ból
/ˈbul/masculine
The Polish word for "pain" is ból.
ból is the most general and commonly used word for pain in Polish. For instance, dolegliwość is often used when referring to a specific complaint or discomfort related to an illness or injury and uczucie bólu literally translates to 'a feeling of pain'.
Meaning: ache or bodily suffering (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ból is the noun for the sensation of pain, the related verb boleć is used to say a specific body part hurts, e.g., boli mnie głowa (my head hurts).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun ból is masculine. The form bólu is used after the preposition do (to/towards) or when expressing the absence of pain, such as brak bólu (lack of pain).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbul/
Did you know?
- Polish has a unique word przeboleć, which means to go through a period of pain or suffering until it finally passes.
- In Polish culture, the phrase ból głowy can be used idiomatically to describe a complicated problem or a nuisance, rather than just a physical headache.
- The related verb boleć follows a pattern where the body part acts as the subject, making the person the object of the sentence.
Examples in context
- Poczuł ból w plecach.He felt a pain in his back.This sentence shows how to use ból to describe feeling pain in a specific body part.Tatoeba #11573498 by tokzyk, translation #302424 by CK
- Ból w końcu przejdzie.The pain will eventually go away.This sentence uses ból to state that the pain will eventually go away.Tatoeba #6602692 by princes21, translation #2818295 by CK
- Ból w zasadzie ustąpił.The pain has mostly gone away.This sentence uses ból to describe the pain having mostly gone away.Tatoeba #363606 by zipangu, translation #41146 by CK
- Pacjent zgłosił dolegliwość w klatce piersiowej.The patient reported pain in the chest.
- To nieznośne uczucie bólu utrzymuje się od kilku godzin.This unbearable sensation of pain has been lasting for a few hours.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Małgorzata are talking in the living room about his health.
- MałgorzataJak się czujesz, Tomasz?How are you feeling, Tomasz?
- TomaszCzuję silny ból w brzuchu.I feel a strong pain in my stomach.
- MałgorzataCzy ten ból jest bardzo silny?Is this pain very strong?
- TomaszTak, bardzo mnie boli.Yes, it hurts a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries ból, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
