Polish · Everyday Verbs
"to cry" in Polish: płakać
płakać
To cry in Polish is płakać. The useful forms are płaczę (I), płaczesz (you, singular) and płacze (he, she or it). Płakać is cry with tears; krzyczeć means shout or cry out loudly.
Your own action
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How to pronounce płakać
Say it
pvakatsh
/pwakatɕ/
In płakać, ł sounds like English w; ć/ci has a soft ch-like sound. The content words in płakać normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"to cry" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| płakać | to cry Infinitive or dictionary expression. | Infinitive or dictionary expression. |
| płaczę | I cry First-person singular present. | First-person singular present. |
| płaczesz | you cry Informal second-person singular. | Informal second-person singular. |
| płacze | he or she cries Third-person singular. | Third-person singular. |
How to use płakać in real life
- 1Your own action
Płaczę ze wzruszenia.
I cry with emotion.
Płaczę is the form shown for your action in this example.
- 2Speaking to one person
Dlaczego płaczesz?
Why are you crying?
Use płaczesz when addressing one person informally; polite address uses third-person grammar.
- 3Another person or situation
Dziecko płacze w pokoju.
The child cries in the room.
Płakać is cry with tears; krzyczeć means shout or cry out loudly.
Mistakes English speakers make with płakać
Incorrect: Ja płakać.
Correct: Ja płaczę.
Conjugate płakać with ja: płaczę. A bare infinitive cannot express this statement.
Incorrect: Ty płaczę.
Correct: Ty płaczesz.
For informal singular ty, the matching form of płakać is płaczesz, rather than the first-person form.
Good to know
Płakać is cry with tears; krzyczeć means shout or cry out loudly.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Talk about cry
Partner
Podaj przykład użycia tego czasownika.
Give an example using this verb.
You
Płaczę ze wzruszenia.
I cry with emotion.
Partner
A jak zapytasz drugą osobę?
And how will you ask another person?
You
Dlaczego płaczesz?
Why are you crying?
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"to cry" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to cry" in Polish
What does płakać mean?
Płakać is cry with tears; krzyczeć means shout or cry out loudly.
How do I use płakać with “I”?
The first-person form is płaczę. For example: Płaczę ze wzruszenia. — I cry with emotion.
How do I ask one person using płakać?
Use płaczesz for informal singular you. Dlaczego płaczesz? — Why are you crying?
What is the third-person form of płakać?
Use płacze with a singular subject. Dziecko płacze w pokoju. — The child cries in the room.
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