Essential Polish Phrases for Travelers
You don't need to be fluent to navigate Poland. A handful of well-chosen phrases will get you through most situations — and Poles genuinely appreciate any effort to speak their language. Even a clumsy dzień dobry will earn you a smile.
Here's your survival phrasebook, organized by situation.
Greetings and Basics
These are the phrases you'll use dozens of times a day.
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dzień dobry | jen DOH-bry | Good day / Hello (formal) |
| Cześć | cheshch | Hi / Bye (informal) |
| Dobry wieczór | DOH-bry VYEH-choor | Good evening |
| Dobranoc | doh-BRAH-nots | Good night |
| Do widzenia | doh vee-DZEH-nya | Goodbye (formal) |
| Proszę | PROH-sheh | Please / Here you go |
| Dziękuję | jen-KOO-yeh | Thank you |
| Przepraszam | psheh-PRAH-shahm | Excuse me / I'm sorry |
| Tak | tahk | Yes |
| Nie | nyeh | No |
Tip: Proszę is the Swiss Army knife of Polish. It means "please," "here you go," "you're welcome," and "go ahead." Use it generously.
Introducing Yourself
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mam na imię... | mahm nah EE-myeh | My name is... |
| Jestem z... | YES-tem z | I'm from... |
| Nie mówię po polsku | nyeh MOO-vyeh poh POHL-skoo | I don't speak Polish |
| Czy mówi Pan/Pani po angielsku? | chy MOO-vee pahn/PAH-nee poh ahn-GYEHL-skoo | Do you speak English? (formal) |
| Mówię trochę po polsku | MOO-vyeh TROH-heh poh POHL-skoo | I speak a little Polish |
| Uczę się polskiego | OO-cheh shyeh POHL-skyeh-goh | I'm learning Polish |
Cultural note: Saying Uczę się polskiego almost always delights Polish people. It opens doors to warm conversations and patient help.
Getting Around
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Gdzie jest...? | gdjeh yest | Where is...? |
| Dworzec kolejowy | DVOH-zhets koh-leh-YOH-vy | Train station |
| Przystanek autobusowy | pshy-STAH-nek ow-toh-boo-SOH-vy | Bus stop |
| Lotnisko | loht-NEES-koh | Airport |
| Na prawo | nah PRAH-voh | To the right |
| Na lewo | nah LEH-voh | To the left |
| Prosto | PROHS-toh | Straight ahead |
| Daleko stąd? | dah-LEH-koh stohnd | Is it far from here? |
| Bilet, proszę | BEE-let PROH-sheh | A ticket, please |
| W jedną stronę | v YED-nohng STROH-neh | One way |
| W obie strony | v OH-byeh STROH-ny | Round trip |
Practical tip: In Polish cities, public transport is excellent. Buy your ticket (bilet) at a kiosk or machine, and remember to validate it (skasować) when you board.
Shopping
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ile to kosztuje? | EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh | How much does it cost? |
| Za drogo | zah DROH-goh | Too expensive |
| Czy mogę zapłacić kartą? | chy MOH-geh zah-PWAH-cheech KAR-tohng | Can I pay by card? |
| Paragon, proszę | pah-RAH-gohn PROH-sheh | Receipt, please |
| Szukam... | SHOO-kahm | I'm looking for... |
| Sklep | sklep | Shop/Store |
| Apteka | ahp-TEH-kah | Pharmacy |
| Otwarte / Zamknięte | oht-VAHR-teh / zahm-KNYEH-teh | Open / Closed |
At a Restaurant
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Stolik dla dwóch osób, proszę | STOH-leek dlah dvooh oh-SOOB PROH-sheh | A table for two, please |
| Poproszę menu | poh-PROH-sheh MEH-noo | Menu, please |
| Co polecacie? | tsoh poh-leh-TSAH-chyeh | What do you recommend? |
| Poproszę... | poh-PROH-sheh | I'd like... |
| Rachunek, proszę | rah-KHOO-nek PROH-sheh | The bill, please |
| Smacznego! | smahch-NEH-goh | Bon appétit! |
| Bardzo dobre! | BAHR-dzoh DOH-breh | Very good! |
| Woda niegazowana | VOH-dah nyeh-gah-zoh-VAH-nah | Still water |
| Woda gazowana | VOH-dah gah-zoh-VAH-nah | Sparkling water |
| Piwo / Wino / Kawa | PEE-voh / VEE-noh / KAH-vah | Beer / Wine / Coffee |
Important: Tipping in Poland is appreciated but not obligatory. 10% is standard for good service. You can say Reszty nie trzeba ("Keep the change") or round up.
Numbers You'll Need
| Number | Polish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | jeden | YEH-den |
| 2 | dwa | dvah |
| 3 | trzy | tshy |
| 4 | cztery | CHTEH-ry |
| 5 | pięć | pyench |
| 10 | dziesięć | DJEH-shench |
| 20 | dwadzieścia | dvah-DJESH-chah |
| 50 | pięćdziesiąt | pyench-DJEH-shohnt |
| 100 | sto | stoh |
Emergencies
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pomocy! | poh-MOH-tsy | Help! |
| Proszę zadzwonić po policję | PROH-sheh zahd-ZVOH-neech poh poh-LEETS-yeh | Please call the police |
| Potrzebuję lekarza | poh-tsheh-BOO-yeh leh-KAH-zhah | I need a doctor |
| Szpital | SHPEE-tahl | Hospital |
| Zgubiłem/Zgubiłam się | zgoo-BEE-wehm / zgoo-BEE-wahm shyeh | I'm lost (male/female) |
| Nie rozumiem | nyeh roh-ZOO-myem | I don't understand |
Emergency numbers: 112 (general emergency), 999 (ambulance), 997 (police), 998 (fire). 112 works from any phone and operators often speak English.
Polite Phrases That Go a Long Way
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Czy mogę...? | chy MOH-geh | May I...? |
| Bardzo dziękuję | BAHR-dzoh jen-KOO-yeh | Thank you very much |
| Nie ma za co | nyeh mah zah tsoh | You're welcome / Don't mention it |
| Miłego dnia! | mee-WEH-goh dnyah | Have a nice day! |
| Smacznego! | smahch-NEH-goh | Enjoy your meal! |
| Na zdrowie! | nah ZDROH-vyeh | Cheers! / Bless you! |
Final tip: Don't worry about perfect pronunciation. Polish people are genuinely thrilled when foreigners try to speak their language. Your effort matters far more than your accuracy. A smile and a dziękuję will take you surprisingly far.
Learn More Essential Polish
Dive deeper into these topics before your trip:
Introductions & Basic Phrases — Full Lesson
Numbers & Counting
Food, Drinks & Ordering
Polish Cities — Grammar Reference
