Polish · Everyday Verbs
"to hear" in Polish: słyszeć
słyszeć
To hear in Polish is słyszeć. The useful forms are słyszę (I), słyszysz (you, singular) and słyszy (he, she or it). Słyszeć describes hearing a sound; słuchać is intentional listening and uses genitive.
Your own action
Słyszę muzykę za ścianą.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce słyszeć
Say it
svihshetsh
/swɨʂɛtɕ/
In słyszeć, ł sounds like English w; sz is a hard sh-like sound; ć/ci has a soft ch-like sound; y is distinct from the vowel i. The content words in słyszeć normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"to hear" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| słyszeć | to hear Infinitive or dictionary expression. | Infinitive or dictionary expression. |
| słyszę | I hear First-person singular present. | First-person singular present. |
| słyszysz | you hear Informal second-person singular. | Informal second-person singular. |
| słyszy | he or she hears Third-person singular. | Third-person singular. |
How to use słyszeć in real life
- 1Your own action
Słyszę muzykę za ścianą.
I hear music behind the wall.
Słyszę is the form shown for your action in this example.
- 2Speaking to one person
Słyszysz mnie dobrze?
Can you hear me well?
Use słyszysz when addressing one person informally; polite address uses third-person grammar.
- 3Another person or situation
Ona słyszy ptaki rano.
She hears birds in the morning.
Słyszeć describes hearing a sound; słuchać is intentional listening and uses genitive.
Mistakes English speakers make with słyszeć
Incorrect: Ja słyszeć.
Correct: Ja słyszę.
Conjugate słyszeć with ja: słyszę. A bare infinitive cannot express this statement.
Incorrect: Ty słyszę.
Correct: Ty słyszysz.
For informal singular ty, the matching form of słyszeć is słyszysz, rather than the first-person form.
Good to know
Słyszeć describes hearing a sound; słuchać is intentional listening and uses genitive.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Talk about hear
Partner
Podaj przykład użycia tego czasownika.
Give an example using this verb.
You
Słyszę muzykę za ścianą.
I hear music behind the wall.
Partner
A jak zapytasz drugą osobę?
And how will you ask another person?
You
Słyszysz mnie dobrze?
Can you hear me well?
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"to hear" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to hear" in Polish
What does słyszeć mean?
Słyszeć describes hearing a sound; słuchać is intentional listening and uses genitive.
How do I use słyszeć with “I”?
The first-person form is słyszę. For example: Słyszę muzykę za ścianą. — I hear music behind the wall.
How do I ask one person using słyszeć?
Use słyszysz for informal singular you. Słyszysz mnie dobrze? — Can you hear me well?
What is the third-person form of słyszeć?
Use słyszy with a singular subject. Ona słyszy ptaki rano. — She hears birds in the morning.
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