# Teach me to say a phrase in Polish! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887 "2003-09-16T03:38:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RavingMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/1 "2003-09-16T03:38:17Z")
I’m meeting a new friend tomorrow and I’d like to compliment her in her native tongue. How would one say in Polish, “Good evening, Sarah. You look lovely this evening”? Also, I’d need a pronunciation guide to go along with this so I can do my best at not mangling her language. Thanks, Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![RavingMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/2 "2003-09-16T03:51:20Z")
Err, on second thought, how about we make it read nicely in English first? “Good evening, Sarah. You look lovely tonight.” ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/3 "2003-09-16T11:15:59Z")
From my experience of having lived together with a Polish speaker and heard her talk to her mother on the telephone I don’t think you would want to try saying anything in that language. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/4 "2003-09-16T11:33:43Z")
The only phrase I know in Polish translates as “Give me a kiss.” I wouldn’t know how to spell it in that language, so I’ll try to spell it phonetically: DA-ME BOO-ZHEE DA rhymes with LA[one of the notes on the musical scale. ME is like the pronoun we all know and love. BOO is what ghosts frighten us with and ZHEE, is gonna be difficult. A soft Z sound, a little of an H and a long sounded double E, as in BEE. Good luck. OHHH! A new friend! Well, never mind, but perhaps it’ll come in handy should she become an old friend. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/5 "2003-09-16T11:36:50Z")
“Good Night” is “Dobranoc” (there should be a twerk over the “c”), pronounced “Doh-BRAH-notz”. Roll the “r” to get it right. I don’t remember how to ask for a kiss in Polish, or to tell her she looks lovely. Sorry ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/6 "2003-09-16T11:38:25Z")
I can help you slightly. “Hello” in Polish is (phonetically) “zjindobry”. The only other bits of Polish I know are “arbus” (watermelon), polska (male Pole), stechi (son). Although I intend to start learning the language properly in the new year. I used to be able to say “We are the Knights who say ecki ecki ptang zwoob boing!” in Polish at one point, but I’ve forgotten how to now. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/7 "2003-09-16T12:30:26Z")
Dobry wieczor, Sarah, milo mi pania poznac do-bry vee-chor, Sarah, mee-vo me panya poz-nash Sould be good enough. It’s actually “Good evening, Sarah, glad to meet you” My Polish is _really_ rusty. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/8 "2003-09-16T12:49:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I can help you slightly. “Hello” in Polish is (phonetically) “zjindobry”. Actually, “dzien dobry” is “Good Day” (pronounced “Jane Dob-ree”. Roll that “r”), and not the right phrase for “Good Evening”. Some of the very meager store of Polish that I remember. ---
**Author:** ![RavingMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/9 "2003-09-16T13:09:56Z")
Wonderful! I can call her a watermelon and then demand a kiss – I’m sure she’ll be impressed with my mastery of the language! 🙂 **Tapioca** , I’ve got some questions about your pronunciation guide for do-bry vee-chor: is ‘do’ prounounced with a long O like d’oh! or more like dooo? Is ‘bry’ pronounced bree or brI (with a long I sound)? **Angua** , no telling when Monty Python lines might come in handy, though I expect the ecki ecki part doesn’t need much translation! See, it’s a little known fact that the Knights Who Say Ni were originally from Poland! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/10 "2003-09-16T13:13:00Z")
