Polish · Real conversations
How to respond to “Skąd jesteś?” in Polish
An origin question can refer to a country, where you grew up, or a more complex personal history. Answer the part you want to share.
What you might hear
Skąd jesteś?
Where are you from?
Choose a reply that fits
Jestem z Kanady.
I'm from Canada.
Name a country when that is the answer you want to give.
Dorastałem / dorastałam w Indiach.
I grew up in India.
Use for the place where you grew up.
Mieszkałem / mieszkałam w kilku miejscach.
I've lived in several places.
Acknowledge a history involving several places.
A ty?
What about you?
Return the question when you want to hear their story.
Two short exchanges
A new introduction
Skąd jesteś?
Where are you from?
Jestem z Kanady.
I'm from Canada.
A question about growing up
Gdzie dorastałeś / dorastałaś?
Where did you grow up?
Dorastałem / dorastałam w Indiach.
I grew up in India.
Your turn
Give a short answer that reflects having lived in several places.
Reveal a sample reply
Mieszkałem / mieszkałam w kilku miejscach.
I've lived in several places.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking Polish
Polish distinguishes familiar ty from polite pan and pani. Choose pan when addressing a man and pani when addressing a woman formally; the paired forms shown in examples are alternatives, so say one. A formal question usually uses a third-person verb, such as Czy może pan …? First-person past and conditional forms can change with the speaker’s gender.
Keep letters such as ą, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż. Noun and adjective endings can change with their role in the sentence. Learn the complete expression before replacing a name, object, or time.
