Ways to say it
| Polish | Note |
|---|---|
| czy mówi Pan po angielsku? | addressee masculine, formal |
| czy mówisz po angielsku? | informal |
| czy mówi Pani po angielsku? | addressee masculine, formal |
This phrase is used to ask if someone speaks the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The word czy at the beginning of the sentence functions as a question particle, similar to "whether" or "if", to signal a yes/no question. The phrase po angielsku literally means "in English" and is used to indicate the language being spoken.
Which one should you use?
The different forms are distinguished by the person you are addressing: czy mówisz po angielsku? is used for an informal recipient, czy mówi Pan po angielsku? is used for a man and czy mówi Pani po angielsku? is used for a woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal form czy mówisz po angielsku? is used for friends, family or people you know well, but it can be seen as impolite when addressing strangers or elders. For formal situations, use czy mówi Pan po angielsku? when addressing a man or czy mówi Pani po angielsku? when addressing a woman. Another way to ask this formally without specifying gender is Czy Pan/Pani mówi po angielsku?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase po angielsku is used to indicate the language being spoken.
Did you know?
- While the phrases on this page use the word mówić for 'speak', Polish has a different word rozmawiać specifically for the act of having a conversation.
- The formal way to ask this question relies on the words Pan or Pani, which are also the Polish words for 'Mr.' and 'Ms.' or 'Sir' and 'Madam'.
- The phrase po angielsku uses the preposition po, which in many other contexts can mean 'after'.
Examples in context
- Czy mówisz po angielsku?Do you speak English?This sentence demonstrates the informal way to ask the question using czy mówisz po angielsku?Tatoeba #569897 by Bilberry, translation #378270 by saeb
- Wybacz, czy mówisz po angielsku?Pardon me, do you speak English?This sentence shows how to use the informal phrase czy mówisz po angielsku? after an apology.Tatoeba #456966 by gregloby, translation #456591 by lukaszpp
- Tak, mówię po angielsku.Yes, I speak English.
- Niestety, nie mówię po angielsku.I'm sorry, I don't speak English.
- Przepraszam, czy mówi Pan po angielsku?Excuse me, do you speak English?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna is asking a male employee for help at a hotel desk.
- AnnaDzień dobry, czy mówi Pan po angielsku?Good morning, do you speak English?
- TomaszTak, mówię po angielsku. W czym pomóc?Yes, I speak English. How can I help?
- AnnaSzukam mojego pokoju.I am looking for my room.
- TomaszProszę iść za mną.Please follow me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “do you speak english” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
