How to Learn Key Phrases in Polish

You don't have to be fluent to speak a little Polish. It will take only a few minutes to learn some basic phrases to help you communicate. Native speakers will appreciate even a basic attempt to speak their language.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Polish Phrase Books
• Foreign Language Tape
• Airline Tickets

1. Use "dzien dobry" (jane dough-bray), which means "good day," as a form of saying hello. Polish speakers sometimes also use the English "hello" or "hi."
2. Say "do widzenia" (dough ve-zen-ya), which means "good-bye."
3. Introduce yourself by saying "moje imie" (mo-yeah em-yeow), for "my name is," and then add your first name.
4. Be courteous by saying "prosze" (pro-shoa) for "please," and "dziekuje" (jen-ku-yeow) for "thank you."
5. Use "nie" (ny-eh) for "no," and "tak" (tack) for "yes."
6. Say "gdzie" (guh-dej) for "where" when you are asking for something.
7. Make your life easier by asking "Czy mowisz po angielsku?" (che move-ish poe an-gell-sku), which means "Do you speak English?"

Tips & Warnings

• Carry a small phrase book or dictionary to look up words you don't know. You can point to them if you cannot pronounce them.
• Make use of shaking hands, a common and appreciated greeting among Polish people. When greeting, men often kiss a woman's hand.
• Communicate with body language: pointing, drawing and gesturing will all help you get your point across.
• The Polish language includes accent marks not noted here.