How to Say Please, Thank You, and Excuse Me in Polish
Three words handle most politeness in Poland — but each carries more weight than its English cousin. Here’s how they really work.
Proszę — please, here you go, you’re welcome
Proszę (“PROH-sheh”) does triple duty:
- Please in requests: Poproszę kawę, proszę (“One coffee, please”). Yes, both forms in one sentence is normal.
- Here you go when handing things over — shopkeepers say it as they give you change.
- You’re welcome in reply to thanks (alongside Nie ma za co, “don’t mention it”).
Dziękuję — thank you
Dziękuję (“jyen-KOO-yeh”) always lands. Poles say it often — to waiters, cashiers, bus drivers. The casual version among friends is Dzięki (“thanks”). Using the full form with strangers is never wrong.
Przepraszam — sorry and excuse me
Przepraszam (“psheh-PRAH-sham”) covers the whole apology spectrum:
- Bumping into someone, squeezing past on the tram;
- Getting a waiter’s attention;
- Genuine apologies — weight comes from tone and context, not a different word.
For tiny accidents, you’ll also hear the shorter Sorki (like “sowwy”) among young speakers — cute, but stick with Przepraszam until you’re fluent.
Put them to work
These three open nearly every role-play in the app — café, shops, directions. Drill them in the Greetings pack, then try the Shopping for Clothes scenario, which is basically a manners workout disguised as shopping.