chleb
/ˈxlɛp/masculine
The Polish word for bread is chleb.
The word refers to baked dough made from cereals.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun chleb is masculine. It changes to chleba in the genitive case, which is used after negation or to indicate possession or partitive use. It changes to chlebem in the instrumental case, which is used when you are eating or using bread (for example, in the phrase jeść chlebem).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈxlɛp/
Did you know?
- In many Polish households, it is considered bad luck to place a loaf of bread upside down on the table.
- The Polish word chleb is a linguistic loan from ancient Germanic languages. This is why it differs from the words for bread in other Slavic languages like Russian.
- In Poland, there is a traditional wedding custom called chleb i sól where the couple is greeted with bread and salt. This symbolizes the hope that the couple will never go hungry and that their life will be flavorful.
Examples in context
- Wolę ryż od chleba.I like rice more than I like bread.This sentence shows how to express a preference using the form chleb.Tatoeba #924527 by zipangu, translation #1626135 by CM
- Lubię mleko i chleb.I like milk and bread.This sentence shows how to list items using the form chleb.Tatoeba #3009592 by jeedrek, translation #845339 by CK
- Tom nie kupił chleba.Tom didn't buy bread.This sentence shows the genitive form chleba after a negation.Tatoeba #4935776 by aleksandraeska, translation #4932005 by AlanF_US
- Przepraszam, czy mogę prosić o kawałek chleba?Excuse me, may I have a piece of bread?
- Proszę podać mi chleb, jeśli to możliwe.Please pass me the bread, if possible.
- Czy możesz kupić chleb na rynku?Could you buy bread at the market?
- Chodź, kupię nam bułki na śniadanie.Come on, I'll buy us some bread rolls for breakfast.
- Widziałem u ciebie w lodówce dwie świeże bułki.I saw two fresh bread rolls in your fridge.
- Nie zapomnij kupić bułek na drogę.Don't forget to buy bread rolls for the road.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Krzysztof and Anna are talking in their kitchen in the morning.
- KrzysztofCzy jest jeszcze chleb?Is there any bread left?
- AnnaTak, chleb jest w koszyku.Yes, the bread is in the basket.
- KrzysztofDobrze, zjem go do śniadania.Good, I will eat it for breakfast.
- AnnaKrzysztofie, nie zapomnij o maśle.Krzysztof, don't forget the butter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries chleb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chleb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
