piłka
/ˈpiw.ka/feminine
The Polish word for ball is piłka.
piłka refers to a spherical object used for playing various games.
Meaning: object, generally spherical, used for playing games (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
piłka is a feminine noun. Its plural form is piłki. In a sentence, the form changes depending on its grammatical role: use piłkę when the ball is the direct object of a verb (for example, 'I see the ball') and use piłce when it is the indirect object (for example, 'give something to the ball').
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈpiw.ka/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Polish, the word piłka is used in the phrase piłka jest okrągła, meaning 'the ball is round'. This is used as a metaphor to say that anything can happen in a sports match.
- The word piłka might actually be related to the Latin word 'pilus', which means a 'tuft of hair'.
- The word piłka can be seen as a diminutive form of the older word piła through surface analysis, adding the suffix '-ka' to a root.
Examples in context
- Piłka uderzyła ją w oko.The ball hit her in the eye.This sentence shows piłka acting as the subject that hit someone.Tatoeba #360271 by zipangu, translation #33680 by CK
- Jeśli piłka cię trafi, odpadasz.If the ball hits you, you're out.This sentence demonstrates piłka being used to describe a condition in a game.Tatoeba #10542874 by Shounen, translation #10541981 by CK
- Która piłka jest biała?Which ball is white?This sentence shows piłka being used to ask about the color of the object.Tatoeba #1205994 by lukaszpp, translation #464512 by lukaszpp
- Proszę, czy mógłby Pan podać mi tę piłkę?Excuse me, could you pass me that ball?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Agnieszka are in a park with sports equipment.
- TomaszCzy widziałaś moją piłkę?Have you seen my ball?
- AgnieszkaNie, ale ta piłka leży tam.No, but that ball is lying over there.
- TomaszOch, masz rację, dziękuję.Oh, you're right, thank you.
- AgnieszkaNie ma za co, Tomaszu.You're welcome, Tomasz.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ball” translations and entries piłka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piłka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
