Getting in
przepraszam, że przeszkadzam — sorry to bother you / to interrupt — the standard opener when you need someone's attention. Przeszkadzać takes the Dative, so with a person it is przepraszam, że panu przeszkadzam.
| Sorry to bother you, but I have a question. | Przepraszam, że przeszkadzam, ale mam pytanie. |
Changing and holding the subject
a propos — by the way, speaking of which — borrowed from French and pronounced a propo. With a noun it takes the Genitive: a propos wakacji.
przy okazji — by the way; while we are at it — for something you add because the moment suits it.
| While you are at it, buy some bread. | Przy okazji kup chleb. |
wracając do tematu — getting back to the subject — the phrase that ends a digression. It is the contemporary participle wracając (returning), which you met in the -ąc lesson.
| Getting back to the subject: when is the meeting? | Wracając do tematu: kiedy jest spotkanie? |
o co chodzi — what is it about? what's the matter? — the question, and also the indirect nie wiem, o co chodzi.
Wrapping up
krótko mówiąc — in short — another participle phrase (mówiąc = speaking).
i tak dalej — and so on — closes a list; in writing it is abbreviated itd.
| We bought bread, butter, cheese and so on. | Kupiliśmy chleb, masło, ser i tak dalej. |
przejść do rzeczy — to get to the point. Usually as the first-person plural imperative: Przejdźmy do rzeczy!
nie ma sprawy — no problem — the relaxed answer to a request or an apology.
| Can you help me? — No problem. | Możesz mi pomóc? — Nie ma sprawy. |
