Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| wszyscy | /ˈfʂɘs.t͡sɘ/ | plural |
| każdy | /ˈkaʐ.dɘ/ /ˈkaʐ.dɨ/ (Middle, Polish) |
Both words are used to refer to every person, but they emphasize different aspects of a group. Use wszyscy when you are thinking about a collective group of people and każdy when you want to focus on the individuals within that group.
Which one should you use?
While both can translate to 'everyone' in English, każdy focuses on the individual (each one), whereas wszyscy focuses on the group as a whole (all of them).
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms of these words change based on the gender of the people being discussed and their grammatical role in the sentence. wszyscy is used specifically for groups of people that include at least one male. For groups consisting only of women or objects, you should use wszystkie. The word każdy must agree in gender with the noun it refers to. For example, use każda for feminine nouns. Additionally, both każdy and wszyscy must change their endings depending on the grammatical case required by the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of wszyscy is /ˈfʂɘs.tsɘ/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- If a group contains one hundred women and only one man, Polish speakers must use the masculine form wszyscy to say 'everyone'.
- The modern form of każdy is actually an import from the 16th and 17th centuries. It replaced the older Polish form kożdy due to the influence of the Czech language.
- While wszyscy refers to 'everyone', its root wszystek is used to create the word wszystko, which means 'everything'. This links the concept of all people to all things.
Examples in context
- Każdy mówi to samo.Everyone says the same thing.This sentence shows how to use każdy to express that everyone says the same thing.Tatoeba #3857252 by jeedrek, translation #3733722 by CK
- Każdy w końcu umiera.Everyone dies eventually.This sentence demonstrates using każdy to state a fact about everyone.Tatoeba #933069 by zipangu, translation #933008 by Scott
- Jak się wszyscy mają?How is everyone?This sentence shows how to use wszyscy when asking how a group of people is doing.Tatoeba #10565642 by tokzyk, translation #22110 by CK
- 238 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Paweł are organizing a party for their friends.
- KatarzynaCzy wszyscy już przyszli?Has everyone arrived yet?
- PawełTak, wszyscy są w kuchni.Yes, everyone is in the kitchen.
- KatarzynaTo świetnie, zaprosiłam wszystkich.That's great, I invited everyone.
- PawełWszyscy na pewno będą się dobrze bawić.Everyone will surely have a good time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “everyone” translations and entries wszyscy, każdy, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries każdy, wszyscy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
