Polish phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Polish phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Polish with translation. | Free & useful

Polish phrases - Most common phrases for everyday life

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! in Polish Witamy! [ˈvʲitami]
Good day to you! in Polish Dzień dobry! [d͡ʑɛɲ ˈdɔbrɨ]
Good morning to you! in Polish Witaj rano! [ˈvʲitaj ˈra.nɔ]
Good evening! in Polish Dobry wieczór! [ˈdɔbrɨ ˈvʲɛ.t͡ʂur]
Good to see you. in Polish Miło cię widzieć. [ˈmiwɔ t͡ɕɛ ˈvʲidʑɛt͡ʂ]
I’m glad to see you. in Polish 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! in Polish Również miłego dnia! [ˈruvɲɛʐ miˈwɛɡɔ ˈdɲa]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Polish 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? in Polish Jak się masz? [jak ɕɛ maʃ]
Are you doing well? in Polish 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. in Polish Dziękuję, że zapytałeś, mam się dobrze. [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, ʐɛ zapɨˈtaˈwɛɕ, mam ɕɛ ˈdɔbʐɛ]
Thank you, I am fine. in Polish Dziękuję, mam się dobrze. [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, mam ɕɛ ˈdɔbʐɛ]
Thank you, I am not doing so well. in Polish Dziękuję, nie czuję się zbyt dobrze. [ˈd͡ʑɛŋˌkʊjɛ, ɲɛ ˈt͡ʂuje ɕɛ zbɨt ˈdɔbʐɛ]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? in Polish 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! in Polish Do widzenia! [dɔ vʲidˈzɛɲa]
Take care of yourself! in Polish Dbaj o siebie! [d̪baj ɔ ˈɕɛbʲɛ]
See you tomorrow in Polish Do zobaczenia jutro [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈjutɾɔ]
See you soon in Polish Do zobaczenia wkrótce [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈfkrut͡sɛ]
See you later in Polish Do zobaczenia później [dɔ zɔbaˈt͡ʂɛɲa ˈpuʐɲɛj]
Good night in Polish Dobranoc [dɔˈbrɑːnɔt͡s]
Sleep well in Polish Śpij dobrze [ɕpʲij ˈdɔbʐɛ]
Talk to you later. in Polish Porozmawiamy później [pɔrɔzˈmaːvjami ˈpuʐɲɛj]
Nice to have met you! in Polish 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? in Polish Jak masz na imię? [jak maʂ na ˈimʲɛ]
What is your surname? in Polish Jakie jest twoje nazwisko? [ˈjakjɛ jɛst ˈtvɔjɛ nazˈfisko]
What is your first name? in Polish Jakie jest twoje imię? [ˈjakjɛ jɛst ˈtvɔjɛ ˈimʲɛ]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English Polish IPA
Where do you come from? in Polish 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? in Polish 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. in Polish Jestem ranny. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈran.nɨ/
I am here. in Polish Jestem tutaj. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈtu.taj/
I am hungry. in Polish Jestem głodny. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈɡwɔd.nɨ/
I am thirsty. in Polish Chce mi się pić. /ˈxʨɛ mi ɕɛ ˈpit͡ɕ/
I am a single person. in Polish Jestem osobą singlową. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ɔˈsɔ.bɔ̃ ˈsin.ɡlɔ.vɔ̃/
I need help! in Polish Potrzebuję pomocy! /pɔˈtʂɛ.bujɛ pɔˈmɔ.t͡sɨ/
I am tired. in Polish Jestem zmęczony. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈzmɛn.t͡ʂɔ.nɨ/
I am happy. in Polish Jestem szczęśliwy. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈʂt͡ʂɛ̃ɕ.lʲi.vɨ/
I am sad. in Polish Jestem smutny. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈsmut.nɨ/
I am in love. in Polish Jestem zakochany. /ˈjɛs.tɛm za.kɔˈxan.ɨ/
I am ill. in Polish Jestem chory. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈxɔ.rɨ/
I am ready. in Polish Jestem gotowy. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ɡɔˈtɔ.vɨ/
I am busy. in Polish Jestem zajęty. /ˈjɛs.tɛm zaˈjɛ̃tɨ/
I am lost. in Polish Jestem zgubiony. /ˈjɛs.tɛm zɡuˈbʲɔ.nɨ/
I am a tourist. in Polish Jestem turystą. /ˈjɛs.tɛm tuˈrɨ.stɔ̃/
I am new here. in Polish Jestem tu nowy. /ˈjɛs.tɛm tu ˈnɔ.vɨ/
I am confident. in Polish Jestem pewny siebie. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈpɛv.nɨ ˈɕi.bʲɛ/
I am proud. in Polish Jestem dumny. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈdum.nɨ/
I am a teacher. in Polish Jestem nauczycielem. /ˈjɛs.tɛm naʊ.t͡ʂɨˈt͡ʂjɛ.lɛm/
I am late. in Polish Jestem spóźniony. /ˈjɛs.tɛm spuʑˈnʲɔ.nɨ/
I am 30 years old. in Polish Mam 30 lat. /mam ˈtɾɨˈd͡ʐɨt͡ɕi lat/
I am in a hurry. in Polish Śpieszę się. /ˈɕpʲɛʂɛ ɕɛ/
I am happy. in Polish Jestem szczęśliwy. /ˈjɛs.tɛm ˈʂt͡ʂɛ̃ɕ.lʲi.vɨ/
I am surprised. in Polish Jestem zaskoczony. /ˈjɛs.tɛm zas.kɔˈt͡ʂɔ.nɨ/
I am angry. in Polish Jestem zły. /ˈjɛs.tɛm zwɨ/

