cześć, przyjacielu
/ˈt͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ pʂɘ.jaˈt͡ɕɛ.lu/word by word
In Polish, "hello, friend" is translated as cześć, przyjacielu.
The phrase cześć, przyjacielu is used as a friendly greeting to address someone you consider a friend. It is an informal way to say "Hi, friend!"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase is informal. The greeting cześć is similar to saying "hi" or "hey" in English. If you need to be formal, you should use dzień dobry, which means "good day" or "good morning".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word przyjacielu is in the vocative case because it is being used to address someone directly.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂɛɕtɕ pʂɘ.jaˈtɕɛ.lu/. The first of four syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- The phrase cześć is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čь̏stь, which relates to the concept of honor.
- Calling someone a przyjaciel implies a deep, lifelong bond, whereas a casual acquaintance is more often called a kolega.
- A common gesture accompanying cześć among close friends is a brief hug or a cheek kiss, depending on the region and gender.
Examples in context
- Cześć, przyjacielu! Jak się masz?Hi, friend! How are you?
- Witaj, mój przyjacielu! Miło cię widzieć.Welcome, my friend! Nice to see you.
- Cześć, ziomek! Co u ciebie słychać?Hi, buddy! What's up with you?
- Dzień dobry! Jestem bardzo podekscytowany tym, że znów cię widzę, moja droga przyjaciółko.Good day! I'm so excited to see you again, my dear friend.
Example conversation
Katarzyna meets Paweł at a cafe.
- KatarzynaCześć, przyjacielu! Co u ciebie słychać?Hello, friend! What's up with you?
- PawełCześć, Katarzyno! Wszystko w porządku.Hello, Katarzyna! Everything is fine.
- KatarzynaChcesz wypić ze mną kawę?Do you want to drink a coffee with me?
- PawełTak, chętnie!Yes, I'd love to!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cześć, przyjacielu) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cześć, CC BY-SA 4.0.
