Learn Basic Polish Greetings: Good Morning And Goodnight

Learning how to say hello and goodbye are the essence of getting to know any language. It shows other members of the culture that you care about showing your respect to them. So if you’re visiting Poland or Polish friends anytime soon - let’s learn the basic greetings!

ABOUT POLISH GREETINGS

Just as with any other culture, using inappropriate greetings (or, heavens forbid - no greeting at all), can come off as disrespectful. In Poland, it is customary to remain formal when it comes to greeting people you don’t know personally (like strangers, shop workers, etc:), those older than you, as well as colleagues and distant family members. In some families, formal greetings are something you should stick to even in the circle of your close ones. It is also normal to stay formal with children once they enter teenage years.

MORNING and DAY POLISH GREETINGS

So, for starters: how do you say good morning in Polish?
Good morning in Polish might be a little bit difficult to say out loud, especially to someone with a Germanic native language, but it’s worth a practice: 

• Dzień dobry! (try saying: jane-doh-brih)

On the positive note - there is no morning in good morning in Polish, as, bluntly translated, this greeting means good day, which is why this greeting can and is used all day long, except for when the sun sets. Good day in Polish is the main form of greeting someone and is the most important greeting to learn.

 Other variations you can use for the early day time are: 

• Miłego poranka! (rarely used but more fitting as it literally means have a good morning) 

And if you’re wondering how to say good morning lovingly, practice this: 

• Dzień dobry, kochanie! (Good morning my love in Polish - used by both sexes)
• Dzień dobry, ślicznotko (Good morning beautiful in Polish - referred to females)

HELLO IN POLISH

How to say hello in Polish also comes in handy, but is used more in informal situations. Meaning, this is something you will not say when entering a store, for example, but you can use it to greet your friend or immediate family. 

In these occasions, you will say: 

• Cześć! (say it like: chech-sh-ch) 

This means both hello/hi and bye in Polish. 

NIGHTTIME GREETINGS

Learning how to say have a goodnight in Polish will come in handy after evening activities. Once the sun sets, you can switch from dzień dobry to saying good evening or: 

• Dobry wieczór! (try saying doh-brih vieh-choor) 

And then, you can opt for one of these options for saying good night in Polish: 

• Dobranoc! (which is literally good night in Polish)
• Miłego wieczoru! (have a nice evening - used for late afternoons and early evenings, when there’s still time before bed)
• Do jutra! (meaning: till tomorrow!)
• Do zobaczenia! (meaning: see you!) 

And as for how to say goodbye in Polish, we will close on here:

• DO WIDZENIA! (doh vee-DZEN-ya) 

P.S. A small gift goes so well with Polish greetings - don’t forget to check our store!

Mead - Polish Honey Wine

Have you ever tried Polish mead, aka Polish honey wine? Check out our article on the traditional alcoholic beverage made from a mixture of honey and water. Learn more about Mead in Poland.