Food & Drinks

1. Poproszę kawę

   pop-ROH-sheh KAH-veh

   A coffee, please

   Usage

   Basic order for coffee at a café

   Grammar Note

   "Poproszę" is 1st person of "prosić". The object is in accusative: kawę (acc. of kawa)

2. Poproszę o rachunek

   pop-ROH-sheh oh rah-KHOO-nek

   The bill, please

   Usage

   Requesting the bill at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Poproszę o" + accusative = please give me. "Paragon" means receipt in Polish

3. Jestem wegetarianinem/wegetarianką

   YES-tem veh-geh-tah-ryah-NEE-nem/veh-geh-tah-RYAHN-kom

   I am a vegetarian

   Usage

   Telling a restaurant that you are vegetarian

   Grammar Note

   Polish changes endings by gender. Male: wegetarianin, female: wegetarianka

4. Jakie są dzisiejsze dania?

   YAH-kyeh som djee-SHYAY-sheh DAH-nyah

   What are today's specials?

   Usage

   Asking about the daily specials at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Dania" is plural of "danie" (dish). "Dzisiejszy" is the adjective form of "dzisiaj" (today)

5. To jest pyszne!

   toh yest PISH-neh

   This is delicious!

   Usage

   Expressing that the food is delicious

   Grammar Note

   "Pyszne" is the neuter form of "pyszny". Add "Bardzo" (very) for extra emphasis

6. Chciałbym/Chciałabym stolik dla dwóch osób

   HCHAW-bihm/hchah-WAH-bihm STOH-leek dlah dvookh OH-soob

   I would like a table for two

   Usage

   Requesting a table for two at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Chciałbym" is masculine, "Chciałabym" feminine. Polish verbs change endings by speaker's gender

7. Czy mogę zobaczyć menu?

   chih MOH-geh zoh-BAH-chihch MEH-noo

   May I see the menu?

   Usage

   Asking for the menu when seated at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Czy mogę ...?" is the polite "May I ...?". "Czy" marks yes/no questions in Polish

8. Poproszę bigos

   pop-ROH-sheh BEE-gos

   I'd like the bigos, please

   Usage

   Ordering bigos, the traditional Polish stew made with meat and sauerkraut

   Grammar Note

   Bigos is considered Poland's national dish. "Bigos" is a masculine inanimate noun, so its accusative is identical to the nominative.

9. Czy jest tu bezglutenowe danie?

   chih yest too bez-gloo-teh-NOH-veh DAH-nyeh

   Is there a gluten-free dish here?

   Usage

   Asking about gluten-free options for dietary needs

   Grammar Note

   "Bez-" is a prefix meaning "without". "Bezglutenowe" = without gluten. Pattern: bez + noun

10. Gdzie jest dobra restauracja?

    gJEH yest DOH-brah res-tow-RAH-tsyah

    Where is a good restaurant?

    Usage

    Asking a local for a restaurant recommendation

    Grammar Note

    "Gdzie" is the question word for location. "Restauracja" is feminine, so "dobra" (feminine) agrees

11. Ryż

    Rice (cooked)

    Usage

    Point to this when ordering or checking ingredients; Polish uses "ryż" for both raw and cooked rice, so say "ryż gotowany" if you need to be specific

12. Chleb

    Bread

    Usage

    Point to this when ordering or checking ingredients; "chleb" is the loaf (often rye), while a bread roll is a "bułka"

13. Makaron

    Noodles / pasta

    Usage

    The word for noodles; Polish "makaron" covers pasta and noodles alike, so specify e.g. "makaron ramen" for Asian noodles

14. Ostry

    Spicy (hot)

    Usage

    Point to this to ask about or request spiciness; "Czy to jest ostre?" means "Is this spicy?". The same word also means "sharp" for a blade, but at the table it reads as spicy

    Grammar Note

    Agrees with the noun: with "danie" (dish, neuter) it becomes "ostre"

15. Słodki

    Sweet

    Usage

    Point to this to ask about or request sweetness; unsweetened is "niesłodzony"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine "słodka", neuter "słodkie"

16. Surowy

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    Point to this to check whether something is cooked; "tatar" (steak tartare) is made from raw beef and a raw egg

    Grammar Note

    The same word can mean "harsh", but applied to food it means uncooked; well done is "dobrze wysmażony"

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