nietoperz
/ɲɛˈtɔ.pɛʂ/masculine
The English word "bat" is translated into Polish as nietoperz.
The word nietoperz refers to the small flying mammal.
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine. The form nietoperza is the genitive case, used for expressing possession or after certain prepositions, such as in the phrase nie ma nietoperza (there is no bat). The form nietoperze is the locative case, used after prepositions like o (about) or w (in), such as in o nietoperzu (about a bat).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɲɛˈtɔ.pɛʂ/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Polish has separate words for 'bat' (the animal) and 'bat' (the whip), which is bat. This creates a coincidence where the English word for the animal is the Polish word for a lash.
- In many Slavic languages, including Polish, the name for this mammal is built on the idea that it cannot sit or stay on a branch like a bird.
- The phrase wisieć jak nietoperz literally means 'to hang like a bat' and describes someone clinging stubbornly to a position or object.
Examples in context
- Jakimś cudem nietoperz wleciał mi do domu przez okno.Somehow a bat flew into my house through the window.The first sentence is useful for describing a bat flying into a house through a window using nietoperz.Tatoeba #6440995 by arie, translation #8160182 by TheNightAvl
- Czy to nietoperz?Is that a bat?The second sentence is useful for asking if a specific animal is a bat using nietoperz.Tatoeba #5452843 by Annika, translation #67124 by CK
- Uważa się, że nowy koronawirus pochodzi od nietoperza, który zakaził łuskowca na targu dzikimi zwierzętami w Chinach.The new coronavirus is believed to have come from a bat who contaminated a pangolin at a wildlife market in China.The third sentence is useful for discussing the origin of a virus in relation to a bat using nietoperza.Tatoeba #9684436 by aurchykr, translation #8640462 by Hybrid
- Czy pamiętasz jak w lato spotkaliśmy nietoperza w naszym ogrodzie?Do you remember when we encountered a bat in our garden last summer?
- Dzisiaj w parku zobaczyłem nietopereczka.Today, I saw a little bat in the park.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a nature documentary on television.
- AnnaWidzę, że ten nietoperz ma duże uszy.I see that this bat has large ears.
- TomaszTak, to bardzo ciekawy gatunek.Yes, it is a very interesting species.
- AnnaCzy ten nietoperz śpi w dzień?Does this bat sleep during the day?
- TomaszZazwyczaj tak, to zwierzę jest nocne.Usually yes, this animal is nocturnal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations and entries nietoperz, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
