Polish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Small" in Polish: mały
mały
Small in Polish is mały. Use mały for a masculine singular noun, mała for feminine and małe for neuter. Mały describes small size and can also refer to a young child in context; niski means short in height.
Masculine subject
Stolik jest mały.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce mały
Say it
mavih
/mawɨ/
In mały, ł sounds like English w; y is distinct from the vowel i. The content words in mały normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"Small" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| mały | small Masculine nominative singular. | Masculine nominative singular. |
| mała | small Feminine nominative singular. | Feminine nominative singular. |
| małe | small Neuter nominative singular. | Neuter nominative singular. |
How to use mały in real life
- 1Masculine subject
Stolik jest mały.
The table is small.
Mały agrees with the masculine subject in this sentence.
- 2Feminine subject
Torba jest mała.
The bag is small.
Use mała with this feminine subject.
- 3Neuter subject
Okno jest małe.
The window is small.
The ending in małe agrees with this neuter subject.
Mistakes English speakers make with mały
Incorrect: Torba jest mały.
Correct: Torba jest mała.
The feminine subject needs mała, rather than masculine mały.
Incorrect: Okno jest mały.
Correct: Okno jest małe.
The neuter subject needs małe, rather than masculine mały.
Good to know
Mały describes small size and can also refer to a young child in context; niski means short in height.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Describe small in context
Partner
Jak to opiszesz?
How would you describe it?
You
Stolik jest mały.
The table is small.
Partner
A drugi przykład?
And another example?
You
Torba jest mała.
The bag is small.
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"Small" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Small" in Polish
When do I use mały?
Mały describes small size and can also refer to a young child in context; niski means short in height.
What is the feminine form of mały?
Use mała. For example: Torba jest mała. — The bag is small.
What is the neuter form of mały?
Use małe. For example: Okno jest małe. — The window is small.
Can I use mały unchanged with every noun?
No. mały, mała and małe show nominative singular agreement. Other cases of mały may require further changes.
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