dobry wieczór
/ˈdɔ.brɘ ˈvjɛ.t͡ʂur/
dobry wieczór is the Polish way to say good evening.
dobry wieczór is a common formal way to say good evening in Polish. It is used specifically once it is dark or evening has begun. You can make the greeting even more formal when addressing a group of people or a polite way to address a stranger by saying dobry wieczór państwu.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective dobry (good) and the noun wieczór (evening).
Which one should you use?
Unlike dzień dobry (good day), which is used from morning until late afternoon, dobry wieczór is used specifically once it is dark or evening has begun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dobry is in the nominative masculine singular form to match the masculine noun wieczór.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈdɔ.brɘ ˈvjɛ.tʂur/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word wieczór descends from the Proto-Slavic vȅčerъ, which shares a common lineage with the Latin word 'vesper', the root of the English word 'vespers'.
- While dobry wieczór is used when arriving, Polish speakers typically switch to dobranoc when leaving for the night, which is more like 'goodnight' than 'good evening'.
- Unlike the greeting dzień dobry, where dobry comes second, in dobry wieczór the adjective always comes first.
Examples in context
- Dobry wieczór, na ile osób?Good evening. How many are in your party?This sentence shows how to use dobry wieczór when arriving at a venue.Tatoeba #364268 by zipangu, translation #65818 by CM
- Dobry wieczór państwu.Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.This sentence shows a formal way to use dobry wieczór when addressing a group.Tatoeba #1605845 by zipangu, translation #1597893 by fanty
- Dobry wieczór. Dzwonimy, bo już trzy godziny temu zamówiliśmy pizzę, a jeszcze jej nam nie przynieśliście.Good evening. We're calling because we ordered a pizza three hours ago and you still haven't delivered it.This sentence shows using dobry wieczór at the start of a phone call.Tatoeba #989457 by zipangu, translation #10056359 by DJ_Saidez
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Paweł meets Małgorzata at a community event in the evening.
- PawełDobry wieczór, Małgorzato!Good evening, Małgorzata!
- MałgorzataDobry wieczór, Pawle. Co słychać?Good evening, Paweł. How are things?
- PawełWszystko w porządku, dziękuję.Everything is fine, thank you.
- MałgorzataCieszę się. Zapraszam do środka.I'm glad. Please, come inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries dobry wieczór, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dobry, dobry wieczór, wieczór, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
