Travel and Transport in Polish
The main transport words are pociąg (train), autobus (bus), tramwaj (tram) and samolot (plane). To say "by train", put the vehicle in the instrumental case: pociągiem, autobusem, tramwajem, samolotem.
Means of transport
These are the words you will see on signs, tickets and apps. Polish cities have buses and trams almost everywhere, and Warsaw also has a metro.
| Polish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| pociąg | train | POH-chonk |
| autobus | bus | ow-TOH-boos |
| tramwaj | tram | TRAHM-vahy |
| metro | underground, subway | MEH-troh |
| taksówka | taxi | tahk-SOOF-kah |
| samochód | car | sah-MOH-khoot |
| rower | bicycle | ROH-ver |
| samolot | plane | sah-MOH-lot |
| statek | ship | STAH-tek |
| prom | ferry | PROM |
| autokar | coach | ow-TOH-kar |
| bus | minibus | BOOS |
| motocykl | motorbike | moh-TOH-tsihkl |
| hulajnoga | scooter (kick or electric) | hoo-lahy-NOH-gah |
| pieszo | on foot | PYEH-shoh |
Note that bus in Polish means a minibus, often a private one between towns. A big city bus is autobus.
By train, by bus: the instrumental case
English says "by train". Polish has no word for "by". It puts the vehicle in the instrumental case: masculine and neuter nouns add -em, feminine nouns change -a to -ą.
| Vehicle | By… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| pociąg | pociągiem | Jadę do Gdańska pociągiem. I'm going to Gdańsk by train. |
| autobus | autobusem | Jeżdżę do pracy autobusem. I go to work by bus. |
| tramwaj | tramwajem | Pojedziemy tramwajem. We'll go by tram. |
| metro | metrem | Metrem jest szybciej. It's quicker by metro. |
| taksówka | taksówką | Wróciłam taksówką. I came back by taxi. (woman) |
| samochód | samochodem | Przyjechał samochodem. He came by car. |
| rower | rowerem | Jeżdżę rowerem. I cycle. |
| samolot | samolotem | Lecę samolotem do Londynu. I'm flying to London. |
| prom | promem | Płyniemy promem do Szwecji. We're taking the ferry to Sweden. |
On foot is pieszo or na piechotę. To say you are inside a vehicle right now, use w with the locative: Jestem w autobusie (I'm on the bus), w pociągu (on the train), w tramwaju (on the tram).
Iść or jechać?
English "go" splits into separate verbs in Polish. Iść means to go on foot, jechać means to go by any vehicle, and lecieć means to fly. You must choose, even when the English sentence doesn't say how you travel. For trips you make regularly, use chodzić and jeździć.
- Idę do sklepu.I'm going to the shop. (walking)
- Jadę do Krakowa.I'm going to Kraków. (by car, train or bus)
- Codziennie jeżdżę do pracy tramwajem.I go to work by tram every day.
Buying tickets
You can buy train tickets at the kasa biletowa (ticket office), from a machine, online or in an app. City tickets are sold in machines at stops and on board, in kiosks and in apps.
| Polish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| bilet | ticket | BEE-let |
| bilet normalny | full-price ticket | BEE-let nor-MAHL-nih |
| bilet ulgowy | reduced-fare ticket | BEE-let ool-GOH-vih |
| w jedną stronę | one-way | v YED-now STROH-neh |
| bilet powrotny | return ticket | BEE-let poh-VROT-nih |
| miejscówka | seat reservation | myay-STSOOF-kah |
| kasa biletowa | ticket office | KAH-sah bee-leh-TOH-vah |
| biletomat | ticket machine | bee-leh-TOH-maht |
| skasować bilet | to validate a ticket | skah-SOH-vahch BEE-let |
| bilet dobowy | 24-hour ticket | BEE-let doh-BOH-vih |
| bilet miesięczny | monthly pass | BEE-let myeh-SHENCH-nih |
| kontroler biletów | ticket inspector | kon-TROH-ler bee-LEH-toof |
| mandat | fine | MAHN-daht |
- Poproszę jeden bilet normalny do Krakowa.One full-price ticket to Kraków, please.
- W jedną stronę czy powrotny?One-way or return?
- Dwa bilety ulgowe i jeden normalny, proszę.Two reduced and one full-price ticket, please.
- Poproszę miejsce przy oknie.A window seat, please.
- O której jest następny pociąg do Poznania?What time is the next train to Poznań?
- Ile kosztuje bilet do Wrocławia?How much is a ticket to Wrocław?
- Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?Can I pay by card?
