Jumpstart Your Polish: Essential Phrases for Starters

Are you ready to learn some essential Polish phrases so that you can start having meaningful conversations right away?

Whether you’re learning Polish for business, travel, or just out of personal interest, knowing a few basic expressions can have an immediate impact on your ability to communicate and engage with native speakers.

We’ve compiled a wide selection of useful terms that will help make navigating the country easier while connecting with locals more effortlessly. From classic greetings and polite expressions to directions and numbers – learning these basic linguistic tools can greatly enhance any cultural exchange!

So let’s explore the basics of the Polish language together!

Greetings:

Hello – Cześć (Cheh-sh-ch)

Good morning – Dzień dobry (Dzhehn doh-bri)

Good evening – Dobry wieczór (Doh-bri vi-eh-choor)

Goodnight – Dobranoc (Doh-brah-nots)

Goodbye – Do widzenia (Doh veed-zen-ya)

How are you? – Jak się masz? (Yahk shay mahsh?)

Numbers (1-10):

One – Jeden (Yeh-den)

Two – Dwa (Dvah)

Three – Trzy (Tshee)

Four – Cztery (Ch-te-ri)

Five – Pięć (Pyen-ch)

Six – Sześć (Sheh-sh-ch)

Seven – Siedem (Shee-dehm)

Eight – Osiem (Oh-shem)

Nine – Dziewięć (Dzheh-vyen-ch)

Ten – Dziesięć (Dzheh-shench)

Directions:

Left – Lewo (Leh-voh)

Right – Prawo (Prah-voh)

Straight ahead – Prosto (Proh-stoh)

Where is…? – Gdzie jest…? (Gd-zhe yest)

Ordering Food and Drinks:

I would like… – Poproszę… (Po-proh-she)

Menu, please – Menu, proszę (Menu, proh-she)

Water – Woda (Voh-dah)

Beer – Piwo (Pee-voh)

Chicken – Kurczak (Koor-chahk)

Vegetables – Warzywa (Var-zhi-vah)

Asking for Help:

Help! – Pomocy! (Poh-mohtsi)

I need a doctor – Potrzebuję lekarza (Po-trze-boo-yeh leh-kar-za)

Can you help me? – Czy możesz mi pomóc? (Chih mo-zhesh mee poh-mohts?)

Grammar Rules:

The Polish language has seven cases which affect the endings of nouns and adjectives.

Word order in Polish is flexible and not as strict as in English. The most common word order is Subject-Verb-Object.

Verbs are conjugated according to person, number, and tense.

Note:

When addressing older people or strangers, it’s polite to use Pan (for men) or Pani (for women) before their name or surname.

Remember, pronunciation might be difficult at first due to unique sounds in Polish. Practice makes perfect, so keep trying until you get it right. Enjoy your Polish learning journey!