Polish · Real conversations
How to say “I'm afraid I can't make it.” in Polish
Tell someone politely that you will not be able to attend.
Niestety nie mogę przyjść.
I'm afraid I can't make it.
Acknowledge the invitation or arrangement and make the cancellation clear.
Use it in three situations
Canceling a visit
Niestety nie mogę przyjść.
I'm afraid I can't make it.
Declining an event
Niestety nie mogę przyjść dziś wieczorem.
I'm afraid I can't make it tonight.
Explaining a missed meetup
Niestety nie mogę przyjść w piątek.
I'm afraid I can't make it on Friday.
What to watch for
'I'm afraid' expresses regret here; a literal statement about fear can change the meaning.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine changing plans. Say this in Polish: I'm afraid I can't make it tonight.
Reveal a sample reply
Niestety nie mogę przyjść dziś wieczorem.
I'm afraid I can't make it tonight.
Build a useful exchange
Explain a change and offer a clear next step.
This expression 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.
