łoś
/ˈwɔɕ/masculine
The Polish word for moose is łoś. Wiktionary also lists łosica and łosza.
Meaning: largest member of the deer family (Alces alces) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| łoś | /ˈwɔɕ/ | masculine |
| łosica | /wɔˈɕi.t͡sa/ | feminine |
| łosza | /ˈwɔ.ʂa/ | feminine |
| klępa | /ˈklɛm.pa/ | feminine |
The term refers to the largest member of the deer family (Alces alces).
Which one should you use?
While łoś is the general term for the species, łosica is specifically used to refer to a female moose. Łosza is a synonym for łosica used to denote a female moose, though łosica is more common in general contexts. Klępa is a specialized term used specifically for an adult female moose, often used in hunting or biological contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈwɔɕ/
Did you know?
- In Polish culture, the łoś is sometimes used in idioms to describe someone who is clumsy or awkward due to their size.
- The word łosza was borrowed into Polish from Old Ruthenian, which in turn took it from a Turkic language.
Examples in context
- Czy to jest łoś?Is that a moose?This sentence is useful for asking if an animal is a łoś.Tatoeba #10571340 by tokzyk, translation #10314904 by timur_seber
- Młody łoś szedł po autostradzie.A young moose was walking on the highway.This sentence is useful for describing a young łoś on a highway.Tatoeba #7960549 by arie, translation #10780030 by hecko
- Łoś polizał Toma po twarzy, gdy ten spał.A moose licked Tom's face while he was sleeping.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving a łoś.Tatoeba #10571351 by tokzyk, translation #6680086 by Eccles17
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Krzysztof and Agnieszka are hiking in a national park.
- KrzysztofAgnieszka, spójrz, tam w krzakach stoi łoś!Agnieszka, look, there is a moose standing in the bushes!
- AgnieszkaOjej, jaki on jest ogromny!Oh my, how huge he is!
- KrzysztofBądź cicho, bo ten łoś może się wystraszyć.Be quiet, because this moose might get scared.
- AgnieszkaMasz rację, nie chcę go płoszyć.You are right, I don't want to startle him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moose” translations and entries łoś, łosica, łosza, klępa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries klępa, łosica, łosza, łoś, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
