Holiday in Poland - do I need to learn Polish?

should I learn some polish phrases before I holiday in Poland?

Just simple ones. Try this webpage.

zem.co.uk/polish/basicvoc.htm

It really depends where you're going and if you will be using public transport etc. If you're going somewhere like Warsaw / Krakow you may will find plenty of English speakers. But if you go to a little corner shop it's not all self-service and you will need to ask the shop-keeper for what you want.

Tak and jeszce are enough.

If your going to warsaw, check out my blog with things to do.

livewarsaw.blogspot.com

If you ask sb for smth. using "Dzień Dobry" instead of 'Good Morning' people will help you with pleasure ;)

It won't hurt to learn a few phrases and people will be more willing to help you if you at least make the effort as already pointed out. On the other hand, if you will mostly be in areas like Warsaw, don't be suprised if your waitress is perfectly fluent in English!

Have fun. You'll be fine!

I guess that goes for any country :). Buy a phrase book, try to pronounce the basic lines and people will like you for that :)

You can print essential phrases and point with your pen|finger

gdzie jest - PKS|PKP|metro|hotel|kantor|szpital|dentysta|policja|piwo
where is - bus|train|subway|hotel|exchange|hospital|dentist|police|beer

pokaz na mapie - show me on the map

;)

Not really!!! i live here and i don't speak polish i speak english with everybody

shame on you...

You're proud of that? How long have you lived here?

I dont think you need to learn polish as english is widely spoken especially
in big cities

so is it better to be an ignorant, lazy ass...?

Then you should never complain about foreigners in the US who don't speak English.

I think that it is a scandal. You live in Poland (or maybe not and it could be a troll), so why do you expect people here to speak in English. Disgraceful!

With what kind of God-given arrogance do you expect people here to adapt to you, bloody disrespectful expat?
Or is it just plain laziness?

Thanks for that, I will buy a phrase book. I will be travelling with my husband (we are Irish) and my friends (Polish) and I am really looking forward to it. Im sure Bastek will help me anyway but my pronunciation of polish phrases is rubbish! Dzienkie! (I hope I spelt thank you properly!)

Yes you sure need to know Polish. alot of people dont speak alot of English.

Outside Warsaw and Krakow you will need indeed your phrase book, they cant speak english even at the train stations, so it can be a little frustrating, just learn some words and phrases it should be fine!

They speak English just fine in Poznań Głowny.

huh i have been to katowice, outskirts of warsaw and krakow and gdansk and it was waaaaayyy too frustrating to comunicate..period!!!

Depends where you try and with who.

No different to me having a nightmare in Frankfurt (Oder) train station because of not speaking German.

Phrase book is a way to go! Just get familiar with it before you come otherwise it might be quite frustrating when you need to find right phrase to say fast!

Good luck to you.

What about Lublin though? Would I manage with English there?

I don't know to be honest - never been there - I guess thought that with a little luck you will find some younger people who know English and will help you out - Lublin is not as much a touristy destination as Kraków or Warsaw to add a little caveat

I have a few times and polandstronk can expect enough to be spoken in hotels, bars, shops to survive easily on a holiday. A cheap phrasebook would help.


It's worth visiting.