Food, Drinks & Ordering
Learn food vocabulary, the verbs jeść and pić, and how to order at a café or restaurant.
Food Vocabulary (Jedzenie)
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
chleb /hlep/ | bread |
masło /MAHS-woh/ | butter |
ser /sehr/ | cheese |
jajko /YAY-koh/ | egg |
mięso /MYEHN-soh/ | meat |
kurczak /KOOR-chahk/ | chicken |
ryba /RIH-bah/ | fish |
ryż /rihsh/ | rice |
ziemniaki /zhem-NYAH-kee/ | potatoes |
warzywa /vah-ZHIH-vah/ | vegetables |
owoce /oh-VOH-tseh/ | fruits |
zupa /ZOO-pah/ | soup |
sałatka /sah-WAHT-kah/ | salad |
kanapka /kah-NAHP-kah/ | sandwich |
pierogi /pyeh-ROH-gee/ | dumplings (pierogi) |
ciasto / tort /CHAHS-toh / tohrt/ | cake / pastry |
Drinks Vocabulary (Napoje)
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
kawa /KAH-vah/ | coffee |
herbata /hehr-BAH-tah/ | tea |
woda /VOH-dah/ | water |
woda gazowana /VOH-dah gah-zoh-VAH-nah/ | sparkling water |
woda niegazowana /VOH-dah nyeh-gah-zoh-VAH-nah/ | still water |
sok /sohk/ | juice |
sok pomarańczowy /sohk poh-mah-RAHN-choh-vih/ | orange juice |
piwo /PEE-voh/ | beer |
wino /VEE-noh/ | wine |
mleko /MLEH-koh/ | milk |
Jeść (to eat) & Pić (to drink)
Conjugation of Jeść (to eat)
"Jeść" is irregular. The stem changes, but the endings follow a recognizable pattern.
Be careful: "je" means both "he/she eats" AND "it/them" (accusative pronoun). Context makes the meaning clear.
Conjugation of Pić (to drink)
"Pić" is also slightly irregular but follows a pattern similar to pattern III.
Don't confuse "piję" (I drink) with "piję piwo" (I drink beer). The word "pijany" means "drunk" — different context!
At the Café (W kawiarni)
Dzień dobry! Co podać?
Good day! What can I get you?
Dzień dobry. Poproszę kawę z mlekiem.
Good day. I'd like a coffee with milk, please.
Dużą czy małą?
Large or small?
Dużą, proszę. I szarlotkę.
Large, please. And an apple pie.
Szarlotka z lodami czy z bitą śmietaną?
Apple pie with ice cream or with whipped cream?
Z bitą śmietaną, proszę. Ile to kosztuje?
With whipped cream, please. How much does it cost?
Kawa dwanaście złotych, szarlotka piętnaście złotych. Razem dwadzieścia siedem złotych.
Coffee 12 zloty, apple pie 15 zloty. Together 27 zloty.
Proszę. Dziękuję bardzo!
Here you go. Thank you very much!
Smacznego!
Enjoy your meal!
Restaurant & Café Phrases
Tipping & Dining in Poland
In Polish restaurants, a 10% tip is appreciated for good service but not obligatory. Say "Reszty nie trzeba" (Keep the change) or round up. Lunch (obiad) is traditionally the main meal, eaten between 1-3 PM, and consists of soup (zupa) followed by a main course (drugie danie). "Śniadanie" (breakfast) is often bread with cold cuts and cheese. "Kolacja" (supper) is usually lighter. When drinking with Poles, always maintain eye contact when clinking glasses and say "Na zdrowie!" (Cheers! / To your health!).