Saying hello
Polish splits greetings by formality, and the split matters — using the wrong one is the single most noticeable beginner mistake.
dzień dobry is the all-purpose polite greeting. It covers both good morning and good afternoon: Polish does not separate them. Use it with pan and pani, with strangers, in shops, and at work.
dobry wieczór replaces it in the evening.
cześć is the informal one — friends, family, people your own age. hej is more casual again, closest to English hey.
| formal | informal |
|---|---|
| dzień dobry | cześć |
| dobry wieczór | hej |
| do widzenia | cześć / na razie |
Saying goodbye
do widzenia is the formal farewell. Informally, cześć works for goodbye as well as hello — exactly like Italian ciao.
do zobaczenia (see you) and na razie (bye for now) are neutral to informal. do jutra is see you tomorrow.
dobranoc is good night — and note it is a parting word, said when leaving or going to bed. It is never a greeting.
Asking how someone is
jak się masz is the informal how are you. Unlike the English question, Poles usually treat it as a real one and answer it properly.
With pan or pani, the verb moves to the third person, like every other verb you use with them: Jak się pan ma? / Jak się pani ma? So Dzień dobry pani is followed by Jak się pani ma?, and Cześć by Jak się masz?