Apologising in Polish

Here’s how to apologise to a Polish speaker:

English Polish Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
I apologise. in Polish Przepraszam. /pʂɛˈpraʂam/
Sorry, that was not the intention. in Polish Przepraszam, to nie było zamierzone. /pʂɛˈpraʂam, tɔ nʲɛ ˈbʲiˈwɔ zaˈmjɛˈrɔ.nɛ/
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. in Polish Przepraszam, nie zrobiłem tego celowo. /pʂɛˈpraʂam, nʲɛ zroˈbʲiɛm ˈtɛɡɔ ˈt͡sɛ.lɔ.vɔ/
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. in Polish 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 in Polish Wejście /ˈvɛjɕt͡ɕɛ/
Toilet in Polish Toaleta /tɔaˈlɛta/
Exit in Polish Wyjście /ˈvɨjɕt͡ɕɛ/
Attention! in Polish Uwaga! /uˈvaɡa/
Police in Polish Policja /pɔˈlʲit͡sja/
Emergency services in Polish Służby ratunkowe /ˈswuʐbɨ raˈtunkɔvɛ/
Fire brigade in Polish Straż pożarna /straz pɔˈʐarna/
Passage forbidden. in Polish Przejście zabronione. /ˈpʂɛjɕt͡ɕɛ zaˈbrɔɲɔnɛ/
Caution! in Polish Ostrzeżenie! /ɔsˈtʂɛʐɛɲɛ/
This building is under video surveillance. in Polish 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 in Polish jeden /ˈjɛ.dɛn/
2 in Polish dwa /dva/
3 in Polish trzy /t͡ʂɨ/
4 in Polish cztery /ˈt͡ʂtɛ.rɨ/
5 in Polish pięć /pʲɛɲt͡ɕ/
6 in Polish sześć /ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/
7 in Polish siedem /ˈɕɛ.dɛm/
8 in Polish osiem /ˈɔ.ɕɛm/
9 in Polish dziewięć /d͡ʑɛˈvʲɛɲt͡ɕ/
10 in Polish dziesięć /d͡ʑɛˈɕɛɲt͡ɕ/
11 in Polish jedenaście /jɛ.dɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
12 in Polish dwanaście /dvaˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
13 in Polish trzynaście /t͡ʂɨˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
14 in Polish czternaście /ˈt͡ʂtɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
15 in Polish piętnaście /pʲɛtˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
16 in Polish szesnaście /ʂɛsˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
17 in Polish siedemnaście /ɕɛ.dɛˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
18 in Polish osiemnaście /ˈɔ.ɕɛmˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
19 in Polish dziewiętnaście /d͡ʑɛˈvʲɛtˈnaɕ.t͡ɕɛ/
20 in Polish dwadzieścia /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa/
21 in Polish dwadzieścia jeden /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa ˈjɛ.dɛn/
22 in Polish dwadzieścia dwa /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa dva/
23 in Polish dwadzieścia trzy /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa t͡ʂɨ/
24 in Polish dwadzieścia cztery /dvaˈd͡ʑɛɕ.t͡ɕa ˈt͡ʂtɛ.rɨ/
25 in Polish 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 in Polish czerwony /t͡ʂɛrˈvɔ.nɨ/
Blue in Polish niebieski /ɲɛˈbʲɛs.kʲi/
Green in Polish zielony /ʑɛˈlɔ.nɨ/
Yellow in Polish żółty /ˈʐuw.tɨ/
Black in Polish czarny /ˈt͡ʂarnɨ/
White in Polish biały /ˈbʲa.wɨ/
Orange in Polish pomarańczowy /pɔ.maˈraɲ.t͡ʂɔ.vɨ/
Purple in Polish fioletowy /fʲɔ.lɛˈtɔ.vɨ/
Pink in Polish różowy /ˈruː.ʐɔ.vɨ/
Brown in Polish 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 in Polish poniedziałek /pɔˈɲɛd͡ʑa.wɛk/
Tuesday in Polish wtorek /ˈftɔ.rɛk/
Wednesday in Polish środa /ˈɕrɔ.da/
Thursday in Polish czwartek /ˈt͡ʂfartek/
Friday in Polish piątek /ˈpʲɔntɛk/
Saturday in Polish sobota /sɔˈbɔ.ta/
Sunday in Polish niedziela /ɲɛˈd͡ʑɛ.la/
January in Polish styczeń /ˈstɨ.t͡ʂɛɲ/
February in Polish luty /ˈlʊ.tɨ/
March in Polish marzec /ˈmar.zɛt͡s/
April in Polish kwiecień /ˈkfʲɛ.t͡ɕɛɲ/
May in Polish maj /maj/
June in Polish czerwiec /ˈt͡ʂɛr.vʲɛt͡s/
July in Polish lipiec /ˈlʲi.pʲɛt͡s/
August in Polish sierpień /ˈɕɛr.pʲɛɲ/
September in Polish wrzesień /ˈvr͡ʐɛ.ɕɛɲ/
October in Polish październik /ˈpaʑ.d͡ʑɛr.nʲik/
November in Polish listopad /lʲiˈstɔ.pad/
December in Polish grudzień /ˈɡru.d͡ʑɛɲ/
Spring in Polish wiosna /ˈvʲɔs.na/
Summer in Polish lato /ˈla.tɔ/
Autumn in Polish jesień /ˈjɛ.ɕɛɲ/
Winter in Polish 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.

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