This is the bank of phrases that will carry you through a first trip to Poland before you have learned any grammar at all. Each one is a fixed chunk you can memorise as-is and deploy on day one. But notice what is hiding inside them: the single most useful survival sentence, Nie mówię po polsku ("I don't speak Polish"), already contains the po + language pattern, and Czy mówi pan po angielsku? ("Do you speak English?") already contains formal address (pan + third-person verb). Even survival Polish is real Polish — so as you memorise these, you are quietly absorbing two of the structures you will use for the rest of your learning. Mind the diacritics throughout: ę, ą, ł, ż, ó, ś are not optional decoration — they change the word.
The first six: greetings and courtesies
These are the phrases you will say dozens of times a day. Dzień dobry and cześć split by formality — the first for anyone you would treat with respect, the second only for friends and peers.
| Polish | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| Dzień dobry | Hello / Good day | formal, all day until evening |
| Dobry wieczór | Good evening | formal, evening |
| Cześć | Hi / Bye | informal only — friends, peers |
| Do widzenia | Goodbye | formal |
| Dziękuję | Thank you | everywhere |
| Proszę | Please / Here you are / You're welcome | everywhere |
Dzień dobry, poproszę kawę.
Hello, I'll have a coffee, please.
Dziękuję bardzo, do widzenia!
Thank you very much, goodbye!
Apologising and getting attention: przepraszam
Przepraszam does double duty: it is both "I'm sorry" (apology) and "excuse me" (getting someone's attention or squeezing past). It is the phrase you use to start an exchange with a stranger — before asking for directions, before flagging a waiter.
Przepraszam, gdzie jest dworzec?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Przepraszam za spóźnienie.
Sorry for being late.
Yes, no, and the most important phrase of all
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| Tak | Yes |
| Nie | No / Not |
| Nie rozumiem | I don't understand |
| Nie wiem | I don't know |
| Nie mówię (dobrze) po polsku | I don't speak Polish (well) |
The phrase that saves a beginner more often than any other is Nie mówię po polsku ("I don't speak Polish"), or softened, Nie mówię dobrze po polsku ("I don't speak Polish well"). Look closely at po polsku: this is the po + adverbial pattern Polish uses for "in [a language]" — po polsku (in Polish), po angielsku (in English), po niemiecku (in German). It is not an adjective and never agrees with anything; it is a frozen adverb form, always ending in -u. For the full pattern, see /grammar/polish/adverbs/po-polsku-manner.
Przepraszam, nie mówię dobrze po polsku.
Sorry, I don't speak Polish well.
Nie rozumiem, może pan powtórzyć?
I don't understand, could you repeat that?
Asking if someone speaks English — and meeting formality early
Czy mówi pan po angielsku? ("Do you speak English?") is the lifeline phrase, and it teaches you formal address in one go. Polish does not use ty ("you") with strangers; instead it uses pan (to a man) or pani (to a woman) plus the third-person verb — literally "Does the gentleman speak English?" So the verb is mówi (he/she speaks), not mówisz (you speak, informal). Choose pan or pani to match the person in front of you:
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| Czy mówi pan po angielsku? | Do you speak English? (to a man) |
| Czy mówi pani po angielsku? | Do you speak English? (to a woman) |
| Czy ktoś tu mówi po angielsku? | Does anyone here speak English? |
Przepraszam, czy mówi pani po angielsku?
Excuse me, do you speak English? (to a woman)
Czy jest tu ktoś, kto mówi po angielsku?
Is there someone here who speaks English?
The little word czy at the front turns a statement into a yes/no question — it is the spoken equivalent of a question mark and is the safest way to ask anything as a beginner. For the question toolkit, see /grammar/polish/questions/basic-questions-toolkit; for when to use pan/pani versus ty, see /grammar/polish/pragmatics/formality-ty-pan.
Getting around: Gdzie jest…? and Ile to kosztuje?
Two question frames unlock most practical situations. Gdzie jest…? ("Where is…?") finds places and things; Ile to kosztuje? ("How much does it cost?") handles every purchase.
