Jak się masz?
/ˈjak ɕɛ ˈmaʂ/word by word
The English phrase "how are you?" can be translated into Polish as Jak się masz?
Jak się masz? is used to ask how someone is doing. While it is grammatically correct, in many casual daily Polish interactions, people often use Co słychać? to ask how someone is doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "How yourself have?" where jak means "how", się is a reflexive pronoun and masz is the second-person singular form of mieć (to have).
Which one should you use?
The form Jak się masz? is used for a single person in an informal or familiar setting. When addressing a group of people or using a formal register, one would use Jak się Państwo mają? instead. For a more casual alternative among friends, you can use Co u ciebie? or Co u ciebie słychać? which translates to "What's up?"
When do people say it?
A standard, polite response to Jak się masz? is Dobrze, dziękuję. (Good, thank you).
Did you know?
- The phrase Co słychać?, used as an alternative to Jak się masz?, literally means 'what is heard?', treating news and well-being as something that is audible.
- If you use Jak się masz? with a stranger, you might sound like a character from an old 19th-century novel rather than a modern person.
- The Polish word się in Jak się masz? is a reflexive pronoun, which means the phrase is conceptually asking how you are 'holding yourself' or 'managing yourself'.
Examples in context
- Jak się masz?How are you?
Example conversation
Agnieszka meets Piotr on the street.
- AgnieszkaCześć Piotr, jak się masz?Hi Piotr, how are you?
- PiotrDziękuję, bardzo dobrze. A ty?Thank you, very well. And you?
- AgnieszkaTeż dobrze, dziękuję.Also good, thank you.
- PiotrTo świetnie.That is great.
