Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| crush | /ˈkraʂ/ | masculine |
| sympatia | /sɘmˈpa.tja/ | feminine |
| zauroczenie | /za.u.rɔˈt͡ʂɛ.ɲɛ/ | neuter |
The term refers to a romantic infatuation or the object of that infatuation, often implying the feeling is short-lived or unrequited. In colloquial speech, you will often hear the phrase mieć crusha, which combines the English noun with the Polish verb mieć (to have) to mean "to have a crush".
Which one should you use?
While crush is a slang loanword, zauroczenie is the standard, more formal way to describe the state of being infatuated or having a crush. If you want to describe a milder feeling, sympatia refers to a person one finds pleasant or simply likes, without the intense romantic connotation of a crush.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
crush is categorized as slang. zauroczenie is the standard and more formal option, while sympatia is a milder, neutral term for liking someone.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the slang term in the common phrase mieć crusha, the English word is declined to fit Polish grammar patterns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkraʂ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the Polish verbs przytłaczać or przytłoczyć to mean having a romantic crush. These verbs only refer to being overwhelmed by physical or emotional pressure and weight.
Did you know?
- The formal word for a crush, zauroczenie, is built from the root urok, which implies that the person you like has cast a magical spell or a hex on you.
- While the English word 'sympathy' usually implies feeling pity for someone, the Polish cognate sympatia is used to describe a romantic liking or an attraction to a person.
- The word zauroczenie uses the prefix za-, which in many Slavic languages is used to indicate that an action has been completed or has reached a certain state.
Examples in context
- Czuję pociąg do Ciebie od pierwszego spotkania.I've felt a crush on you since our first meeting.
- To mój nowy crush.He is my new crush.
- Marek to mój wielki crush.Marek is my big crush.
- Masz jakiegoś crusha w klasie?Do you have a crush in class?
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Paweł are talking about school life.
- AgnieszkaMasz jakiegoś crusha w szkole?Do you have a crush at school?
- PawełNie, nie mam żadnego crusha.No, I don't have any crush.
- AgnieszkaNaprawdę? To dziwne.Really? That's strange.
- PawełPo prostu wolę spokój.I just prefer peace.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crush” translations and entries crush, sympatia, zauroczenie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
