ziemniak
/ˈʑɛm.ɲak/masculine
The Polish word for potato is ziemniak. Wiktionary also lists kartofel and pyra.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ziemniak | /ˈʑɛm.ɲak/ | masculine |
| kartofel | /karˈtɔ.fɛl/ | masculine |
| pyra | /ˈpɘ.ra/ | dialectal, feminine |
The term refers to the plant tuber eaten as a starchy vegetable.
Which one should you use?
ziemniak is the standard, most common word for potato used in everyday Polish. In contrast, kartofel is another masculine form used for the same vegetable. pyra is a dialectal feminine form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ziemniak is ziemniaki. The form ziemniaka is used when the potato is in the genitive case or when it is the object of a negation.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈʑɛm.ɲak/.
Did you know?
- The word kartofel is a linguistic traveler that entered Polish from German, but its roots actually trace back to the Italian word for 'truffle'.
- In many Polish regions, the word pyra is so central to the identity that people from Poznań are sometimes jokingly called 'Pyry'.
- The term pyra is grammatically feminine, whereas ziemniak and kartofel are both masculine.
Examples in context
- Poproszę stek z pieczonymi ziemniakami.I would like a steak with a baked potato.This sentence shows how to order a steak with ziemniak in its plural form.Tatoeba #3869244 by jeedrek, translation #51919 by CK
- Średnio dosmażony i ziemniaka, poproszę.Medium-rare and a potato, please.This sentence demonstrates using the form ziemniaka to indicate a potato as an object.Tatoeba #591629 by Bilberry, translation #32264 by Catriona
- Ron nadział pieczonego ziemniaka na widelec, piorunując go wzrokiem. Potem powiedział: "Nienawidzę być biednym."Ron speared a roast potato on the end of his fork, glaring at it. Then he said, "I hate being poor."This sentence uses the form ziemniaka in a narrative context.Tatoeba #13786963 by Just_Balls, translation #13786960 by Just_Balls
- Czy można prosić ziemniaki do obiadu?May I have potatoes for dinner?
- Ziemniaki są na stole.The potatoes are on the table.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Tomasz are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- KatarzynaTomasz, czy mamy jeszcze jakiś ziemniak?Tomasz, do we have any potato left?
- TomaszTak, jeden ziemniak leży w koszyku.Yes, one potato is lying in the basket.
- KatarzynaTo go obierz i pokrój w kostkę.Then peel it and cut it into cubes.
- TomaszDobrze, już to robię.Okay, I'm doing it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations and entries ziemniak, kartofel, pyra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kartofel, pyra, ziemniak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
