szczekać
/ˈʂt͡ʂɛ.kat͡ɕ/imperfective
To bark in Polish is szczekać.
The verb szczekać is used to describe the action of an animal making a loud barking sound. When you want to specify that a dog is barking at something or someone, use the preposition na after the verb, forming the phrase szczekać na (something/someone). While the verb describes the action, the noun szczekanie refers to the act of barking itself. To mimic the sound of a dog's bark, Polish speakers use the onomatopoeic word hau.
Meaning: to make a loud noise (dogs) (verb)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the action of an animal and the exterior of a tree. szczekać is used exclusively for the sound made by animals, whereas the noun kora refers to the bark of a tree.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
szczekać is an imperfective verb. In the present tense, the third-person plural form is szczekają (they bark). For the past tense, the masculine singular form is szczekał (he barked) and the feminine singular form is szczekała (she barked).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʂtʂɛ.katɕ/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- If you accidentally say 'szczekać na' to a person, you are not just saying they are barking, but you are accusing them of 'barking' or shouting at you in an annoying, irrational way.
- Polish has a specific word szczekałka derived from szczekać, which refers to a buzzer or a loud alarm that makes a sharp noise.
- The word szczekacz is a slang term for a loudmouth or someone who talks a lot without taking action.
Examples in context
- Kiedy pies szczeka na nieznajomegoWhen a dog barks at a stranger
- Pies zaczął szczekać w środku nocyThe dog started barking in the middle of the night
- Ona przestaje szczekać, gdy przychodzi właścicielShe stops barking when the owner comes
Example conversation
Anna and Piotr are walking in the park.
- AnnaSłyszysz? Ktoś ma psa, który szczeka.Do you hear? Someone has a dog that is barking.
- PiotrTak, pewnie widzi innego psa.Yes, it probably sees another dog.
- AnnaMój pies nigdy nie lubił szczekać.My dog never liked to bark.
- PiotrTo bardzo wygodne, kiedy pies jest cichy.It's very convenient when a dog is quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bark” translations and entries szczekać, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
