zupa

Often mistaken for 'witaj' but is informal 'hello' or 'bye.' 'Witaj' is a more formal welcome.

A determinate verb of motion meaning 'to go' in a specific direction. Often confused with 'chodzić' which is indeterminate.

The verb 'to be.' Learners often try to use it for age or certain physical states where Polish uses 'mieć' (to have).

'Witaj' is often confused with 'cześć' because both translate to 'hello.' However, 'witaj' is more formal and generally used when welcoming someone, while 'cześć' is a casual greeting used among friends and family.

'Witaj' implies a welcome; 'cześć' is a general, informal 'hello.'

Witaj w Polsce! (Welcome to Poland!) / Cześć, jak się masz? (Hello, how are you?)

'Tak' means 'yes,' but it can also be used as a filler word similar to 'so' or 'well' in English, which can be confusing for learners expecting a direct translation.

Can be 'yes' or a conversational filler.

Tak, zgadzam się. (Yes, I agree.) / Tak, więc co robimy? (So, what are we doing?)

'Proszę' is very versatile, meaning 'please,' 'you're welcome,' or 'here you go.' This multifunctionality often trips up learners.

Context determines if it means 'please,' 'you're welcome,' or 'here you go.'

Poproszę kawę. (Coffee, please.) / Dziękuję! – Proszę. (Thank you! – You're welcome.) / Proszę, twoja książka. (Here you go, your book.)

The verb 'to have' ('mieć') is often confused with how English speakers express age or feelings. In Polish, you 'have' a certain number of years, or 'have' cold/hunger, instead of 'being' them.

Used for possession, age, and some physical states where English uses 'to be.'

Mam 30 lat. (I am 30 years old – literally, I have 30 years.) / Mam zimno. (I am cold – literally, I have cold.)

'Chodzić' means 'to walk' or 'to go,' but it's an imperfective, indeterminate verb of motion. It's often confused with 'iść' (imperfective, determinate 'to go') or 'pójść' (perfective, determinate 'to go'). The key difference is the direction and repetitiveness of the action.

'Chodzić' describes habitual or undirected movement; 'iść' describes going in a specific direction now; 'pójść' describes a single completed journey.

Zawsze chodzę do sklepu. (I always walk to the shop.) / Idę do kina. (I am going to the cinema [right now].) / Poszedłem do domu. (I went home [a completed action].)