Polish · A1 · Grammar

Pan, pani and ty: How to address someone politely in Polish

Use pan when politely addressing one man and pani for one woman. Polish sentences with pan or pani normally use the third-person verb: Czy pani mówi po angielsku? uses mówi, not mówisz. You can also use a neutral request, such as Czy można zapłacić kartą?, without using either title.

Library date 6 August 2026

Ask the same question two ways

To someone you address formally: Czy pan mówi po angielsku? (Do you speak English?). To a friend: Czy mówisz po angielsku?. The verb shows the difference even when ty is left out.

You can avoid guessing a title

Przepraszam, gdzie jest wyjście? (Excuse me, where is the exit?) works without a pronoun. For a request, Czy można zapłacić kartą? (Is it possible to pay by card?) is another useful neutral pattern. Both let you be polite without choosing between forms of address.

When someone suggests first names

Możemy przejść na ty? means Can we switch to informal address? Until you know the relationship or setting, greeting with Dzień dobry and using a polite form or a neutral question is a good default. Practise turning Czy możesz powtórzyć? into Czy może pan powtórzyć?.