książę
/ˈkɕɔw̃.ʐɛ/masculine
The Polish word for prince is książę.
The term książę is a masculine noun used to refer to the son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch.
Meaning: son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun książę changes its form depending on its role in a sentence. The plural form is książęta. Use the genitive form księcia to indicate possession (e.g., 'of the prince'), the dative form książęciu for the indirect object (e.g., 'to the prince'), and the instrumental form książęciem to indicate accompaniment or means (e.g., 'with/by the prince').
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈkɕɔw̃.ʐɛ/.
Did you know?
- The word książę is a linguistic relative of the Polish word ksiądz, which means 'priest'.
- In some Polish historical contexts, książę can be used to translate the title of 'Duke', which is a separate rank in English.
- The spelling of książę contains a nasal vowel, an ancient feature of the Polish language that has disappeared from most other Slavic languages.
Examples in context
- Książę został zamieniony w żabę.The prince was changed into a frog.This sentence shows the use of książę in a fairy-tale context.Tatoeba #5097508 by lumberpack, translation #25616 by CK
- Książę nadał swoim poddanym ziemię.The prince gave his land to his subjects.This sentence illustrates the prince acting as a provider for his subjects using książę.Tatoeba #5959919 by stagos, translation #6029171 by Huskion
- "Mały Książę" autorstwa Antoine'a de Saint-Exupér został przetłumaczony z francuskiego na wiele języków."The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has been translated from French into many languages.This sentence shows the word książę as part of a book title.Tatoeba #4287073 by Pompon, translation #4286690 by Eldad
- Witaj, książę! Jak minął Twój dzień?Hello, prince! How has your day been?
- Cześć, książęcze! Co u ciebie słychać?Hey, prince! What's up with you?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Krzysztof and Katarzyna are discussing a news report about a royal wedding.
- KrzysztofCzy ten młody książę naprawdę weźmie ślub?Is that young prince really getting married?
- KatarzynaTak, on jest bardzo popularny w swoim kraju.Yes, he is very popular in his country.
- KrzysztofKsiążę wygląda na bardzo szczęśliwego.The prince looks very happy.
- KatarzynaTo będzie wielkie wydarzenie dla całej rodziny.It will be a great event for the whole family.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prince” translations and entries książę, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries książę, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
