Funny Polish Words, Sayings & Facts to Make You Smile

The Polish language is not easy, in fact, it is listed as one of the hardest languages to learn. The good news is, there are some words you already know… it’s just, they mean something totally different in Polish.

Let me share with you some funny Polish words and phrases. Put your drink aside, so you don’t spit your screen while reading, as some are going to make you laugh.

Here’s a video I made explaining the meaning of all the funny Polish words used in this article:

Funny Polish Words

Los

In Polish this means fate, both good or bad, but it’s pronounced the same way as English “loss”.

Ten

The word “ten” in Polish has nothing to do with numbers. It means “this one” and refers to objectives in the masculine gender only.

Kok

The pronunciation of the Polish “kok” sounds exactly like the English “cock”.

“Kok” is simply a hair bun, and in Polish meaning has absolutely nothing to do with a male bird, particularly a rooster, or a slang term for a part of the male anatomy.

Fart

Fart means luck or good luck in Polish, but the word sounds exactly like that smelly “accident” that nobody is ever proud of. So don’t worry, no need to cover your nose, when you hear Poles talking about “fart”.

Adidas

Poles call all trainers shoes addidas, even if it’s Nike or Sketcher.

It’s the same story as with hoover in the UK. Every vacuum cleaner, not only made by Hoover, is called … hoover.

Pasta

It’s got nothing to do with noodles, or macaroni in Polish. Actually, pasta in Polish can be toothpaste, shoe polish, or in general something crashed and brought to a mushy consistency.

Cham (pronounced ham)

Cham in Polish is an offensive word that describes someone rude, a boor, and uncouth. If you suspect that a butcher in Poland might not speak English, choose your words wisely while buying a ham. 😉

No

No, pronounced as “knoh” means Yes… but sometimes it means NO, it depends. No alone will always mean Yes. No before “NIE”, means – NO, but No before “Tak’, means – Yes. It’s complicated, I know!

Dress

Dress in Polish means a tracksuit, a complete top, and bottom, or just pants.

We even have a famous song in Polish. It’s about the subculture of “dresiarze”, people who were tracksuits all day. Read more about them here and listen to the song below.

Daj

Daj in Polish means “give”, but it sounds the same as the English “Die”. So don’t call the police if you hear a mother saying to her young child “daj” she doesn’t mean anything bad.

Impreza

Word “Impreza” in Polish, like everywhere else, refers to the model of the Subaru, but there is another meaning to it, is more common. Impreza means party with music, it is widely used in informal language.

1Typ

Typ in Polish means “type”, but in a slang language it will refer to a “guy”. When pronounced, it sounds a lot like the English word Tip.

Funny Polish Phrases

“Nie moj cyrk, nie moje małpy” – Not my circus, not my Monkeys.

Meaning; It is not my business, I do not care what happens there.

“Gdzie diabeł mówi dobranoc” – Where the devil says goodnight.
“Gdzie psy dupami szczekają” – Where the dogs are barking with their asses.
“Zadupie” – Someone further than your ass.

Meaning: Somewhere very far, and out of civilization. Not necessarily a scary place, just far and with difficult access.

“Myślec o niebieskich migdałach” – To think about blue almonds.
“Bujać w obłokach” – To be in the clouds.

Meaning: To be distracted, by some dreams or romantic thoughts. Young people, that just fell in love and can’t stay focused, hear that a lot.

“Rzucać grochem o scianę” – To throw peas onto a wall.

Meaning: To speak to someone about important things, giving advice but without getting any attention, without being heard.

“Bułka z masłem” – A roll with butter

Meaning: Saying that a task is very easy to do (easy peasy), or a problem is easy to solve.

“Mówić prostu z mostu” – To speak directly from the bridge.

Meaning: To speak out, to say something straight.

“Nie ucz ojca dzieci robić” – Don’t teach the father how to make children.

Meaning: “Do not teach me, how to do things, that I specialize with.” This phrase can be used when someone with less experience gives instruction to a more advanced person.

“Przestań mi wiercić dziurę w brzuchu.” – Stop drilling a hole in my stomach.

Meaning: “Stop asking over and over the same thing, I have already said, no!” This is a phrase kids hear a lot when they’re nagging their parents over something.

“Z góry dziękuję.” – From the mountain, thank you!

Meaning: Thank you in advance.

I hope you enjoyed reading these funny Polish words and phrases.

If you have any questions, join our Poland Travel Planning Facebook group.