Signification
Helping someone out.
Contexte culturel
The 'economy of favors' was vital during the PRL (communist) era to obtain scarce goods. This created a culture where 'knowing someone' who can do you a favor is often more important than money. In Silesian culture, mutual aid (sąsiedzka pomoc) is a point of pride. Doing a favor for a neighbor is seen as a moral duty, not just a choice. Doing favors for colleagues is a common way to build 'social capital' in Polish offices. It's often expected that if you do a favor, you will be helped in return later. Younger generations use 'zrobić przysługę' less formally, often replacing it with 'ogarnąć' (to handle/sort out), but the underlying concept of voluntary help remains strong.
The Dative Rule
Always remember: Zrobić [KOMUŚ] przysługę. Use 'mi', 'ci', 'mu', 'jej', 'nam', 'wam', 'im'.
Don't say 'Dać'
Even though you 'give' help in English, in Polish you 'make' a favor. 'Dać przysługę' sounds very foreign.
Signification
Helping someone out.
The Dative Rule
Always remember: Zrobić [KOMUŚ] przysługę. Use 'mi', 'ci', 'mu', 'jej', 'nam', 'wam', 'im'.
Don't say 'Dać'
Even though you 'give' help in English, in Polish you 'make' a favor. 'Dać przysługę' sounds very foreign.
Use 'Mała'
Adding 'mała' (small) before 'przysługa' makes your request sound much less burdensome and more polite.
Reciprocity
If someone does you a favor in Poland, it's polite to offer one back eventually, even if it's just buying them a coffee.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'zrobić' and the correct pronoun.
Czy możesz ______ (me) przysługę?
We use the perfective 'zrobić' for a specific request and the Dative 'mi' for 'me'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to thank someone for a favor?
How do you say 'Thank you for the favor'?
The preposition 'za' is used with the Accusative case to express thanks for something.
Match the Polish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the standard translations for these variations.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Przepraszam, czy może mi pan ______ przysługę? B: Tak, słucham pana.
The verb 'zrobić' is the only one that collocates correctly with 'przysługę'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Przysługa vs. Usługa
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesCzy możesz ______ (me) przysługę?
We use the perfective 'zrobić' for a specific request and the Dative 'mi' for 'me'.
How do you say 'Thank you for the favor'?
The preposition 'za' is used with the Accusative case to express thanks for something.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard translations for these variations.
A: Przepraszam, czy może mi pan ______ przysługę? B: Tak, słucham pana.
The verb 'zrobić' is the only one that collocates correctly with 'przysługę'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with friends, family, and colleagues. For very formal situations, use 'wyświadczyć przysługę'.
No, that would be 'usługa'. 'Przysługa' is always voluntary and usually free.
It's a favor that accidentally makes things worse for the person you're trying to help.
Say: 'Czy możesz mi zrobić przysługę?'
The person receiving the favor is in the Dative case, and 'przysługę' is in the Accusative case.
Use 'zrobić' for a specific, one-time favor. Use 'robić' for general habits or ongoing actions.
It's grammatically okay but sounds like a translation from English. 'Zrobić ci przysługę' is much more natural.
The plural is 'przysługi'. Example: 'On robi mi wiele przysług' (He does me many favors).
It is feminine (ta przysługa).
Yes, it's very common in work emails when asking for a small help.
Expressions liées
Wyświadczyć przysługę
specialized formTo do a favor (formal)
Pójść komuś na rękę
similarTo accommodate someone
Pomóc
synonymTo help
Odwdzięczyć się
builds onTo return the favor/gratitude
Niedźwiedzia przysługa
contrastA favor that causes harm
