zdrowie
/ˈzdrɔ.vjɛ/neuter
The Polish word for health is zdrowie.
zdrowie refers to the state of being free of physical or psychological disease, illness or malfunction. In specific contexts, other words or phrases may be used: Zdrówko is an informal way to say health and forma can be used informally to refer to one's physical condition or health.
Meaning: state of being free of physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction (noun)
Which one should you use?
Zdrówko is an informal way to say "health" in Polish. Forma can be used in informal contexts to refer to health and physical condition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form zdrowiem is the instrumental case of zdrowie. It is used after the preposition z to mean "with/concerning health", such as in the phrase problemy ze zdrowiem (health issues).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzdrɔ.vjɛ/ (2 syllables). The stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone sneezes, the standard Polish expression to use is Na zdrowie!, which functions similarly to saying "Bless you!" in English. Additionally, when raising a glass to toast someone, you can say Zdrówko! to mean "Cheers! (To your health!)".
Did you know?
- In Polish, one's physical condition is often discussed using the word kondycja, which is a cognate of the English 'condition'.
- The word zdrowie is an inherited term from Old Polish, maintaining its core meaning through centuries of linguistic evolution.
- The Polish word zdrowie is closely related to the adjective zdrowy, which is used to describe someone who is 'healthy' or 'sound'.
Examples in context
- Mam problemy ze zdrowiem.I have some health issues.This sentence shows how to use the form zdrowie when discussing health issues.Tatoeba #10563901 by antio, translation #5741311 by CM
- Palenie wpływa na zdrowie.Smoking affects your health.This sentence demonstrates the use of zdrowie regarding the effects of smoking.Tatoeba #4731769 by argentynka, translation #19942 by CK
- Jak twoje zdrowie dzisiaj?What is your health like today?This sentence uses zdrowie to ask about someone's current state of health.Tatoeba #13797473 by Just_Balls, translation #13797463 by Just_Balls
- Życzę Ci zdrowia i szybkiego powrotu do formy.I wish you health and a speedy recovery.
- Mam nadzieję, że forma ci dopisuje.I hope you're in good shape.
- Na zdrowie!To your health!
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Małgorzata and Paweł are talking about their new gym memberships.
- MałgorzataDbam o swoje zdrowie i regularnie ćwiczę.I take care of my health and exercise regularly.
- PawełTo świetna decyzja, Paweł też zaczął biegać.That's a great decision, Paweł also started running.
- MałgorzataZdrowie jest najważniejsze w naszym życiu.Health is the most important thing in our lives.
- PawełZdecydowanie, musimy o nie dbać codziennie.Definitely, we must take care of it every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “health” translations and entries zdrowie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
