Learn Polish: Dzięki, cześć!

Dzięki is the casual, informal word for "thanks". You use it with friends, family, or people your own age. Dziękuję is the standard, polite "thank you" used with strangers, teachers, or shop assistants.

How do I pronounce the ę in dzięki?

Even though ę is usually a nasal vowel, when it comes right before the letter k, it sounds like "en" or the "ng" in the English word "sing". Because the dzi sounds like a "j", the whole word sounds roughly like "jen-kee".

I learned that cześć means "hello". Why does it mean "bye" in this sentence?

Cześć is a versatile informal word that means both "hi" and "bye", depending on whether you are arriving or leaving. Because it is paired with dzięki (thanks) here, it makes sense as a parting phrase.

How do I pronounce the tricky consonants in cześć?

It has three distinct Polish sounds. The cz is a hard sound like the "ch" in "chalk". The ś is a soft "sh" sound like in "sheep". The ć at the end is a soft "ch" sound like in "cheap". Together, it sounds roughly like "cheshch".