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| Gdzie jest toaleta? | Where is the toilet? |
| Gdzie jest dworzec / przystanek? | Where is the station / the (bus) stop? |
| Ile to kosztuje? | How much does it cost? |
| Poproszę… | I'd like… / …please |
| Rachunek, proszę. | The bill, please. |
Przepraszam, gdzie jest najbliższy bankomat?
Excuse me, where is the nearest cash machine?
Ile to kosztuje? Mogę zapłacić kartą?
How much is it? Can I pay by card?
Poproszę ("I'd like / …please") is the magic ordering word: point or name the thing and add poproszę — Poproszę wodę ("Water, please"), Poproszę dwa bilety ("Two tickets, please"). It is softer and more native than the bare chcę ("I want").
Poproszę jedną kawę i wodę.
One coffee and a water, please.
Emergencies
If something goes wrong, these are the words that get help fast. Pomocy! ("Help!") is the standard shout — note it is in the genitive form (a frozen cry for help), not pomoc.
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| Pomocy! | Help! |
| Uwaga! | Watch out! / Careful! |
| Proszę o pomoc. | Please help me. (calm, formal) |
| Potrzebuję lekarza. | I need a doctor. |
| Proszę wezwać karetkę / policję. | Please call an ambulance / the police. |
Pomocy! Proszę wezwać karetkę!
Help! Please call an ambulance!
Zgubiłem się, potrzebuję pomocy.
I'm lost, I need help. (male speaker)
For the fuller emergency and safety vocabulary, see /grammar/polish/expressions/emergencies-and-safety.
Common Mistakes
❌ Nie mówię w polskim.
Incorrect — 'in Polish' is the frozen adverb po polsku, not w + adjective.
✅ Nie mówię po polsku.
I don't speak Polish.
❌ Czy mówisz po angielsku? (to a stranger)
Incorrect register — to a stranger use the formal pan/pani + 3rd person, not the informal ty form.
✅ Czy mówi pan po angielsku?
Do you speak English? (to a man)
❌ Dziekuje bardzo.
Incorrect — the diacritics are essential: dziękuję, with ę in both syllables.
✅ Dziękuję bardzo.
Thank you very much.
❌ Pomoc!
Incorrect as a shout for help — the fixed cry is the genitive Pomocy!
✅ Pomocy!
Help!
❌ Cześć, panie profesorze.
Incorrect register — cześć is for friends only; greeting a professor needs the formal dzień dobry.
✅ Dzień dobry, panie profesorze.
Good day, professor.
Key Takeaways
- Greetings split by register: Dzień dobry / Dobry wieczór (formal) versus Cześć (friends only); Do widzenia to part formally.
- Three workhorses: Proszę (please / here you are / you're welcome), Dziękuję (thank you), Przepraszam (sorry / excuse me).
- The lifeline sentence is Nie mówię (dobrze) po polsku — embedding po + language; and Czy mówi pan/pani po angielsku? embeds formal pan/pani
- a third-person verb.
- Practical frames: Gdzie jest…? (where is…?), Ile to kosztuje? (how much?), Poproszę… (…please), and the emergency cry Pomocy!
Now practice Polish
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Start learning Polish→Related Topics
- Greetings and IntroductionsA1 — How to greet and introduce yourself in Polish — dzień dobry / cześć and the strict register split, the two introduction constructions (nazywam się + surname vs mam na imię + first name), Jak się masz? / Jak się pan(i) ma?, and Miło mi as the fixed 'pleased to meet you'.
- The po + Adverb Construction: po polskuB1 — Learn the frozen po + -u adverbial used for 'in a language' and 'in the manner of' — po polsku, po angielsku, po swojemu, po staremu — and why it is not the adjective polski.
- Formality: ty versus pan/paniA1 — The core Polish politeness system — informal ty with a 2nd-person verb versus formal pan/pani/państwo with a THIRD-person verb — and when to switch.
- Your First Questions: A ToolkitA1 — The first questions every beginner needs — Co to jest?, Kto to?, Gdzie jest…?, Ile to kosztuje?, Jak masz na imię?, Czy mówisz po angielsku? — built with czy or a question word and no 'do', no inversion.
- Emergencies and SafetyA2 — A phrase bank for emergencies — calling for help, summoning services with 'po' + accusative, the subjectless 'fire!', and the key numbers.