wystraszony
The English word 'scared' can be translated into Polish as wystraszony. Wiktionary also lists zalękniony.
Meaning: afraid, frightened (adj)
Ways to say it
| Polish |
|---|
| wystraszony |
| zalękniony |
Both wystraszony and zalękniony are used to describe feelings of fear or being frightened, but they describe different types of fear.
Which one should you use?
Wystraszony implies that someone has been startled or frightened by a specific event. In contrast, zalękniony describes a more general state of being anxious or apprehensive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender of the person being scared. For example, wystraszona is the feminine form of wystraszony. While the adjective describes a state, if you use the verb bać się to say you are afraid of something, the object must be in the genitive case.
Did you know?
- In Polish, you can say strach ma wielkie oczy, which translates to 'fear has big eyes'. This proverb means that things often seem much more frightening than they actually are.
- The word wystraszony comes from the verb straszyć, which also means 'to haunt'. A house that is 'haunted' in English is described as nawiedzony, but the act of haunting is the same root as scaring someone.
- The word strach for 'fear' is closely related to the word straszny, which can mean 'scary' but is also used as an intensifier meaning 'terrible' or 'very' in casual speech.
Examples in context
- Tom przyznał, że był wystraszony.Tom admitted that he was scared.This sentence shows how to use the adjective wystraszony to describe a past state.Tatoeba #3602841 by Baakamono, translation #3539425 by Hybrid
- Byłem przerażony, kiedy podszedł do mnie nieznajomy.I was scared when a stranger approached me.
- Czułem wielki strach przed wystąpieniem publicznym.I felt great fear before my public speaking engagement.
- Kiedy usłyszałem hałas, byłem bardzo przestraszony.When I heard the noise, I was very scared.
- W obliczu zagrożenia czułem ogromny strach.In the face of danger, I felt tremendous fear.
- Był bardzo wystraszony tym głośnym dźwiękiem.He was very scared by that loud sound.
- Mały piesek wyglądał na wystraszony.The little dog looked scared.
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Piotr are talking after a loud noise.
- KatarzynaSłyszałeś ten huk? Jestem wystraszona!Did you hear that bang? I'm scared!
- PiotrTo był tylko wiatr, Katarzyno.It was only the wind, Katarzyna.
- KatarzynaPiotr, mój kot też jest teraz wystraszony.Piotr, my cat is also scared now.
- PiotrNie martw się, wszystko jest w porządku.Don't worry, everything is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scared” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
