 | sześć | /ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ |
| 7 | siedem | /ˈɕɛ.dɛm/ |
| 8 | osiem | /ˈɔ.ɕɛm/ |
| 9 | dziewięć | /d͡ʑɛˈvʲɛɲt͡ɕ/ |
| 10 | dziesięć | /d͡ʑɛˈɕɛɲt͡ɕ/ |
| 11 | jedenaście | /jɛ.dɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 12 | dwanaście | /dvaˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 13 | trzynaście | /t͡ʂɨˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 14 | czternaście | /ˈt͡ʂtɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 15 | piętnaście | /pʲɛtˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 16 | szesnaście | /ʂɛsˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 17 | siedemnaście | /ɕɛ.dɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 18 | osiemnaście | /ˈɔ.ɕɛmˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 19 | dziewiętnaście | /d͡ʑɛˈvʲɛtˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/ |
| 20 | dwadzieścia | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa/ |
| 21 | dwadzieścia jeden | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa ˈjɛ.dɛn/ |
| 22 | dwadzieścia dwa | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa dva/ |
| 23 | dwadzieścia trzy | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa t͡ʂɨ/ |
| 24 | dwadzieścia cztery | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa ˈt͡ʂtɛ.rɨ/ |
| 25 | dwadzieścia pięć | /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa pʲɛɲt͡ɕ/ |
The colours in Polish
The most common colours in Polish with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English Colour | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | czerwony | /t͡ʂɛrˈvɔ.nɨ/ |
| Blue | niebieski | /ɲɛˈbʲɛs.kʲi/ |
| Green | zielony | /ʑɛˈlɔ.nɨ/ |
| Yellow | żółty | /ˈʐuw.tɨ/ |
| Black | czarny | /ˈt͡ʂarnɨ/ |
| White | biały | /ˈbʲa.wɨ/ |
| Orange | pomarańczowy | /pɔ.maˈraɲ.t͡ʂɔ.vɨ/ |
| Purple | fioletowy | /fʲɔ.lɛˈtɔ.vɨ/ |
| Pink | różowy | /ˈruː.ʐɔ.vɨ/ |
| Brown | brązowy | /ˈbrɔ̃.zɔ.vɨ/ |
Days of the week, months and seasons in Polish
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Polish and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Polish.
| English | Polish | Phonetic Transcription (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | poniedziałek | /pɔˈɲɛd͡ʑa.wɛk/ |
| Tuesday | wtorek | /ˈftɔ.rɛk/ |
| Wednesday | środa | /ˈɕrɔ.da/ |
| Thursday | czwartek | /ˈt͡ʂfartek/ |
| Friday | piątek | /ˈpʲɔntɛk/ |
| Saturday | sobota | /sɔˈbɔ.ta/ |
| Sunday | niedziela | /ɲɛˈd͡ʑɛ.la/ |
| January | styczeń | /ˈstɨ.t͡ʂɛɲ/ |
| February | luty | /ˈlʊ.tɨ/ |
| March | marzec | /ˈmar.zɛt͡s/ |
| April | kwiecień | /ˈkfʲɛ.t͡ɕɛɲ/ |
| May | maj | /maj/ |
| June | czerwiec | /ˈt͡ʂɛr.vʲɛt͡s/ |
| July | lipiec | /ˈlʲi.pʲɛt͡s/ |
| August | sierpień | /ˈɕɛr.pʲɛɲ/ |
| September | wrzesień | /ˈvr͡ʐɛ.ɕɛɲ/ |
| October | październik | /ˈpaʑ.d͡ʑɛr.nʲik/ |
| November | listopad | /lʲiˈstɔ.pad/ |
| December | grudzień | /ˈɡru.d͡ʑɛɲ/ |
| Spring | wiosna | /ˈvʲɔs.na/ |
| Summer | lato | /ˈla.tɔ/ |
| Autumn | jesień | /ˈjɛ.ɕɛɲ/ |
| Winter | zima | /ˈʑi.ma/ |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Polish phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Polish phrases and dialogues.
*
More information about the Polish Business Course.
Additional links
- Learn Polish with Mondly
- Learn Polish with Babbel
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the Polish Course for Children.