Polish · Greetings & Essentials

"Be careful!" in Polish: uważaj

uważaj

Say it: oovazhaihphrase/uvaʐaj/

Be careful! in Polish is uważaj. Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

A first use of be careful!

Uważaj na schodach.
Be careful on the stairs.
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How to pronounce uważaj

Say it

oovazhaih

/uvaʐaj/

In uważaj, rz and ż normally share a zh-like sound, with devoicing in some positions. The content words in uważaj normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.

"Be careful!" in Polish: quick reference

PolishEnglish
uważajBe careful!

The main expression for be careful!.

bądź ostrożnyBe careful!

Alternative wording; compare its context and register below.

How to use uważaj in real life

  1. 1A first use of be careful!

    Uważaj na schodach.

    Be careful on the stairs.

    This is a natural setting for uważaj.

  2. 2A second conversational context

    Uważaj na samochody.

    Watch out for cars.

    Notice how uważaj fits with the surrounding words here.

  3. 3Another practical use

    Proszę, uważaj.

    Please be careful.

    Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

Mistakes English speakers make with uważaj

Incorrect: Uważasz.

Correct: uważaj

For this meaning, the complete Polish form is uważaj. Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

Incorrect: uważaj na samochodów

Correct: uważaj

Keep the wording and grammatical forms in uważaj; the proposed form changes or breaks this expression.

Good to know

Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

Read this practice conversation aloud

Practice be careful!

  1. Partner

    Co powiesz w tej sytuacji?

    What will you say in this situation?

  2. You

    Uważaj na schodach.

    Be careful on the stairs.

  3. Partner

    A w innym kontekście?

    And in another context?

  4. You

    Uważaj na samochody.

    Watch out for cars.

This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.

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"Be careful!" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Be careful!" in Polish

When should I say uważaj?

Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

Is bądź ostrożny another way to say be careful!?

Bądź ostrożny is a useful related expression. The main form here is uważaj; choose the wording that fits the person and context.

What wording should I avoid with uważaj?

Avoid Uważasz.. The correct expression is uważaj; Uważaj is an informal singular warning; uważaj na plus accusative names a danger.

Can you show uważaj in a sentence?

Proszę, uważaj. — Please be careful.

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