pielęgniarka
/pjɛ.lɛŋɡˈɲar.ka/feminine
The English word nurse is translated into Polish as pielęgniarka or pielęgniarz.
Meaning: person trained to provide care for the sick (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pielęgniarka | /pjɛ.lɛŋɡˈɲar.ka/ | feminine |
| pielęgniarz | /pjɛˈlɛŋɡ.ɲaʂ/ | masculine |
The term refers to a person trained to provide care for the sick. While the noun refers to the profession, related verbs include pielęgnować or opiekować się to mean caring for the sick and karmić piersią to mean breastfeeding a baby.
Which one should you use?
The forms are distinguished by gender: pielęgniarka refers specifically to a female nurse, while pielęgniarz refers specifically to a male nurse.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to more than one person, use pielęgniarki for a group of female nurses. For a group of male nurses or a mixed-gender group, use pielęgniarze.
How do you pronounce it?
The word pielęgniarka has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. The IPA is /pjɛ.lɛŋɡˈɲar.ka/.
Did you know?
- While pielęgniarka means nurse, the root pielęgn- is also found in words for general beauty and grooming treatments.
- The root of the word pielęgniarka is the verb pielęgnować, which can also mean to cultivate a garden or to nurture a plant.
- The term pielęgnować shares an ancient linguistic ancestor with the German word pflegen meaning 'to care for'.
Examples in context
- Pielęgniarka ubiera się na biało.A nurse wears white.This sentence is useful for describing what a pielęgniarka wears.Tatoeba #9031984 by digitcrusher, translation #20984 by Zifre
- Pielęgniarka jest ubrana na biało.The nurse is dressed in white.This sentence is useful for describing the state of a pielęgniarka being dressed in white.Tatoeba #3653833 by jeedrek, translation #20970 by CK
- Pielęgniarka zmierzyła mi temperaturę.A nurse took my temperature.This sentence is useful for describing an action performed by a pielęgniarka.Tatoeba #587575 by Bilberry, translation #20987 by CK
- Czy widziałeś tę siostrę? Była bardzo pomocna.Did you see that nurse? She was very helpful.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Paweł and Anna are at a hospital waiting room.
- PawełCzy wiesz, gdzie jest pielęgniarka?Do you know where the nurse is?
- AnnaMyślę, że jest w tamtym gabinecie.I think she is in that office.
- PawełMuszę zapytać ją o moje leki.I need to ask her about my medications.
- AnnaChodźmy sprawdzić, czy tam jest.Let's go check if she is there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nurse” translations and entries pielęgniarka, pielęgniarz, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pielęgniarz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
