30 Essential Polish Phrases for Your First Trip to Krakow

Literally "good day", the polite greeting from morning to late afternoon, and what to say on entering a shop. In the evening it becomes dobry wieczór. Cześć, hi, is for friends.

The polite goodbye, as you leave a shop. Among friends cześć is bye as well as hi.

Bardzo dziękuję is thank you very much. Dzięki is the casual thanks.

Gdzie jest toaleta? asks for the toilet. On the doors a circle marks the women's and a triangle the men's.

Tak, poproszę is yes, please. In casual speech you will also hear no, which in Polish means "yeah".

A plain no, and also "not" before a verb: nie rozumiem, I don't understand.

The cry for urgent help. It is a form of pomoc, help.

Please, but also "here you are" when handing something over, and "you're welcome". Said as a question, proszę? asks someone to repeat.

The everyday apology, for a bump in a crowd or for being late. The same word gets attention, as in phrase 10.

The same word is excuse me and sorry. Use it to get attention before a question: przepraszam, gdzie jest toaleta?

Gdzie jest...? asks where a place is: gdzie jest apteka?

The verb to understand. Nie rozumiem, I don't understand, is the form to have ready; rozumiem is I understand.

Proszę mówić powoli asks someone to speak slowly.

The everyday reply to dziękuję. Word for word, "there is nothing for which".

Ile to kosztuje? asks the price. Prices are in złoty (zł, PLN); Poland does not use the euro.

Poproszę rachunek asks for the bill. Ch is said like the ch in Scottish loch.

Gdzie jest apteka? asks for the nearest one.

In an order it becomes wodę: poproszę wodę, water, please. Still is niegazowana, sparkling gazowana.

Polish has no separate good morning: it is the same dzień dobry as phrase 1. Dobranoc, good night, is only for going to bed.

Mam alergię na... names the cause: na mleko, to milk, or na ryby, to fish.

Karta płatnicza is the full name, but karta alone does in speech, and paying by card is kartą. Ł is said like English w.

For three or four, say dla trzech or dla czterech. In restaurants you will also hear the smaller stolik.

Warsaw has Poland's only metro. In Krakow, ask for the tram or bus stop: gdzie jest przystanek?

Add do and a place for the destination. The place name changes its ending: bilet do Krakowa, do Zakopanego.

The verb to help. Czy może mi pan pomóc? asks a man; to a woman, say pani instead of pan.

Literally "once more". To a woman, mogłaby pani replaces mógłby pan. A short jeszcze raz, proszę does the same job.

Się belongs to the verb and often moves ahead of it: proszę się tu zatrzymać. Proszę before a verb makes a polite request, here to a taxi driver.

Karetka becomes karetkę after po. The emergency number is 112, which works across the EU.

Pyszny becomes pyszne to agree with to. Before eating, Poles wish each other smacznego, enjoy your meal.

Ostry becomes ostre here. Polish cooking is mostly mild, so check first: czy to jest ostre?, is it spicy?