Breakdown of Proszę pani, czy ten sklep jest jeszcze czynny?
być
to be
sklep
the store
czy
question marker
ten
this
Questions & Answers about Proszę pani, czy ten sklep jest jeszcze czynny?
What does Proszę pani mean here, and when do I use it?
Proszę pani is a polite way to address a woman, similar to Excuse me, ma’am or Madam in English, depending on context.
In this sentence, it is used to politely get a woman’s attention before asking a question.
A few useful comparisons:
- proszę pana = when speaking politely to a man
- proszę państwa = when addressing more than one person, or a formal group
The word proszę can mean several things in Polish depending on context, such as:
- please
- here you are
- go ahead
- part of polite forms of address like proszę pani
So in this sentence, it is not literally please lady, but a fixed polite expression.
Why is it pani, not pana or something else?
Because the speaker is addressing a woman.
In Polish:
- pan = man / sir
- pani = woman / madam / ma’am
After proszę, the forms are:
- proszę pana = excuse me, sir
- proszę pani = excuse me, ma’am
This is one of those expressions that learners usually memorize as a whole phrase.
What does czy do in this sentence?