Learn Hardcore Polish: Przepraszam, czy ma Pani może tańszy bukiet tulipanów? - Excuse me, do you perhaps have a cheaper bouquet of tulips?

Czy is a particle used to introduce a yes/no question. It does not have a direct English equivalent, but it works a bit like the English change in word order in Do you have...?

So:

Ma Pani bukiet tulipanów. = You have a bouquet of tulips.
Czy ma Pani bukiet tulipanów? = Do you have a bouquet of tulips?

In everyday speech, Polish speakers sometimes leave czy out, especially if intonation already makes it clear that it is a question.

Why is it ma Pani and not Pani ma?

Both are possible, but ma Pani is very natural in a question.

Polish does not rely on fixed word order as much as English does, but word order still affects style and emphasis. In yes/no questions, putting the verb early is common:

Czy ma Pani...? = Do you have...?
Pani ma...? can also occur, but it may sound more marked or conversational depending on context.

So czy ma Pani... is a standard, polite way to ask this in a shop.

Why is Pani used here?