Polish phrases
for shopping

Short answer. The Polish shopping phrases you will need most are Ile to kosztuje? (how much does it cost?), Czy mogę zapłacić kartą? (can I pay by card?) and Poproszę paragon. (a receipt, please); this page has 25 phrases for the counter, the checkout and returns. Start with Dzień dobry: in Poland people greet the shop assistant even in a small corner shop.

A shop is the first place in Poland where you actually have to speak Polish. In a supermarket you can put your things on the belt in silence, but at the cheese counter, in a clothes shop or when you need to take back a broken kettle, a few phrases make all the difference. The good news: shop conversations almost always follow the same script, and the assistant asks the same questions. Learn the answers in advance and the conversation goes smoothly.

Below, the phrases are grouped by situation: on the shop floor, at the checkout and when returning an item. All of them come from Talkfirst's Polish decks, so you can practise them out loud straight away. If you are just starting, read Polish for beginners: essential phrases first: it covers greetings, politeness and how to read Polish letters.

Phrases for the shop

On the shop floor and at the counter

At the checkout

Returns, exchanges and complaints

Dialogue: returning a purchase

The hardest moment in a shop is not buying but returning: you have to explain what is wrong and answer the assistant's questions. The assistant's lines come from the "Returning a purchase" scene that Talkfirst's AI conversation partner plays out with you, out loud. The speaker in the dialogue is a man: Chciałbym, "I would like". A woman says Chciałabym.

Tips for shopping in Poland

Start with Dzień dobry. In Poland people greet the shop assistant even in a small corner shop. Walking up to the counter and naming what you want without a greeting comes across as rude. On the way out, say Dziękuję, do widzenia.

Ask with Poproszę… It is the all-purpose polite way to ask for something: Poproszę paragon, Poproszę reklamówkę. Put any item after it and the phrase works. At the cheese or cold-cuts counter, weight is often given in deko (decagrams, 10 grams each): the assistant may ask Ile deko?, meaning "how many tens of grams?".

Bags usually cost extra. Bring your own bag if you do not want to pay for one. If you need one, ask at the checkout: Poproszę reklamówkę.

Keep the receipt. Paragon is a word to learn first: without the receipt, returning or exchanging an item is close to impossible. If you are buying for a company, you need a faktura (VAT invoice) instead, and you should ask for it before paying.

Know zwrot from reklamacja. A zwrot is returning an item that works but did not suit you. In a regular shop this is at the shop's discretion, so ask how long you have to return it before you buy. A reklamacja is not an advert but a complaint about a faulty product, and the shop has to deal with it. For online purchases, the law gives you 14 days to return an item without giving a reason.

Watch out for look-alike words. Sklep is a shop, while magazyn is a warehouse, not a magazine. Reszta is the change you get back, not "the rest" of your shopping.

How to learn these phrases

There is no phonetic respelling here on purpose; the phrasebook hub explains why. Play each phrase on its flashcard and repeat it out loud, and learn the reading rules from the beginner's guide.

One more tip: learn whole phrases rather than single words, and swap the details. Once you know Czy mogę przymierzyć tę kurtkę?, say the same about another item. One phrase becomes a template for dozens of situations. More topics are in the Polish phrasebook by topic, and if you need Polish for your residence papers, see B1 exam practice.

Questions and answers