20 POLISH GREETINGS TO SOUND NATURAL IN A CONVERSATION

Cześć!

There is obviously nothing wrong with using the most common Polish greetings, such as “cześć” or “dzień dobry”. However, if you want to impress your Polish friends or sound more natural speaking Polish, here are a few ways you can greet a Polish person:

Informal greetings

1. Cześć [Chesht] / Hej [Hey] / Hejka [HEY-kah] / Siema [SHE-mah]

These are a few of the most common informal Polish greetings. They all mean “hello” or “hi” or “what’s up” and can be used in informal situations. Be careful though, because you shouldn’t always say it in situations in which you’d say “hello” in English. You can use it when talking to your family, friends, peers and people you’re on familiar terms with.

“Cześć” is a little more formal greeting than the rest of them, so it’s generally a safer option when you’re speaking Polish. “Hej” is often used when you feel like you need something more relaxed than the usual “cześć”. “Hejka” and “Siema” are even more informal and should only be used among close friends or colleagues you spend a lot of time with.

2. Jak się masz? [Yahk sheh mahsh]? /Jak leci? [Yakh LEH-tschi]? /Jak tam? [Yahk tahm]? / Co tam? [Tsoh tahm]?

These are a couple of ways you can ask “How are you?” in Polish. When meeting with someone it’s common to say a short greeting and then ask one of these questions. You can expect a few different answers from the other person. Let me give you some examples:

- Cześć! Jak się masz? (Hello! How are you?)

- Hej! Bardzo dobrze, a ty? (Hi! Very good, and you?)

- Też dobrze, dzięki. (I’m good too, thanks.)

OR

- Hejka, jak leci? (Hi, how’s it going?)

- Siema, spoko. A ty jak tam? (Hi, good. And how are you?)

- Jakoś leci! (Alright!)

Formal greetings

3. Dzień dobry [Jane DOH-brih]

This is the “all-purpose” formal greeting. The literal translation of “dzień dobry” is “good day”. This is how you say “good morning” and “good afternoon” in Polish, but you can also use it in the evening. It’s polite to say “dzień dobry” when you enter places such as stores, coffee shops or restaurants.

4. Dobry wieczór [DOH-brih VYEH-choor]

If you want to, you can say “dobry wieczór” in the evening, instead of saying “dzień dobry”. It has the same level of formality and literally means “good evening”. It’s usually used when it’s dark outside, or after 6-7 pm.

5. Wszystko w porządku? [FSHIST-ko V PAW-zhawnt-koo]? / Wszystko dobrze? [FSHIST-ko DOB-zhih]?

These questions mean “Are you alright?” and are often used after saying “dzień dobry” or “dobry wieczór”. It’s a kind way of asking someone how he/she is feeling in a little more formal setting.

Other greetings

5. Witam [VEE-tom] / Witaj  [VEE-thai] / Witajcie [Vee-THAI-che]

You can use these greetings when you want to say “welcome”. In a nutshell, “witam” can be used anytime, “witaj” is addressed to 1 person, and “witajcie” to at least 2 people.

6. Hejo [HEY-oh] / Siemanko [Scheh-MAHN-koh]

These greeting are very informal and you should only use them when speaking with really close friends. I’d compare them to English phrases such as “Yo!” or “Sup!”. The youngest generation probably doesn’t use it anymore though.

7. Kopę lat! [KOPH-ewh laht]!

This is a phrase you can use to express that you haven’t seen someone for a really long time. It means “it’s been a while” or “long time no see”.

8. Halo [HAHL-oh] / Tak słucham [Tahk SWOOH-hahm]

This is what Polish people say when they answer the phone. “Halo” is generally much more common among everyone. In my view, younger people don’t really say “Tak słucham” anymore.

Summary

As you can see, it’s important to pay attention to the level of formality of a situation, in order to use the right greeting. You can never go wrong with “dzień dobry” and "cześć”, however, using the greetings suggested by me will hopefully help you sound more like a native. Good luck!