powodzenia
/pɔ.vɔˈd͡zɛ.ɲa/
powodzenia is the Polish way to say good luck.
powodzenia is used to wish fortune on someone or to offer encouragement. You can use it as a standalone exclamation, Powodzenia!, which is a common and natural way to wish someone luck before a challenge.
Meaning: used to wish fortune on someone or as encouragement (intj)
Which one should you use?
While powodzenia is used to wish someone success in a specific endeavor, such as an exam or a task, the related noun szczęście refers to the broader concepts of luck or happiness.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form powodzenia is the genitive case of the noun powodzenie. It is used in sentences with the verb życzyć (to wish) because that verb requires the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔ.vɔˈdzɛ.ɲa/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- If you want to wish someone luck in a more superstitious way, you might say trzymam kciuki, which literally means 'I am holding my thumbs'.
- In many Polish cultures, especially before a performance or exam, people might avoid saying 'good luck' directly to avoid the 'evil eye', preferring instead to use phrases related to 'breaking a leg'.
- Polish speakers distinguish between powodzenie, which is luck resulting from success or effort, and fart, a colloquial term for purely random, blind luck.
Examples in context
- Życzę powodzenia na egzaminie.Wish you good luck on the exam.This sentence shows how to use powodzenia to wish someone luck on an exam.Tatoeba #5336482 by machmet, translation #4910952 by minmin123
- Życzę Wam wszystkim powodzenia.I wish you all good luck.This sentence is useful for seeing powodzenia used when wishing luck to a group.Tatoeba #5222139 by konrad509, translation #2545541 by CK
- Powodzenia z tym.Good luck in what you are doing.This sentence demonstrates using powodzenia to wish someone luck with a specific task.Tatoeba #13335541 by Radek, translation #12759777 by Igider
- Jutro mam egzamin. Życz mi powodzenia!I have an exam tomorrow. Wish me good luck!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna is seeing Krzysztof off before his big presentation.
- AnnaWiem, że bardzo się stresujesz.I know you are very stressed.
- KrzysztofTak, to bardzo ważna prezentacja.Yes, it is a very important presentation.
- AnnaNie martw się, powodzenia, Krzysztofie!Don't worry, good luck, Krzysztof!
- KrzysztofDziękuję ci, Anno, bardzo mi to pomaga.Thank you, Anna, that helps me a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries powodzenia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
