jak się dzisiaj masz?
/ˈjak ɕɛ ˈd͡ʑi.ɕaj ˈmaʂ/word by word
The Polish phrase for "how are you today?" is jak się dzisiaj masz?
jak się dzisiaj masz? is a friendly question used to ask someone about their current well-being or mood.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how yourself today have?"
Which one should you use?
While jak się dzisiaj masz? specifically includes the word for "today", the more general phrase jak się masz? is used to ask "how are you?" without that time specification.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask the same question to a group of people instead of an individual, you must change the verb to the plural form jak się dzisiaj macie?
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈjak ɕɛ ˈdʑi.ɕaj ˈmaʂ/. The first of 4 syllables is stressed.
When do people say it?
A common and polite response to this question is dobrze, dziękuję (well, thank you).
Did you know?
- While jak się masz? is a standard greeting, Poles often prefer the more direct co słychać?, which literally asks 'what is heard?'
- While English speakers use 'how are you' as a standard greeting, a Polish person might take the literal meaning of jak się masz? more seriously. In many Slavic cultures, answering this question often involves actually describing your current state rather than just giving a polite 'fine'.
- The reflexive particle się in this phrase is a descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root swé, which is an ancient relative of the English word 'self'.
Examples in context
- Jak się Pani miewa dzisiaj?How are you today, Madam?
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet at the coffee machine.
- MałgorzataCześć, Krzysztof! Jak się dzisiaj masz?Hi, Krzysztof! How are you today?
- KrzysztofDziękuję, Małgorzato, mam się bardzo dobrze.Thank you, Małgorzata, I am doing very well.
- MałgorzataTo świetna wiadomość!That is great news!
- KrzysztofA ty jak się miewasz?And how are you doing?
