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Survival Phrases in Polish
These are the 13 words for keeping a conversation going that the Jasny Polski course teaches first — the ones that turn up in your first real conversations. Each comes with a sentence, so you can see how the word behaves rather than only what it means.
How to use these words
These are the phrases that keep a conversation going when you don't follow it. Proszę with an infinitive is the polite way to ask someone to do something: Proszę powtórzyć, Proszę mówić wolniej.
Two questions do most of the work. When you meet a word you don't know, ask Co to znaczy? — what does it mean? When you need a word you don't have, ask Jak to powiedzieć po polsku? — how do you say that in Polish? — and point at the thing or describe it.
Small talk: 13 words
| Polish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nie rozumiem phrase | I don't understand | Przepraszam, nie rozumiem. |
| nie wiem phrase | I don't know | Nie wiem, przepraszam. |
| proszę powtórzyć phrase | please repeat | Nie rozumiem. Proszę powtórzyć. |
| jeszcze raz, proszę phrase | once more, please | Jeszcze raz, proszę! |
| proszę mówić wolniej phrase | please speak more slowly | Proszę mówić wolniej! |
| co to znaczy? phrase | what does that mean? | «Wolniej» — co to znaczy? |
| jak to powiedzieć po polsku? phrase | how do you say that in Polish? | Przepraszam, jak to powiedzieć po polsku? |
| jak się to pisze? phrase | how is it spelled? | Piotr? Jak się to pisze? |
| przepraszam, nie mówię dobrze po polsku phrase | sorry, I don't speak Polish well | Przepraszam, nie mówię dobrze po polsku. |
| mówi pan po angielsku? phrase | do you speak English? (to a man; to a woman: mówi pani…) | Przepraszam, mówi pan po angielsku? |
| rozmawiać verb | to talk, to have a conversation | Rozmawiamy po polsku. |
| bo other | because | Nie czytam, bo jestem w szkole. |
| nazywać się verb | to be called, to be named | Nazywam się Ola. |
Check yourself
How do you say “what does that mean?” in Polish?
How do you say “to talk, to have a conversation” in Polish?
How do you say “because” in Polish?
How do you say “to be called, to be named” in Polish?
Grammar you need for these words
Where the course teaches these words
- 4. Introducing yourself in Polish 10 words from this page
- 8. Everyday Polish verbs in the present tense 2 words from this page
Related topics
- Essential Polish Words for Beginners 66 words
- Common Polish Verbs 27 words
- Shopping in Polish 38 words
Turn this into something you can actually say.
Practise this in Jasny Polski →Free to start. No card needed.