If you want to speak Polish like a native speaker, simply learning words and phrases by heart is not enough. Of course, you need to know them, but you should also understand how and when to use them so that they sound natural to Polish speakers. It’s important because there are many ways to express the same sentiment depending on the situation and your intentions, and using them, rather than repeating the same generic phrases all the time, makes all the difference between knowing the language and being fluent in it.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at different ways in which Polish people express gratitude and appreciation, both in formal and informal situations. By being polite, you can show those around you your respect and appear more likeable in their eyes; it’s an easy way to make new friends and navigate any situation. In short, being able to say thanks in Polish is one of the most useful skills you can acquire at the beginning of your Polish learning journey.
What Is the Most Common Way to Say Thank You in Polish?
- Dziękuję – Thank you
- Dziękuję bardzo – Thank you very much
In your everyday life, you’ll find yourself in many situations where saying “thank you” is almost an automatic response. It’s exactly the same when speaking Polish. Whether someone lets you through the door, answers your question, points the way or holds the lift for you, saying Dziękuję is the polite thing to do.
Dziękuję is the most common way to say thank you in Polish because it’s a neutral phrase suitable for any situation. It is an expression that works just as well whether you want to thank someone for their help, thank a client or a colleague for their time at the end of a business meeting or thank a shop assistant after completing your shopping.
But, as we’ve already mentioned in our previous articles, there are slight differences between formal and informal language in Poland, and it’s worth keeping them in mind to avoid blunders and social faux pas.
- To say thank you in informal situations, you can use Dzięki (Thanks) or Wielkie dzięki (Thanks a lot).
- To say thank you in formal situations, you can use Dziękuję (Thank you) or Dziękuję bardzo (Thank you very much). You can also say Dziękuję Pani/Panu (Thanks you Madame/Sir) or Dziękuję Pani/Panu bardzo (Thank you very much Madame/Sir)
How Do You Pronounce Dziękuję?
While the word “Dziękuję” is one of the most commonly used in the Polish language, the combination of “dz” along with the two “ę” makes it look really foreign to non-native speakers. So how do you pronounce it?
- Dziękuję is pronounced as [ʥ̑ɛ̃ŋˈkujɛ] (IPA)
- Dzięki is pronounced as [ˈʥ̑ɛ̃ŋʲci] (IPA)
Other Ways to Say Thank You in Polish
- Jestem wdzięczny/wdzięczna. – I’m thankful.
- To bardzo miło z Twojej strony. – That’s very kind of you.
- Doceniam to. – I appreciate it.
- Dziękuję za wszystko. – Thank you for everything.
- Dziękuję za miłe słowa. – Thank you for your kind words.
- Dziękuję za przybycie. – Thank you for coming.
- Dziękuję za Twoją pomoc. – Thank you for your help.
Responding to Thank You in Polish
Now that you know how to say thank you, let’s look at the other side of the conversation: how to respond to someone’s thanks. Many people find it more difficult to accept someone’s kindness and gratefulness than express it themselves, so to help you avoid awkwardness and keep the conversation flowing, we’ve prepared a few phrases you can use to respond:
- Proszę./Proszę bardzo. – You’re welcome.
- Nie ma za co. – Not at all./Don’t mention it.
- Nie ma sprawy. – No problem.
- To nic takiego. – It’s nothing./It’s no big deal.
Learn to Speak Polish Like a Native
As you can see, there are many ways to say thank you and respond to it in Polish. And while you can get by with a simple Dziękuję, using different and more nuanced phrases can easily make you sound more fluent and natural when speaking Polish. That’s the goal of our Polish language classes at Polka Dot! We want our students to feel confident enough to express themselves freely in Polish in any situation.
If you want to start learning Polish online with a native speaker, or you’re interested in our methods and you’d like to know more, don’t hesitate to contact us! We can’t wait to hear from you!
