sześć
/ˈʂɛɕt͡ɕ/
The Polish word for six is sześć. Wiktionary also lists sześcioro.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sześć | /ˈʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ /ˈʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ (Middle, Polish) |
|
| sześcioro | /ʂɛɕˈt͡ɕɔ.rɔ/ | collective |
sześć is the cardinal number used for counting. The collective form sześcioro is used.
Which one should you use?
Use szóstka when you are referring specifically to the digit six or to a specific set or grade of six.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the number changes depending on the gender of the nouns being counted. Use sześć for feminine, neuter or non-masculine-personal nouns (such as animals or objects). However, when counting men or groups that include men, you must use the masculine personal form sześciu instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʂɛɕtɕ/
Did you know?
- When saying sześć, the 'ć' sound is a soft, voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate, a sound that does not exist as a single phoneme in English.
- The Polish word sześć descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *swéḱs, making it a distant relative of the English word 'six'.
- The collective form sześcioro is used specifically for groups of mixed gender or children, treating the group as a single collective entity rather than individual units.
Examples in context
- Jest ich sześć osób.They are a party of six.This sentence demonstrates how to use sześć to count people.Tatoeba #357111 by zipangu, translation #27789 by CK
- Owady mają sześć nóg.Insects have six legs.This sentence shows sześć being used to count animal body parts.Tatoeba #12698365 by JimiYoru, translation #3957346 by Hybrid
- On miał sześć miesięcy wakacji.He had six months of vacation.This sentence illustrates using sześć to count months of time.Tatoeba #12953762 by Stanislawspruss, translation #12953295 by Conjuice
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Piotr and Anna are planning a small dinner party.
- PiotrIle osób będzie na kolacji?How many people will be at dinner?
- AnnaBędzie dokładnie sześć osób.There will be exactly six people.
- PiotrWięc muszę przygotować więcej jedzenia.So I must prepare more food.
- AnnaTak, Piotr, to prawda.Yes, Piotr, that is true.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “six” translations and entries sześć, sześcioro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sześcioro, sześć, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
