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50 most common Polish words

The words no Polish conversation can do without: to be, to have, to do, yes, no, thank you. Each comes with IPA, a translation and an example you can listen to — and three exercises at the end to make them stick.

  • 50 words
  • Audio and IPA
  • An example for every word
  • 3 exercises
  • No sign-up
To the wordsPractice

Why start with these words

A small set of words — pronouns, a few verbs and prepositions — turns up in almost every Polish sentence. Learn them and you’ll recognise the backbone of a sentence even in an unfamiliar text.

Polish spelling looks daunting but is regular: once you know cz, sz, rz, ś, ć, you can read any word. Listen to each word and say it aloud — dziękuję, przepraszam, wszystko.

Word list

The words are in order of frequency: the first ones are the most common. Tap a word or an example to hear it.

Speed
  1. to be
  2. not; no
  3. and
  4. in
  5. this, it
  6. on
  7. oneself (reflexive)
  8. with; from
  9. that
  10. I
  11. you (informal)
  12. he, she
  13. to have
  14. yes; so
  15. what
  16. how
  17. but
  18. to, into
  19. about; at (time)
  20. this
  21. can, to be able to
  22. to want
  23. to know
  24. to do, to make
  25. to go (on foot)
  26. to speak, to say
  27. thank you
  28. please; here you are
  29. sorry, excuse me
  30. hi; bye
  31. good morning, hello
  32. very
  33. well, fine
  34. where
  35. when
  36. why
  37. here
  38. now
  39. today
  40. tomorrow
  41. everything
  42. also, too
  43. already
  44. still; more
  45. house, home
  46. time
  47. day
  48. person, man
  49. to like
  50. a lot, much

Practice: test yourself

10 words from the list per round. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

Choose an exercise

How to remember the words

  • 10 words a day: listen, repeat aloud and do the “Translate” exercise.
  • Learn the examples as a whole: “Nie wiem”, “Jak się masz?” — ready-made phrases stick better than single words.
  • Come back to the exercises after a day and after a week — spaced repetition makes words stick.
  • Learn the Pan / Pani forms early: Czy Pan ma czas? is how you politely address a stranger.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

Where does this list come from?

We used frequency dictionaries based on film and TV subtitles — the closest thing to real spoken language. Forms of one word are grouped together, and words too early for a beginner to learn on their own are replaced by the most useful ones in conversation: thank you, hello, excuse me.

Are 50 words enough to speak?

No, but they’re a solid base: these words make up a noticeable part of any text. Next come 300–500 words by topic (food, the city, work) and basic grammar.

How do I address someone politely in Polish?

Use Pan (to a man) or Pani (to a woman) with a 3rd-person verb: Czy Pan ma czas? Keep ty for friends and family.

How fast can I learn these words?

In a week, if you learn 7–10 words a day and review them with the exercises. The key is coming back to them a few days later.

What’s next

Next step

Keep learning with a mini-course

Short online courses by Slay School teachers: a 15-minute lesson a day with audio, exercises and dialogues, and the words you forget come back on their own.

  • Day 1 is free
  • 15 minutes a day, at your own pace
  • Every word has audio
  • Lifetime access once paid
Start for freeAll mini-courses

All you need to start is an email or a Google account.