pa
/ˈpa/
The English phrase "cheerio" can be translated into Polish as pa.
Meaning: goodbye, toodeloo (intj)
Which one should you use?
You might also encounter Cześć, which can mean both "hi" and "bye" or Na razie, which is similar to saying "see you later" among friends. For a slightly different informal variation, Pa-pa is also used to say "bye".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpa/
Did you know?
- Because pa originated as 'baby talk', using it with a boss or a stranger would be seen as incredibly patronizing or even mocking.
- In many Polish homes, the phrase pa pa is paired with a hand wave that is much more vigorous and rhythmic than the typical English wave.
- The word pa is derived from children's speech, making it a linguistic fossil of infantile language used by adults.
Examples in context
- Cześć! Muszę iść. Żegnaj!Hi! I have to go, farewell!
- Pa!Bye!
- Do widzenia, pa!Goodbye, bye!
- Pa, do jutra!Bye, see you tomorrow!
Example conversation
Two friends are finishing a phone call.
- KatarzynaMuszę już kończyć, Paweł.I have to go now, Paweł.
- PawełJasne, nie ma problemu.Sure, no problem.
- KatarzynaNo to pa!Well, bye then!
- PawełPa, Katarzyna!Bye, Katarzyna!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
