Hello in Polish: Dzień Dobry, Cześć and When to Use Each
| Polish | Sounds like | Use it with |
|---|---|---|
| Dzień dobry | jen DOH-brih | Strangers, shops, older people, work (formal) |
| Cześć | cheshch | Friends, family, people your age (informal) |
| Hej | hey | Friends, texts (informal) |
| Dobry wieczór | DOH-brih VYEH-choor | Anyone, in the evening (formal) |
Hello in Polish is dzień dobry (jen DOH-brih) in formal situations and cześć (cheshch) with friends. Dzień dobry literally means “good day” and is the safe choice with strangers, shop staff and older people. Cześć, hej and slangy siema are informal, and cześć also means goodbye.
Hello in Polish has two main forms: dzień dobry for formal moments and cześć for people you know. Which one you choose depends less on the time of day than on who you are talking to. That choice follows the same line as Polish formal address: pan and pani (sir, madam) for strangers, ty (you) for friends.
Formal hello in Polish: dzień dobry
Dzień dobry means “good day” (dzień = day, dobry = good). Use it when you walk into a shop, greet a neighbor, meet a colleague’s parents or call an office. It works from morning until evening, so Polish has no separate everyday phrase for “good morning”. The page on good morning in Polish explains this in detail.
Pronounce it jen DOH-brih, [d͡ʑɛɲ ˈdɔbrɨ]. The dzi at the start is one soft sound, close to the “j” in “jeep”. The ń is a soft “n”, like the “ny” in “canyon”. The final y is a vowel English lacks; “ih” as in “bit” is close enough.
The Polish publisher PWN’s guide to everyday language calls dzień dobry the universal greeting. It is the default hello in Polish with strangers, and friends can use it too. You can add a title: Dzień dobry, pani profesor (Good day, Professor).
In the evening, switch to dobry wieczór (DOH-brih VYEH-choor), “good evening”. It is formal and polite, and fewer people use it today, so dzień dobry at 7 p.m. is not a mistake.
Informal hello in Polish: cześć, hej and siema
Cześć is the most common informal hello in Polish across all ages. It is a single syllable, [t͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ], roughly cheshch: “ch” as in “church”, “e” as in “bet”, then a soft “sh” and a soft “ch” run together. The word also means “honor”, a trace of the days when greetings expressed respect. And it works for goodbye, too.
| Polish | Sounds like | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cześć | cheshch | Hi; also bye | Informal |
| Hej | hey | Hey, hi | Informal, friendly |
| Siema | SHEH-mah | Hiya, yo | Slang |
| Elo | EH-loh | Yo | Slang, younger speakers |
| Witaj | VEE-tie | Welcome, hello (to one person) | Warm, slightly literary |
| Witajcie | vee-TIE-cheh | Welcome, hello (to a group) | Warm |
| Serwus | SER-voos | Hello | Old-fashioned |
Siema comes from jak się masz (how are you), clipped to its middle. Use it with friends, never with your boss. Hej is close to English “hey” and is very common in text messages.
The witam debate
Witam (VEE-tahm) is the most debated hello in Polish. It means “I welcome (you)”. You will hear it on TV and see it at the start of emails. Many Polish language experts discourage it, and it divides Polish speakers more than any other greeting.
The problem is hierarchy. A host welcomes guests, so witam sounds natural from a person in charge: a teacher to students, a presenter to an audience. Coming from a student or a job applicant, it can sound presumptuous. The University of Warsaw Language Advisory Office notes that the word carries this hierarchical tone and is not heard as neutral by everyone. It suggests witaj or witajcie as friendlier alternatives in informal messages.
For a first email to a stranger in Polish, open with Dzień dobry, or the more formal Szanowny Panie / Szanowna Pani (Dear Sir / Dear Madam). Avoid Witam unless you are the host.
How are you? Follow-up phrases
After hello, Poles often ask how you are. With friends, the question is Co słychać? or Jak się masz?. With strangers, you would use the formal version with pan or pani.
| Polish | Sounds like | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co słychać? | tsoh SWIH-hahch | What’s new? (lit. what’s heard?) | Informal |
| Jak się masz? | yahk sheh mahsh | How are you? | Informal |
| Jak się pan ma? | yahk sheh pahn mah | How are you, sir? | Formal |
| Jak się pani ma? | yahk sheh PAH-nee mah | How are you, madam? | Formal |
| Dobrze, dziękuję | DOHB-zheh, jen-KOO-yeh | Fine, thank you | Any |
| Miło mi | MEE-woh mee | Nice to meet you | Any |
Be ready for an honest answer. “How are you?” in Polish is often a real question, and a friend may tell you how things really are. For more on thanks, see thank you in Polish.
Saying goodbye
Goodbyes follow the same formal/informal split as hello in Polish.
| Polish | Sounds like | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do widzenia | doh vee-DZEH-nyah | Goodbye (lit. until seeing) | Formal |
| Do zobaczenia | doh zoh-bah-CHEH-nyah | See you | Neutral |
| Cześć | cheshch | Bye | Informal |
| Na razie | nah RAH-zheh | See you, for now | Informal |
| Pa | pah | Bye-bye | Informal, family |
| Dobranoc | doh-BRAH-nots | Good night | At night, before sleep |
Greeting customs in Poland
The words are only half of hello in Polish. When you meet someone formally, a handshake with eye contact is normal, and you say dzień dobry. Friends may hug or kiss on the cheek; the number of kisses varies by family and region. In small shops and lifts, people often greet everyone with dzień dobry on the way in and do widzenia on the way out, and staying silent can feel cold.
First names come later than in the US or UK. Many adults stay on pan/pani terms until the older or more senior person suggests mówmy sobie po imieniu, “let’s use first names”. Until that happens, stick with dzień dobry.
Common mistakes with hello in Polish
- Saying cześć to strangers. It is friendly but too casual for shop staff, officials or older people.
- Looking for a “good morning” phrase. Dzień dobry covers the whole day until evening.
- Using dobranoc as a greeting. It means “good night” when parting. In the evening, say hello with dobry wieczór.
- Opening an email with Witam. Many readers find it presumptuous. Use Dzień dobry instead.
- Saying “dz” in dzień like English “adze”. It is one soft sound, close to “j”.
For more useful words, see our list of Polish phrases and the sounds explained in Polish pronunciation.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in Polish?
Say dzień dobry (jen DOH-brih) to strangers and in formal situations, and cześć (cheshch) to friends.
Is cześć hello or goodbye?
Both. Cześć is an informal greeting and an informal farewell, much like “ciao” in Italian.
Is it rude to say witam?
Not rude, but many Poles find it presumptuous, because it sounds like a host welcoming guests. Dzień dobry is the safer choice, especially in emails.
What does siema mean?
Siema is slang for “hi”, clipped from jak się masz (how are you). Use it only with friends.
When do you say dobry wieczór?
In the evening, as a polite greeting. It is formal, and many people simply keep saying dzień dobry.
Sources
- Poradnia Językowa UW: Powitania w e-mailach
- PWN, Polszczyzna na co dzień: Powitania
- Culture.pl: Cześć (Poland: Word by Word)