Dobrze, dziękuję
/ˈdɔ.bʐɛ d͡ʑɛŋˈku.jɛ/word by word
The English phrase "good thank you" is translated into Polish as Dobrze, dziękuję.
This phrase is a polite response used to answer a question about how someone is feeling or doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb dobrze (well/good) and the verb dziękuję (I thank/thank you).
Which one should you use?
Using just Dobrze without dziękuję is a more abrupt, less polite way to answer the question 'How are you?'
How does it change in a sentence?
The word dziękuję is the first-person singular form of the verb dziękować, meaning 'I thank'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdɔ.bʐɛ dʑɛŋˈku.jɛ/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The root of dobrze is the Proto-Indo-European word *dʰabʰ-, which relates to the concept of 'fitting' or 'being suitable'.
- In a social setting, if you answer dobrze, dziękuję, it is considered polite to immediately ask the other person how they are doing, often using the phrase a u ciebie? or a u pana/pani?
- Depending on the intonation, saying dobrze can be used sarcastically to mean 'great' or 'wonderful' when something bad has actually happened.
Examples in context
- Dziękuję serdecznie!Thank you very much!
- Dzięki!Thanks!
- Wszystko dobrze, dziękuję.Everything is good, thank you.
- Czuję się dobrze, dziękuję.I feel good, thank you.
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Paweł meet in a hallway at work.
- KatarzynaCześć Paweł, jak się masz?Hi Paweł, how are you?
- PawełDobrze, dziękuję. A ty, Katarzyno?Good, thank you. And you, Katarzyna?
- KatarzynaTeż dobrze, dziękuję.Also good, thank you.
- PawełTo świetnie.That is great.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (dobrze, dziękuję) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dobrze, dziękuję, CC BY-SA 4.0.