At the station
A big station is dworzec: dworzec kolejowy for trains, dworzec autobusowy for buses. A bus or tram stop is przystanek.
| Polish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| dworzec | station (main, big) | DVOH-zhets |
| stacja | station (on a line) | STAHTS-yah |
| przystanek | stop (bus, tram) | pshih-STAH-nek |
| peron | platform | PEH-ron |
| tor | track | TOR |
| rozkład jazdy | timetable | ROS-kwaht YAHZ-dih |
| odjazd / przyjazd | departure / arrival | OD-yahst / PSHIH-yahst |
| opóźnienie | delay | oh-poozh-NYEH-nyeh |
| przesiadka | change, connection | psheh-SHAHT-kah |
| wagon | carriage | VAH-gon |
| miejsce | seat | MYAY-stseh |
| wsiadać / wysiadać | to get on / to get off | FSHAH-dahch / vih-SHAH-dahch |
| przechowalnia bagażu | left luggage | psheh-khoh-VAHL-nyah bah-GAH-zhoo |
Polish stations number both the platform (peron) and the track (tor). Each platform usually has a track on each side, so listen for both numbers. A typical announcement:
- Pociąg do stacji Kraków Główny wjedzie na tor drugi przy peronie trzecim.The train to Kraków Główny will arrive at track two, platform three.
- Z którego peronu odjeżdża pociąg do Gdańska?Which platform does the train to Gdańsk leave from?
- Pociąg jest opóźniony o dwadzieścia minut.The train is twenty minutes late.
- Czy ten autobus jedzie do centrum?Does this bus go to the centre?
- Gdzie mam się przesiąść?Where do I have to change?
- Na którym przystanku mam wysiąść?Which stop do I get off at?
- Czy to miejsce jest wolne?Is this seat free?
At the airport
Airport signs in Poland are in Polish and English, but these words help with announcements and staff. The gate is called wyjście, the same word as "exit".
| Polish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| lotnisko | airport | lot-NEES-koh |
| lot | flight | LOT |
| odprawa | check-in | ot-PRAH-vah |
| karta pokładowa | boarding pass | KAR-tah poh-kwah-DOH-vah |
| kontrola bezpieczeństwa | security check | kon-TROH-lah bez-pyeh-CHEN-stfah |
| bagaż podręczny | hand luggage | BAH-gahsh pod-RENCH-nih |
| bagaż rejestrowany | checked luggage | BAH-gahsh reh-yes-troh-VAH-nih |
| wyjście | gate | VIHY-shcheh |
| odloty / przyloty | departures / arrivals | od-LOH-tih / pshih-LOH-tih |
| odbiór bagażu | baggage reclaim | OD-byoor bah-GAH-zhoo |
| paszport | passport | PAHSH-port |
| odwołany | cancelled | od-voh-WAH-nih |
- Gdzie jest odprawa na lot do Londynu?Where is check-in for the London flight?
- Mój lot jest odwołany.My flight is cancelled.
- Mój bagaż nie przyleciał.My luggage didn't arrive.
- Czy mogę to wziąć do bagażu podręcznego?Can I take this in my hand luggage?
Asking for directions
Start with Przepraszam (Excuse me). Ask jak dojść if you are walking and jak dojechać if you are driving or taking transport. This is the same iść and jechać split.
| Polish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| prosto | straight on | PROS-toh |
| w lewo | left | v LEH-voh |
| w prawo | right | f PRAH-voh |
| po lewej stronie | on the left | poh LEH-vay STROH-nyeh |
| po prawej stronie | on the right | poh PRAH-vay STROH-nyeh |
| na rogu | on the corner | nah ROH-goo |
| za rogiem | round the corner | zah ROH-gyem |
| na skrzyżowaniu | at the crossroads | nah skshih-zhoh-VAH-nyoo |
| na światłach | at the traffic lights | nah SHFYAHT-wahkh |
| naprzeciwko | opposite | nah-psheh-CHEEF-koh |
| obok | next to | OH-bok |
| blisko / daleko | near / far | BLEES-koh / dah-LEH-koh |
- Przepraszam, jak dojść do dworca?Excuse me, how do I get to the station? (on foot)
- Jak dojechać do centrum?How do I get to the centre? (by vehicle)
- Gdzie jest najbliższy przystanek?Where is the nearest stop?
- Czy to daleko?Is it far?
- Proszę iść prosto, a potem skręcić w prawo.Go straight on, then turn right.
- Na drugim skrzyżowaniu w lewo.Left at the second crossroads.
- To pięć minut pieszo.It's five minutes on foot.