Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| umrzeć | /ˈu.mʐɛt͡ɕ/ | perfective |
| zdechnąć | /ˈzdɛx.nɔɲt͡ɕ/ /ˈzdɛx.nɔ̃t͡ɕ/ (Middle, Polish) |
|
| zdychać | /ˈzdɘ.xat͡ɕ/ | |
| skonać | /ˈskɔ.nat͡ɕ/ | |
| wykorkować | /vɘ.kɔrˈkɔ.vat͡ɕ/ | |
| zemrzeć | /ˈzɛ.mʐɛt͡ɕ/ /ˈzɛm.r̝ɛt͡ɕ/ (Middle, Polish) |
|
| zgasnąć | /ˈzɡas.nɔɲt͡ɕ/ | |
| dogorywać | /dɔ.ɡɔˈrɘ.vat͡ɕ/ | |
| konać | /ˈkɔ.nat͡ɕ/ /ˈkɔ.nat͡ɕ/ (Middle, Polish) |
|
| umierać | /uˈmjɛ.rat͡ɕ/ | imperfective |
| ginąć | /ˈɡi.nɔɲt͡ɕ/ | imperfective |
| zginąć | /ˈzɡi.nɔɲt͡ɕ/ | perfective |
The verb used to express the act of stopping living varies significantly depending on whether you are describing the process, the event or the manner of death. While umrzeć is the standard, zgasnąć is used metaphorically to describe the 'dying' of lights, fires or sometimes a person's life force or eyes. The term Zgon is a noun meaning death.
Which one should you use?
The distinction between the imperfective and perfective aspects is crucial. Use the imperfective umierać to describe the process of dying or an ongoing state, whereas the perfective umrzeć refers to the completed event of death. When choosing between verbs, note that while umrzeć is a neutral way to express that someone died, zginąć often implies dying in a violent, accidental or heroic manner, such as during a disaster or in battle.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Polish offers many registers for this concept. For respectful or poetic contexts, the literary forms skonać, konać or zemrzeć can be used. In formal settings, specifically when referring to a male who has died, the word zmarł is used. Conversely, the colloquial forms zdechnąć and zdychać are highly derogatory. zdechnąć is typically used for the death of animals or as a harsh insult toward humans.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The perfective form umrzeć is used to express the completed action of dying in the past tense, for example, on umarł (he died).
How do you pronounce it?
The word umrzeć is pronounced /ˈu.mʐɛtɕ/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word wykorkować is a slang term for dying that literally refers to 'corking' a bottle.
- The verb dogorywać is used to describe someone who is 'dying away' or in the very final, lingering stages of life.
- The root of the word umrzeć contains a prefix 'u-' joined to the stem 'mrzeć', which traces back to Proto-Slavic origins.
Examples in context
- Nie boi się umrzeć.He isn't afraid to die.This sentence shows the use of umrzeć to express a lack of fear regarding death.Tatoeba #6554084 by arie, translation #2030142 by CK
- Nie boisz się umrzeć?Aren't you afraid to die?This sentence shows the use of umrzeć in a question about fear of death.Tatoeba #3931703 by jeedrek, translation #3825364 by CK
- Tom nie chciał umrzeć.Tom didn't want to die.This sentence shows the use of umrzeć to express a lack of desire to die in the past tense.Tatoeba #6553891 by arie, translation #2476795 by arnxy20
- Niestety, mój dziadek zmarł w zeszłym tygodniu.Unfortunately, my grandfather died last week.
- Moja rybka umarła, zapomniałem ją nakarmić.My fish died, I forgot to feed it.
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Krzysztof are discussing a sad movie.
- AgnieszkaTo było straszne, kiedy główny bohater musiał umrzeć.It was terrible when the main character had to die.
- KrzysztofTak, nie sądziłem, że on naprawdę może umrzeć.Yes, I didn't think he could actually die.
- AgnieszkaCały film prowadził do tego, żeby umrzeć w spokoju.The whole movie led to him dying in peace.
- KrzysztofTo było bardzo smutne zakończenie.It was a very sad ending.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “die” translations and entries umrzeć, zdechnąć, zdychać, skonać, wykorkować, zemrzeć, zgasnąć, dogorywać, konać, umierać, ginąć, zginąć, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ginąć, umierać, umrzeć, zginąć, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
