Fablingo Polish · Introduction — Meet the neighbours

Look at this place. The cobblestones, the little cafes spilling out onto the pavements, the smell of fresh bread from the bakery on the corner. Welcome to Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter of Krakow. And more importantly... welcome home.

You've just unpacked your bags in your new apartment, and it is a beautiful afternoon. I'm Kamil, by the way. I'm going to show you around your new neighbourhood.

Living here is all about the people. The Polish language might seem a little intimidating right now, but trust me, you don't need to be perfect. You just need to know how to connect with the folks on your street.

Ah, perfect timing. See that guy wrestling with a bicycle chain? That's Tom. He moved here from the UK a couple of years ago. Let's go say hi.

Cześć, Kamil!

Cześć — Hi / Hello (casual) · cheshch

He just said 'Cześć'. This is your bread and butter. It means 'Hi' or 'Hello', but it is strictly casual. You use this with friends, people your own age, and kids.

Now, the spelling looks like a sneeze, I know. C-Z-E-Ś-Ć. But don't panic, it is softer than it looks. Like you are gently hushing someone twice. Say it with me. Cześć.

Cześć — Hi / Hello (casual) · cheshch

Again, nice and easy... Cześć. Great.

Cześć — Hi / Hello (casual) · cheshch

Since Tom is a peer, and a fellow expat, we definitely use the casual register with him. Go ahead, say 'Cześć' to Tom.

Cześć! Nowy w okolicy?

He asked if you're new around here. We'll get to that later. Come on, let me show you the most important place on the street: the corner shop.

This is Pani Basia's shop. She knows everything that happens in Kazimierz. But listen closely: you cannot say 'Cześć' to Pani Basia. In Poland, we have a polite register for elders, strangers, and shopkeepers.

For her, we say 'Dzień dobry'. Literally 'Good day'.

Dzień dobry — Good day / Hello (polite) · jen DOH-bry

The stress in Polish almost always lands on the second to last syllable. So follow me, nice and slow. Dzień-dob-ry. Dzień dobry.

Dzień dobry — Good day / Hello (polite) · jen DOH-bry

Try it with me. Dzień-dob-ry. Perfect. A little smoother now, Dzień dobry.

Dzień dobry — Good day / Hello (polite) · jen DOH-bry

Let's try it for real. Walk up and greet her nicely.

Dzień dobry! O, nowy sąsiad?

Look at that, you are a natural. Before we go further, let us lock these in. Cześć, for friends like Tom. And Dzień dobry, for anyone you respect, like Pani Basia.

Oh, and here comes Pan Zbyszek. He's lived in this exact building his entire life. A true gentleman.

Dzień dobry państwu.

Since you're meeting him for the first time, this is the perfect moment to say 'Nice to meet you'. In Polish, we say 'Miło mi'.

Miło mi — Nice to meet you · MEE-wo mee

See that 'L' with a slash through it? It is actually a 'W' sound. So follow my lips. Miło mi. It literally means 'it is pleasant to me'.

Miło mi — Nice to meet you · MEE-wo mee

Say it with me. Mi-ło-mi. One more time, Miło mi.

Miło mi — Nice to meet you · MEE-wo mee

Tell Pan Zbyszek it's nice to meet him.

Mnie również bardzo miło.

I think you just made his day. Oh, look, Pani Basia is offering you something.

A housewarming gift! You need to say thank you. The word is 'Dziękuję'. It's one of the most important words you'll learn.

Dziękuję — Thank you · jen-KOO-yeh

This one scares people, but break it in half and it is easy. That little tail on the 'ę' at the end just softens into a gentle 'eh'. Follow me. Dzię-ku-ję. Dziękuję.

Dziękuję — Thank you · jen-KOO-yeh

Try it. Dziękuję. Nice! Now string it together nicely. Dziękuję.

Dziękuję — Thank you · jen-KOO-yeh

Go ahead, take the apple and thank her.

Proszę bardzo. Na zdrowie!

You are winning over the whole block. Let us run through your new phrases. Cześć, hi. Dzień dobry, good day. Miło mi, nice to meet you. And Dziękuję, thank you.

Hey, look who's crossing the street. That's Kuba and Magda. They're a young couple from the third floor. What do we say to people our age?

Cześć Kamil!

Cześć — Hi / Hello (casual) · cheshch

Exactly, 'Cześć'. But wait, who is that walking behind them? That's Pani Kowalska from the ground floor. Quick, what's the formal one?

Dzień dobry — Good day / Hello (polite) · jen DOH-bry

You nailed it. She even smiled, which is rare for her. Oh, watch your step!

This is Zosia. She's Kuba and Magda's niece. Hand her the toy, she has to run and catch up with them.

As she runs off, we need to say goodbye. A great universal phrase is 'Do zobaczenia'. It means 'See you' or literally, 'Until we see each other again'.

Do zobaczenia — See you / Goodbye · do zo-ba-CHEH-nya

It is a bit of a mouthful, but very rhythmic. The stress lands on the second to last syllable. Listen. Do-zo-ba-cze-nia. Do zobaczenia.

Do zobaczenia — See you / Goodbye · do zo-ba-CHEH-nya

Say it with me, nice and slow. Do-zo-ba-cze-nia. And now at normal speed, Do zobaczenia.

Do zobaczenia — See you / Goodbye · do zo-ba-CHEH-nya

Do zobaczenia!

Hej, Kamil! I almost forgot!

Tom just ran back over. Apparently, there's a welcome dinner for you tomorrow night at his place. He says everyone in the building is coming.

A neighbourhood dinner... That's going to be fun. And it means you're going to need a few more words under your belt before tomorrow night.

For your very first day, you did incredibly well. Let us go over everything you learned today. Cześć and Dzień dobry, to say hello. Miło mi, when you meet someone new. Dziękuję, to say thank you. And Do zobaczenia, to say goodbye. Practice these, and you will be just fine.

I'm Kamil. Welcome to Fablingo Polski. Join me here every Tuesday and Friday as we figure out life in Krakow, one phrase at a time. Do zobaczenia!