dobry
/ˈdɔ.brɘ/
The Polish word for good (meaning pleasant or enjoyable) is dobry.
dobry is used as an adjective to describe something pleasant or enjoyable. While dobry is the base form, related nouns like dobro or dobroć can refer to the concept of the forces of good.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
The form used depends on the gender and number of the noun being described. Use dobry for masculine singular, dobra for feminine singular and dobre for neuter singular. When referring to a group of people that includes at least one male, use the masculine personal plural form dobrzy.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, dobry must change its ending to match the gender of the noun it describes. For feminine nouns, use dobra and for neuter nouns, use dobre. For groups of people containing at least one male, use dobrzy.
When do people say it?
In slang, you might hear the word spoko, which is derived from spokojnie and is used to mean calmly, peacefully or alright.
Did you know?
- To describe a 'good' person in a moral sense, Poles use dobry, but to describe 'good' weather, they often use ładna which literally means 'pretty'.
- In Polish, the word dobro can mean 'goodness' as a moral force, but it also refers to 'assets' or 'property' in a legal or economic context.
- The Polish word dobry shares a deep ancient root with the English word 'good', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰabʰ-der.
Examples in context
- To był dobry stek.That was a good steak.This sentence shows dobry being used to describe a steak.Tatoeba #3680224 by Baakamono, translation #3532134 by CK
- Jesteś w tym dobry.You're good at that.This sentence uses dobry to indicate proficiency in a task.Tatoeba #13684040 by mx31, translation #2547974 by CK
- W czym jesteś dobry?What're you good at?This sentence uses dobry to ask about proficiency in a task.Tatoeba #2120122 by liori, translation #1886707 by CK
- Dobry wieczórGood evening
- Dobry pomysłGood idea
- Dobrze cię widziećGood to see you
- Dobrze się czujęI feel good
- Czy dobrze zrozumiałem?Did I understand well?
- Spoko, jestem gotowyCool, I'm ready
- Fajnie, że możemy pomócIt's great that we can help
- 353 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Małgorzata are discussing a recent film they watched.
- TomaszTo był naprawdę dobry film.It was a really good film.
- MałgorzataZgadzam się, to był dobry wieczór.I agree, it was a good evening.
- TomaszMałgorzato, czy chcesz obejrzeć kolejny?Małgorzata, do you want to watch another one?
- MałgorzataNie, dzisiaj wolę odpocząć.No, I prefer to rest today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good” translations and entries dobry, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dobry, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
