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Polish for free
Why learn Polish?
Polish is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Polish is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Polish is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Polish belongs to the Indo-European (Slavic) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Czech, Slovak or Russian.
The 50 most common Polish words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Polish sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | ee | and |
| 2 | w | v | in |
| 3 | nie | nyeh | not (negation) |
| 4 | na | nah | on |
| 5 | być | bich | be |
| 6 | to | toh | this |
| 7 | się | shyeh | self |
| 8 | z | z | with |
| 9 | że | zheh | that (conjunction) |
| 10 | a | ah | but |
| 11 | o | oh | about |
| 12 | mieć | myech | have |
| 13 | do | doh | to |
| 14 | ten | ten | this |
| 15 | ja | yah | I |
| 16 | on | ohn | he |
| 17 | tak | tahk | yes |
| 18 | jak | yahk | how |
| 19 | po | poh | after |
| 20 | co | tsoh | what |
| 21 | ale | AH-leh | but |
| 22 | za | zah | behind |
| 23 | móc | moots | can |
| 24 | od | oht | from |
| 25 | przez | pshes | through |
| 26 | swój | sfooy | own |
| 27 | wiedzieć | VYEH-jech | know |
| 28 | rok | rohk | year |
| 29 | czas | chahs | time |
| 30 | bardzo | BAR-dzoh | very |
| 31 | kiedy | KYEH-dih | when |
| 32 | tylko | TIL-koh | only |
| 33 | jeszcze | YESH-cheh | still |
| 34 | człowiek | CHWOH-vyek | person |
| 35 | wszystko | FSHIST-koh | all |
| 36 | mówić | MOO-veech | say |
| 37 | dzień | jen' | day |
| 38 | chcieć | khchech | want |
| 39 | jeden | YEH-den | one |
| 40 | my | mih | we |
| 41 | ty | tih | you |
| 42 | nasz | nahsh | our |
| 43 | przed | pshet | before |
| 44 | też | tesh | also |
| 45 | widzieć | VEE-jech | see |
| 46 | robić | ROH-beech | make |
| 47 | dobry | DOH-brih | good |
| 48 | nowy | NOH-vih | new |
| 49 | już | yoosh | already |
| 50 | gdzie | gjeh | where |
Useful phrases in Polish
- Cześć · cheshch · Hello / Good day
- Jak się masz? · yahk sheh mahsh · How are you?
- Dziękuję · jen-KOO-yeh · Thank you
- Proszę · PROH-sheh · Please
- Nazywam się... · nah-ZIH-vahm sheh · My name is...
- Gdzie jest...? · gjeh yest · Where is...?
- Do widzenia · doh vee-DZEN-ya · Goodbye
- Przepraszam · psheh-PRAH-sham · Excuse me
- Nie rozumiem · nyeh roh-ZOO-myem · I don't understand
- Czy możesz mi pomóc? · chih MOH-zhesh mee POH-moots · Can you help me?
- Ile to kosztuje? · EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh · How much is it?
- Do jutra! · doh YOO-trah · See you tomorrow!
Learn Polish with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Polish, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Polish learning community
Collaborate with native Polish speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Polish online · Create an online Polish school · Build a Polish curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Polish
How difficult is it to learn Polish?
How difficult Polish is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Polish is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Polish?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Polish?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Polish within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 40 million people across 1 countries speak Polish, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Polish vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Polish pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Polish pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Polish speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Polish alphabet first?
If Polish uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.