The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Polish
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Polish. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 65 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Dzień dobry | dz-YEN DOH-bri |
| Hello (informal) | Cześć | CHESHCH |
| Goodbye | Do widzenia | doh veed-ZEN-ya |
| Thank you | Dziękuję | dz-YEN-koo-yeh |
| Please | Proszę | PROH-sheh |
| Yes | Tak | TAK |
| No | Nie | NYEH |
| Sorry | Przepraszam | psheh-PRAH-sham |
| I don't understand | Nie rozumiem | nyeh roh-ZOO-myem |
| Do you speak English? | Czy mówisz po angielsku? | chi MOO-veesh poh ahn-GYEL-skoo |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Dzień dobry | JEN-doh-bri |
| Good evening | Dobry wieczór | DOH-bri VYEH-choor |
| How are you? | Jak się masz? | YAHK sheh MASH |
| My name is… | Nazywam się… | nah-ZEE-vahm sheh |
| Nice to meet you | Miło mi cię poznać | MEE-woh mee CHYEH POHZ-nach |
| I am from Israel | Jestem z Izraela | YES-tem z EEZ-rah-eh-lah |
| See you | Do widzenia | DOH veed-ZEH-nya |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Gdzie jest bramka? | GDZ-yeh YEST BRAM-kah? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Czy lot jest opóźniony? | CHI LOT YEST oh-POOZH-noh-nee? |
| Boarding pass | Karta pokładowa | KAR-tah pok-WAH-doh-vah |
| My luggage did not arrive | Moja walizka nie dotarła | MOH-yah vah-LEEZ-kah nyeh do-TAR-wah |
| I have a connecting flight | Mam lot przesiadkowy | MAM LOT pshe-syahd-KOH-vee |
| Window/aisle seat | Miejsce przy oknie/przejściu | MYEYS-tseh pshe OHK-nyeh/pshey-SHCHYOO |
| Where is passport control? | Gdzie jest kontrola paszportowa? | GDZ-yeh YEST kon-TROH-lah pash-por-TOH-vah? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please | Na ten adres, proszę | nah TEN AD-res, PRO-sheh |
| How much to the center? | Ile do centrum? | I-leh do TSEN-trum |
| One ticket to... | Jeden bilet do... | YE-den BEE-let do... |
| Which platform? | Który peron? | KTOO-ri PE-ron |
| Where is the bus station? | Gdzie jest dworzec autobusowy? | g-JE yest DVO-zhets aw-to-bu-SO-vi |
| Stop here, please | Proszę się zatrzymać tutaj | PRO-sheh sheh za-TSHI-matzh TOO-tai |
| Is it far? | Czy to daleko? | chi to da-LE-ko |
| Turn left/right | Skręć w lewo/prawo | SKREN-tch ve LE-vo/PRA-vo |
| Straight | Prosto | PRO-sto |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Mam rezerwację | mam re-zer-BAH-tsyeh |
| Check-in | Zameldowanie | za-mel-do-VAN-yeh |
| Check-out | Wymeldowanie | vi-mel-do-VAN-yeh |
| Is breakfast included? | Czy śniadanie jest wliczone? | chi shnya-DA-nye YEST vli-CHO-neh |
| Room key | Klucz do pokoju | klooch do po-KO-yoo |
| Wi-Fi password | Hasło do Wi-Fi | HAS-wo do VAI-fai |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Czy mogę zostawić bagaż? | chi MOH-geh zo-STAH-vitch BA-gazh |
| The air conditioner doesn't work | Klimatyzacja nie działa | kli-ma-ty-ZA-tsya nyeh DZHWA-lah |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two | stolik dla dwojga | STO-lik dla DVOY-ga |
| The menu, please | menu, proszę | ME-nyu PRO-sheh |
| What do you recommend? | co polecacie? | tso po-le-TSA-chye |
| The bill, please | rachunek, proszę | ra-KHU-nek PRO-sheh |
| Tap water | woda z kranu | VO-da z KRA-nu |
| I am allergic to nuts | mam alergię na orzechy | mam a-LER-gye na o-ZHE-khi |
| No meat | bez mięsa | bez MYEN-sa |
| It was excellent | było świetnie | BI-wo SHVYET-nye |
| Can I pay by card? | czy mogę zapłacić kartą? | chi MO-ge za-PWA-chich KAR-ton? |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Ile to kosztuje? | I-leh to KOSH-too-yeh |
| That's too expensive. | To za drogie. | Toh zah DROH-gyeh |
| Do you accept cards? | Czy akceptujecie karty? | Chi ak-tsep-TOO-yeh-cheh KAR-tee |
| I'm just looking. | Tylko się rozglądam. | TIL-koh sheh rozh-GLON-dahm |
| Can I have a receipt? | Czy mogę dostać paragon? | Chi MOH-geh DOH-statch pah-RAH-gon |
| Where is an ATM? | Gdzie jest bankomat? | Gdyeh yest BAN-ko-mat |
| A smaller size. | Mniejszy rozmiar. | MNYE-shee ROHZ-myar |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Polish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Pomocy! | po-MO-tsi |
| Call a doctor. | Wezwij lekarza. | VEZ-vyi le-KAR-zha |
| Call the police. | Wezwij policję. | VEZ-vyi po-LEET-syeh |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Gdzie jest apteka? | GDZ-yeh yest ap-TE-ka |
| I don't feel well. | Nie czuję się dobrze. | nyeh TSOO-yeh sheh DOB-zheh |
| I'm lost. | Zgubiłem się. | zgoo-BEE-lem sheh |
| I need a hospital. | Potrzebuję szpitala. | pot-she-BOO-yeh shp-ee-TA-la |
| It hurts here. | Boli mnie tutaj. | BO-lee MNYEH TOO-tai |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Polish?
"Dziękuję" (dz-YEN-koo-yeh). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Polish do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Polish is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Polish as an official language?
Polish is a main language in 1 countries: Poland.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"Czy mówisz po angielsku?" (chi MOO-veesh poh ahn-GYEL-skoo) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data