Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cześć | /ˈt͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ /ˈt͡ʂɛɕ/ |
informal |
| witajcie | /viˈtaj.t͡ɕɛ/ | |
| siema | /ˈɕɛ.ma/ | informal |
| czołem | /ˈt͡ʂɔ.wɛm/ | |
| halo | /ˈxa.lɔ/ | |
| serwus | /ˈsɛr.vus/ | colloquial |
| cześka | colloquial | |
| siemanero | colloquial | |
| hej | /ˈxɛj/ | |
| elo | /ˈɛ.lɔ/ |
For example, halo is used specifically to get someone's attention, such as when answering the phone or calling out to someone in another room, rather than as a general greeting. To say hello or good morning in a more formal way, you would use Dzień dobry. If you are specifically welcoming someone, the formal expression Witam can be used to mean 'welcome' or 'I welcome you'.
What does it mean word for word?
The form czołem is a stylized greeting that literally means 'with the forehead', as it is the instrumental case of the word 'czoło'.
Which one should you use?
The form cześć is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye' in informal settings. In contrast, more formal greetings are unidirectional. While siema is a relaxed, slang version of hello, siemanero and hej are also used as colloquial alternatives. Other forms like elo, czołem, witajcie and serwus exist, but cześć is the equivalent of hi or hey in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a standard informal 'hi' or 'hey', use cześć. Among friends and young people, the highly informal slang siema or the colloquial serwus, cześka and hej are common. Elo is also an option. For formal situations, use Dzień dobry.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂɛɕtɕ/
Did you know?
- The greeting serwus is actually a loanword from Latin, specifically the word 'servus', which means 'servant'.
- The slang term siema is a linguistic shortcut derived from the phrase jak się masz, which means 'how are you'.
- The slang elo is a very common phonetic adaptation of the English 'hello', showing how much Polish youth culture adopts English sounds.
Examples in context
- Cześć, jak się masz?Hello, how are you?This sentence shows how to use cześć to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #349418 by zipangu, translation #138868 by CK
- Cześć, to jest Mike.Hello, this is Mike.This sentence uses cześć to introduce someone.Tatoeba #349419 by zipangu, translation #30980 by CN
- Halo, jest tam ktoś?Hello, is anyone there?This sentence demonstrates using halo to check if anyone is present.Tatoeba #11731000 by mojeanin, translation #12084124 by sundown
- Dzień dobry! Jak się masz?Good morning! How are you?
- Siema! Wszystko gra!Hey! Everything's great!
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Piotr meet at a cafe.
- KatarzynaCześć, Piotr!Hello, Piotr!
- PiotrCześć, Katarzyno! Co słychać?Hello, Katarzyna! What's up?
- KatarzynaWszystko w porządku, dziękuję.Everything is fine, thank you.
- PiotrSuper, zapraszam do środka.Great, come inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries cześć, witajcie, siema, czołem, halo, serwus, hej, elo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cześć, czołem, siema, witajcie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
