Bedeutung
Requesting a slower pace of speech.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Poles value directness in communication but maintain strict formal boundaries with the Pan/Pani system. Asking for slowness is seen as a sign of engagement. In the Silesian region, people may speak a dialect (śląska godka). Even if they slow down, the vocabulary might change, so 'wolniej' is just the first step. In Polish business meetings, if a colleague is speaking too fast, it is professional to ask them to slow down to ensure no details are missed. Younger Poles (Gen Z) are increasingly using English loanwords and speaking very rapidly. They are usually very happy to slow down if asked informally.
Add 'trochę'
Adding 'trochę' (a bit) makes you sound much more like a native speaker and less like a textbook.
Watch the 'Pan/Pani'
Using 'możesz' with a 60-year-old stranger might get you a cold look. Use 'może Pan/Pani' instead.
Bedeutung
Requesting a slower pace of speech.
Add 'trochę'
Adding 'trochę' (a bit) makes you sound much more like a native speaker and less like a textbook.
Watch the 'Pan/Pani'
Using 'możesz' with a 60-year-old stranger might get you a cold look. Use 'może Pan/Pani' instead.
Don't be shy
Poles speak fast! They expect you to ask them to slow down. It's not rude.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to complete the informal request.
Czy ______ mówić wolniej?
'Możesz' is the 2nd person singular form used for 'you' (informal).
Which of these is the most polite way to ask a stranger to slow down?
Select the formal version:
Using 'Pan' makes the sentence formal and respectful for strangers.
Match the Polish word to its English function.
Match the following:
Each word has a specific grammatical role in the phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: (Speaks very fast Polish) B: Przepraszam, nie rozumiem. Czy możesz ______ ______?
The infinitive 'mówić' must follow 'możesz'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Ways to ask for slowness
Informal
- • Czy możesz mówić wolniej?
- • Mów wolniej, proszę.
- • Zwolnij trochę!
Formal
- • Czy może Pan mówić wolniej?
- • Czy mogłaby Pani mówić wolniej?
- • Proszę o wolniejsze tempo.
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenCzy ______ mówić wolniej?
'Możesz' is the 2nd person singular form used for 'you' (informal).
Select the formal version:
Using 'Pan' makes the sentence formal and respectful for strangers.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Each word has a specific grammatical role in the phrase.
A: (Speaks very fast Polish) B: Przepraszam, nie rozumiem. Czy możesz ______ ______?
The infinitive 'mówić' must follow 'możesz'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
4 Fragen'Wolniej' is 'more slowly' (comparative), while 'powoli' is 'slowly' (adverb). You use 'wolniej' when you want someone to *change* their current speed.
It's a bit blunt. It's like shouting 'Slower!' in English. Better to add 'proszę' (please).
Try: 'Przepraszam, nadal nie rozumiem. Czy możesz mówić BARDZO wolno?'
Use the plural form: 'Czy możecie mówić wolniej?'
Verwandte Redewendungen
Proszę powtórzyć
similarPlease repeat
Co to znaczy?
builds onWhat does that mean?
Mówisz za szybko
contrastYou are speaking too fast
Nie rozumiem
similarI don't understand
