cześć
/ˈt͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/
cześć is the Polish way to say hello and goodbye.
The term cześć is a versatile, informal greeting and parting. It serves both as a way to say hello when arriving and as a way to say goodbye when leaving.
Which one should you use?
While cześć covers both arriving and leaving, other forms exist for specific levels of politeness. For example, Dzień dobry means 'Good morning' or 'Good day' and is used for greetings, whereas Do widzenia is the standard formal way to say goodbye. Similarly, Dzień dobry! is a common formal way to say hello used throughout the day until the late afternoon.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
cześć is an informal term. You should use Dzień dobry when greeting someone formally or an adult you do not know well, and use Do widzenia when you need to say goodbye in a formal setting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂɛɕtɕ/
Did you know?
- The word cześć is also the Polish word for 'honor' or 'glory'. When used as a greeting, it is essentially wishing the other person honor.
- The phrase Do widzenia literally translates to 'until seeing', reflecting a common Slavic pattern of framing goodbyes as a promise of a future encounter.
- The word cześć descends from the Proto-Slavic word čь̏stь, which relates to the idea of value and respect.
Examples in context
- Cześć, co słychać?Hi, how is it going?
- Cześć, muszę już iść.Bye, I have to go now.
- Dziękuję, cześć!Thank you, bye!
Example conversation
Anna and Krzysztof meet briefly on the street.
- AnnaCześć, Krzysztof!Hi, Krzysztof!
- KrzysztofCześć, Anno. Jak się masz?Hi, Anna. How are you?
- AnnaDobrze, ale spieszę się.Good, but I am in a hurry.
- KrzysztofW takim razie, cześć!In that case, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cześć, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cześć, CC BY-SA 4.0.
