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Essential Polish phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in polish
Cześć — cheshch — is how you say hello in Polish. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Dziękuję (jen-KOO-yeh) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Poland — around 45 million speakers, plus one of the largest diasporas in Europe and North America. Also searched as Poland.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Hello | CześćcheshchInformal. Dzień dobry (jayn DOH-bry) with strangers and in shops. |
| Goodbye | Do widzeniadoh vee-DZEN-yah |
| Please | ProszęPROH-shehAlso means "here you are" and "you’re welcome". |
| Thank you | Dziękujęjen-KOO-yeh |
| Yes / No | Tak / Nietahk / nyeh |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Przepraszampsheh-PRAH-shahm |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Czy mówi pan po angielsku?chy MOO-vee pahn poh ahn-GYEL-skooPani (PAH-nee) instead of pan when speaking to a woman. |
| I don't understand | Nie rozumiemnyeh roh-ZOO-myem |
| Could you repeat that? | Może pan powtórzyć?MOH-zheh pahn pohf-TOO-zhych |
| Please speak slowly | Proszę mówić wolniejPROH-sheh MOO-veech VOL-nyey |
| My name is… | Nazywam się…nah-ZY-vahm sheh |
| Nice to meet you | Miło miMEE-woh mee |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | Gdzie jest…?gjeh yest |
| How do I get to…? | Jak dojść do…?yahk doysh doh |
| Where is the toilet? | Gdzie jest toaleta?gjeh yest toh-ah-LEH-tah |
| Left / Right | Lewo / PrawoLEH-voh / PRAH-voh |
| Straight ahead | ProstoPROH-stoh |
| Is it far? | Czy to daleko?chy toh dah-LEH-koh |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Stolik dla dwóch osóbSTOH-leek dlah dvookh OH-soob |
| The menu, please | Poproszę menupoh-PROH-sheh MEH-noo |
| I would like… | Chciałbym…KHCHAW-bymChciałabym (khcha-WAH-bym) if you are female. |
| Water, please | Poproszę wodępoh-PROH-sheh VOH-deh |
| I am allergic to… | Mam alergię na…mahm ah-LER-gyeh nah |
| The bill, please | Poproszę rachunekpoh-PROH-sheh rah-KHOO-nek |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | Ile to kosztuje?EE-leh toh kohsh-TOO-yeh |
| That's too expensive | To za drogotoh zah DROH-goh |
| Do you take cards? | Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?chy MOH-geh zah-PWAH-cheech KAR-town |
| I am just looking | Tylko oglądamTYL-koh oh-GLON-dahm |
| Do you have…? | Czy jest…?chy yest |
| A receipt, please | Poproszę paragonpoh-PROH-sheh pah-RAH-gohn |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Help! | Pomocy!poh-MOH-tsy |
| Call the police | Proszę wezwać policjęPROH-sheh VEZ-vahch poh-LEE-tsyeh |
| Call an ambulance | Proszę wezwać pogotowiePROH-sheh VEZ-vahch poh-goh-TOH-vyeh |
| I need a doctor | Potrzebuję lekarzapoh-tsheh-BOO-yeh leh-KAH-zhah |
| I am lost | Zgubiłem sięzgoo-BEE-wem shehZgubiłam się (zgoo-BEE-wahm sheh) if you are female. |
| Where is the hospital? | Gdzie jest szpital?gjeh yest SHPEE-tahl |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
ł is an English W
Not an L. Wisła is VEES-wah, Łódź is woodge, mało is MAH-woh. This one letter fixes more Polish words than any other single rule.
The hissing letters, decoded
sz = sh, cz = ch, rz and ż = the s in "measure", ś and ć = softer versions of sh and ch, w = v. Szczecin is roughly SHCHEH-cheen, and it is genuinely just three of those in a row.
Stress is on the second-to-last syllable
Almost without exception. Dziękuję is jen-KOO-yeh. Once you trust it you never have to guess, which is more than Russian offers.
The clusters really are all pronounced
Nothing is silent. Przepraszam looks impenetrable and is simply psheh-PRAH-shahm. Say each piece and it comes out right.
Spotted a mistake in the Polish? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Polish for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.