nożyczki
/nɔˈʐɘt͡ʂ.ki/nonvirile
The Polish word for scissors is nożyczki. Wiktionary also lists nożyce.
Meaning: tool used for cutting (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nożyczki | /nɔˈʐɘt͡ʂ.ki/ | nonvirile |
| nożyce | /nɔˈʐɘ.t͡sɛ/ | nonvirile |
Both nożyczki and nożyce refer to tools used for cutting.
Which one should you use?
nożyce is used for larger, heavy-duty cutting tools such as tailor's shears or industrial metal shears.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA is /nɔˈʐɘtʂ.ki/.
Did you know?
- The root of nożyczki is the same as the word for 'knife', which is nóż.
- The word nożyczki is a diminutive of nożyce, but it is the standard word for household scissors. Using the larger nożyce for small craft scissors would sound strange to a native speaker.
- The morphological root of the word links back to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'to cut' or 'to pierce'.
Examples in context
- Te nożyczki są tępe.These scissors are not cutting.This sentence is useful for describing the condition of the nożyczki.Tatoeba #351321 by zipangu, translation #1556888 by kerbear407
- Czy mogę pożyczyć twoje nożyczki?Can I borrow your scissors?This sentence is useful for asking to borrow someone's nożyczki.Tatoeba #538943 by Bilberry, translation #35466 by CK
- Zastanawiam się czyje to nożyczki.I wonder whose scissors these are.This sentence is useful for questioning the ownership of the nożyczki.Tatoeba #6160957 by arie, translation #6150634 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Tomasz are in the kitchen working on a craft project.
- AgnieszkaGdzie są moje nożyczki?Where are my scissors?
- TomaszLeżą na stole, Agnieszko.They are lying on the table, Agnieszka.
- AgnieszkaDziękuję, potrzebuję ich teraz.Thank you, I need them now.
- TomaszCzy te nożyczki są ostre?Are those scissors sharp?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scissors” translations and entries nożyczki, nożyce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nożyce, nożyczki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
