Polish · Real conversations
Local transport: Polish conversation practice
Find the right route and the right stop. Read the exchange, reveal the translations when you need them, then try your part before looking at the sample answers.
A2 · Read and rehearse
Your role: A passenger checking directions with a local person.
Goal: Find the right route and the right stop.
Read the conversation
Partner
Ta ulica prowadzi w stronę muzeum.
Show English translation
This street leads toward the museum.
You
Czy idę w dobrą stronę?
Show English translation
Am I going the right way?
Partner
Tak. Zamiast iść pieszo, można wsiąść do tego autobusu.
Show English translation
Yes. You can take this bus instead.
You
Ile przystanków zostało?
Show English translation
How many stops are left?
Partner
Trzy przystanki. Autobus czasem omija pusty przystanek.
Show English translation
Three stops. The bus sometimes skips an empty stop.
You
Czy może mi pan/pani powiedzieć, kiedy mam wysiąść?
Show English translation
Could you tell me when to get off?
Partner
Oczywiście. Można też stąd dojść pieszo.
Show English translation
Of course. You could also walk from here.
You
Czy można tam dojść pieszo?
Show English translation
Is it within walking distance?
Partner
To około dwudziestu minut. Przy muzeum jest stacja.
Show English translation
It's about twenty minutes. There's a station near the museum.
You
Czy ten autobus zatrzymuje się przy dworcu?
Show English translation
Does this bus stop at the station?
Try your part first
Partner says: This street leads toward the museum. Your goal: Am I going the right way?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy idę w dobrą stronę?
Am I going the right way?
Partner says: Yes. You can take this bus instead. Your goal: How many stops are left?
Reveal a sample reply
Ile przystanków zostało?
How many stops are left?
Partner says: Three stops. The bus sometimes skips an empty stop. Your goal: Could you tell me when to get off?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy może mi pan/pani powiedzieć, kiedy mam wysiąść?
Could you tell me when to get off?
Partner says: Of course. You could also walk from here. Your goal: Is it within walking distance?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy można tam dojść pieszo?
Is it within walking distance?
Partner says: It's about twenty minutes. There's a station near the museum. Your goal: Does this bus stop at the station?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy ten autobus zatrzymuje się przy dworcu?
Does this bus stop at the station?
Make it your own
- Travel on foot instead.
- Change the destination.
- Ask someone to point out the stop.
Keep the useful expression and change the detail. There can be several appropriate answers; the revealed replies are examples to learn from.
This rehearsal 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.
