Memorizing new words is probably one of the most tedious processes in learning a language. This is why seeing a familiar looking word can spark a sigh of relief. However, this feeling of comfort might be quite short lived if the actual definition has very little to do with that in your native tongue. Those false friends are not just tricky to retain, but can have horrible consequences, something that President Jimmy Carter’s Polish interpreter learned the hard way, causing one of the most humiliating moments in US diplomatic history.
In order to help you avoid miscommunication and possible embarrassment, we compiled a list of frequently used Polish words whose translation differs from their English lookalikes.
Akademik translates to student dorm, not academic
Aktualnie translates to currently, not actually
Apartament translates to suite, not apartment
Audycja translates to broadcast, not audition
Bark translates to shoulder, not bark
Bat translates to whip, not bat
Brat translates to brother, not brat
But translates to shoe, not but
Data translates to date, not data
Dres translates to tracksuit, not dress
Dyrektor translates to manager, not director
Ekstra translates to great, not extra
Ewentualnie translates to possibly, not eventually
Fabryka translates to factory, not fabric
Fart translates to luck, not fart
Fatalny translates to horrible, not fatal
Git translates to slang for “ok, sounds good”, not git
Hazard translates to gambling, not hazard
Hurt translates to wholesale, not hurt
Kask translates to helmet, not cask
Klucz translates to key, not clutch
Kat translates to executioner, not cat
Koncepcja translates to idea, concept, not conception
Koncern translates to large company, not concern
Lektura translates to reading, not lecture
List translates to letter, not list
Los translates to fate, not loss
Lunatyk translates to sleepwalker, not lunatic
Nerwowy translates to irritable, not nervous
No translates to yeah, not no
Ordynarny translates to rude, not ordinary
Patetyczny translates to pompous, not pathetic
Pensja translates to salary, not pension
Pij translates to drink, not pee
Plaster translates to band-aid, not plaster
Prezerwatywa translates to condom, not preservative
Recepta translates to prescription, not receipt
Resort translates to government department, not resort
Szef translates to boss, not chef
Sympatyczny translates to nice, not sympathetic
Transparent translates to banner, not transparent
Now, let’s put your knowledge to a little test! If you hear your Polish friend say “no to ekstra!” – are they expressing excitement or calling you out on being too much to handle? And how would you translate “fatalna koncepcja” and “sympatyczny szef” into English?
We hope this list will help you navigate through some tricky Polish vocabulary. But know that it is perfectly normal to sometimes feel overwhelmed when starting to learn a new language. This is why we prepared some tips to help make the process smoother.
