pszczoła
/ˈpʂt͡ʂɔ.wa/feminine
The English word "bee" is pszczoła in Polish.
The word refers to the insect known as a bee.
Meaning: insect (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish pszczoła from osa, which means "wasp".
How does it change in a sentence?
pszczoła is a feminine noun. The plural form is pszczoły. When the bee is the direct object of a verb, such as in the phrase "I see a bee", you must use the accusative form pszczołę.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpʂtʂɔ.wa/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the 1st of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Polish folklore, bees were often believed to be 'sacred' and it was once considered a sin to kill one, reflecting a deep cultural respect for the insect.
- The Polish word pszczółka is a diminutive of pszczoła and is used not only for young bees but as a term of endearment for a sweet or hardworking person.
- The word pszczoła is a cognate of the English word 'bee' via the ancient Proto-Indo-European root for the insect.
Examples in context
- Pszczoła produkuje miód. A osa?The bee produces honey. And the wasp?This sentence shows the distinction between a bee and a wasp.Tatoeba #10469368 by Shounen, translation #7292067 by MessDjaaf
- Myślałam, że to osa, a to była pszczoła.I thought this was a wasp and that was a bee.This sentence is useful for clarifying that a creature was a bee rather than a wasp.Tatoeba #6156499 by arie, translation #6160480 by sundown
- Świetlik, pszczoła, koliber… Co mnie łączy z tymi stworzeniami?The firefly, the bee, the hummingbird … With such beings, what do I have in common?This sentence lists various creatures including the bee.Tatoeba #10466209 by Shounen, translation #9954244 by carlosalberto
- Proszę uważać na pszczołę.Please be careful of the bee.
- Pszczoły są ważnymi owadami dla ekosystemu.Bees are important insects for the ecosystem.
- Patrz, pszczółki latają wokół kwiatów.Look, the bees are flying around the flowers.
- Tata kupił mi pluszową pszczółkę.Dad bought me a plush bee.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Tomasz are walking in a sunny garden.
- AnnaZobacz, ta pszczoła jest bardzo duża.Look, this bee is very large.
- TomaszTak, ona lata nad kwiatami.Yes, it is flying over the flowers.
- AnnaCzy ta pszczoła może użądlić?Can this bee sting?
- TomaszNie martw się, ona nie jest groźna.Don't worry, it is not dangerous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bee” translations and entries pszczoła, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pszczoła, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
