Polish · Real conversations
Meeting people: Polish conversation practice
Start a friendly exchange and find a connection. Read the exchange, reveal the translations when you need them, then try your part before looking at the sample answers.
A1 · Read and rehearse
Your role: A guest meeting someone at a small social gathering.
Goal: Start a friendly exchange and find a connection.
Read the conversation
Partner
Cześć, przyjechałem / przyjechałam z innego miasta.
Show English translation
Hello, I'm visiting from another town.
You
Co cię tu sprowadza?
Show English translation
What brings you here?
Partner
Anna mnie zaprosiła. To moja dawna przyjaciółka.
Show English translation
Anna invited me. She's an old friend.
You
Skąd znasz Annę?
Show English translation
How do you know Anna?
Partner
Poznaliśmy się na studiach. Jeszcze poznaję to miejsce.
Show English translation
We met at university. I'm still finding my way around.
You
Czy jesteś tu pierwszy raz?
Show English translation
Is this your first time here?
Partner
Tak, jestem tu pierwszy raz. Anna mówiła, że cię zna.
Show English translation
Yes, it's my first visit. Anna said she knows you.
You
Dużo o tobie słyszałem / słyszałam.
Show English translation
I've heard a lot about you.
Partner
To miłe! Twoja twarz też wydaje mi się znajoma.
Show English translation
That's nice! You look familiar, too.
You
Czy już się kiedyś spotkaliśmy?
Show English translation
Have we met before?
Try your part first
Partner says: Hello, I'm visiting from another town. Your goal: What brings you here?
Reveal a sample reply
Co cię tu sprowadza?
What brings you here?
Partner says: Anna invited me. She's an old friend. Your goal: How do you know Anna?
Reveal a sample reply
Skąd znasz Annę?
How do you know Anna?
Partner says: We met at university. I'm still finding my way around. Your goal: Is this your first time here?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy jesteś tu pierwszy raz?
Is this your first time here?
Partner says: Yes, it's my first visit. Anna said she knows you. Your goal: I've heard a lot about you.
Reveal a sample reply
Dużo o tobie słyszałem / słyszałam.
I've heard a lot about you.
Partner says: That's nice! You look familiar, too. Your goal: Have we met before?
Reveal a sample reply
Czy już się kiedyś spotkaliśmy?
Have we met before?
Make it your own
- Change where you met.
- Mention a different mutual friend.
- Discover you have met before.
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.