**Tapioca** ’s pretty much on. That would be the proper and formal way of introducing oneself to a lady. “Polska” is not a male Pole. That would be a “Polak.” A felmale Pole would be “Polka.” I’ve also never heard “stechi” for “son,” but that might be slang or a colloquialism I’m unfamiliar with. “Son” is “syn” in Polish, pronounced “sin.” Daj mi buzi (Actually, I’m unsure of the spelling as well) for “Give me a kiss” is OK, but it sounds a tiny bit childish (or playful.) Something like “Give me a smooch.” More romantic would be “Pocaluj mnie” (poh-CAH-wooy MNYEH), which translates into “Kiss me!” “You look beautiful” would be (formally) “Pani pieknie wyglada.” (“PAH-nee PYENK-nyeh wih-GLON-da”) The “ON” in “wih-GLON-da” is nasal, so if you can do a French “ton” or “mon,” it’s the same sound. I’m leaving out all the diacrytical markings in my Polish, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/11 "2003-09-16T13:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by STARK \* > \*\*Wonderful! I can call her a watermelon and then demand a kiss – I’m sure she’ll be impressed with my mastery of the language! 🙂 > > **Tapioca** , I’ve got some questions about your pronunciation guide for do-bry vee-chor: is ‘do’ prounounced with a long O like d’oh! or more like dooo? Is ‘bry’ pronounced bree or brI (with a long I sound)? \*\* The “DO” in “DO-brih” is somewhere between a long “o” and a short “o.” Your best bet is to say “DOE-brih.” “Brih” sounds like “brick” without the “-ck.” For the second part, it’s VYEH-choor. The “choor” roughly rhymes with “moor.” ---
**Author:** ![RavingMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/12 "2003-09-16T13:37:21Z")
**pulykamell** , thanks for weighing in! Could we add a ‘tonight’ to the end of ‘You look beautiful’? Also, I’m afraid I don’t know French; would the nasal GLON rhyme with fawn? Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/13 "2003-09-16T13:46:12Z")
A very useful phrase is Nie mowie po polsku nye moo-vye po pol-skoo I don’t speak Polish In an emergency, you could try “Czy moge pozyczyc kluez?” which is “Could you lend me a wrench?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/14 "2003-09-16T13:54:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by STARK \* > \*\*Also, I’m afraid I don’t know French; would the nasal GLON rhyme with fawn? > > Thanks all! \*\* that sound doesn’t really exist in English, the easiest way to get it is to say “glon” with a really short n. Sort of like saying Montana, but pronouncing it “Mo-ntana” with the hyphen representing a pause. Hope that makes sense. You HAVE to tell us how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/15 "2003-09-16T15:35:24Z")
Here’s a [pronunciation guide](http://french.about.com/library/pronunciation/bl-pronunciation-on.htm) to the French nasal vowel ‘on.’ Click the links for the example words ‘onze,’ ‘bonbons’ and ‘citron’ to get a fairly good idea of how it should sound. ---
**Author:** ![RavingMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/16 "2003-09-16T20:15:38Z")
So after talking with a guy in the office who speaks Russian (and knows a little Polish) and combining it with what y’all have provided, this is what I’v come up with: “DOE-bri VYEH-choor, Sarah. PAH-nee PANK-nyeh vwih-GLON-da gee-shy-vee-CHORUM.” How close am I? ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/17 "2003-09-17T11:40:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*[ > > “Polska” is not a male Pole. That would be a “Polak.” A felmale Pole would be “Polka.” > > I’ve also never heard “stechi” for “son,” but that might be slang or a colloquialism I’m unfamiliar with. “Son” is “syn” in Polish, pronounced “sin.” > \*\* I apologise for my mistakes. I haven’t quite got round to learning Polish properly yet, and only know vague bits from my boyfriend’s father. I am hoping to learn though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-say-a-phrase-in-polish/201887/18 "2003-09-18T11:36:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by STARK \* > \*\*So after talking with a guy in the office who speaks Russian (and knows a little Polish) and combining it with what y’all have provided, this is what I’v come up with: > > “DOE-bri VYEH-choor, Sarah. PAH-nee PANK-nyeh vwih-GLON-da gee-shy-vee-CHORUM.” How close am I? \*\* Close enough. She should understand. “PANK-nyeh” would sound better pronounced as “PYENK-nyeh.” There’s no “w” sound in “wyglada.” Just “vih-GLON-da.” And the last three syllables are “vyeh-CHOR-em.” Good luck.