How to Say “Hurry Up” in Polish

pośpiesz się
To say hurry up in Polish, you use pośpiesz się.
This phrase is used to tell someone to go faster.
Meaning: go faster (verb)

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is reflexive. pośpiesz is the imperative of 'to hurry' and się is the reflexive pronoun 'yourself'.

Which one should you use?

While pośpiesz się means 'hurry up' (the act of rushing), szybciej means 'faster' (the speed of the action).

How does it change in a sentence?

The default form pośpiesz się is the singular imperative, used when speaking to one person informally. When speaking to a stranger or a superior, use the formal construction niech się pan/pani pospieszy instead of the direct imperative.

Did you know?

  • In casual settings, Poles might replace pośpiesz się with the phrase dawaj, which literally means 'give' but functions as 'come on' or 'hurry up'.
  • The reflexive pronoun się in pośpiesz się traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European root *swé, making it a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'self'.
  • Adding the word już to the phrase, as in pośpiesz się już, transforms the request from a simple suggestion into an expression of impatience or annoyance.

Examples in context

  • No dalej, pośpiesz się.
    Come on, hurry up.
    This sentence shows how to use pośpiesz się to encourage someone to act.
    Tatoeba #3604173 by Baakamono, translation #3549698 by CK
  • Pośpiesz się. Spóźnisz się do szkoły.
    Hurry up. You'll be late for school.
    This example uses pośpiesz się to warn that someone will be late.
    Tatoeba #572896 by Bilberry, translation #19648 by CK
  • Pośpiesz się! Zostało tylko 30 minut do odjazdu pociągu.
    Hurry up! There's only 30 minutes left before the train leaves.
    This shows pośpiesz się being used when there is a limited amount of time remaining.
    Tatoeba #5487915 by rubber_duck, translation #2693976 by WestofEden
  • Pospiesz się! Już czekamy.
    Hurry up! We've been waiting.
  • 4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Krzysztof and Anna are leaving the house to catch a bus.

  1. Krzysztof

    Anna, pośpiesz się!
    Anna, hurry up!
  2. Anna

    Już się pakuję.
    I'm packing right now.
  3. Krzysztof

    Musimy zaraz wyjść.
    We have to leave soon.
  4. Anna

    Dobrze, już biegnę do drzwi.
    Okay, I'm running to the door now.

Sources

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Amber Pamela
Amber PamelaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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