Greetings and politeness in Polish
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Polish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Polish phrases in this lesson
- Cześćcheshch
- Hello
- Dzień dobryjen DOB-ri
- Good morning
- Dobry wieczórDOB-ri VYEH-choor
- Good evening
- Do widzeniado vee-DZEN-ya
- Goodbye
- Na raziena RAH-zheh
- See you
- ProszęPRO-sheh
- Please
- Dziękujęjen-KOO-yeh
- Thank you
- Nie ma za conyeh mah ZAH tsoh
- You're welcome
- Przykro miPSHIK-roh mee
- Sorry
- Przepraszampsheh-PRAH-sham
- Excuse me
- Miło miMEE-woh mee
- Nice to meet you
The casual hello, for friends and people your own age. To a stranger or in a shop, always use dzień dobry, the next card.
Literally "good day", the polite greeting all morning and afternoon. Poles say it entering a shop or a lift.
Takes over from dzień dobry in the evening.
The formal goodbye, suitable for shops, offices, and strangers. Among friends, "Cześć" doubles as goodbye, or use "Pa pa" for a very casual farewell.
Literally "for now", the casual goodbye. Cześć works both ways between friends. Do widzenia is the polite one.
Versatile word meaning please, here you go, or you are welcome. Poles use it when handing something over, making requests, or inviting someone to proceed.
The polite thank you. "Dzięki" (JEN-kee) is the casual one.
Literally "there is nothing for". Proszę (PRO-sheh) also works, but it is already please.
Literally "it is sad to me", for a real apology.
Used to get attention, to ask to pass, or for a small apology.
Literally "it is pleasant to me".