piłka nożna
/ˈpiw.ka ˈnɔʐ.na/feminine
Soccer in Polish is piłka nożna. Wiktionary also lists futbol and gała.
Meaning: game (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| piłka nożna | /ˈpiw.ka ˈnɔʐ.na/ | feminine |
| futbol | /ˈfud.bɔl/ | colloquial, masculine |
| gała | /ˈɡa.wa/ | feminine, slang |
| noga | /ˈnɔ.ɡa/ /ˈnɔ.ɡa/ (Middle, Polish) |
feminine, slang |
You may also encounter more casual terms like futbol or slang such as gała and noga.
What does it mean word for word?
The term piłka nożna literally means 'foot ball', where piłka means 'ball'.
Which one should you use?
futbol is a colloquial masculine form, while gała and noga are slang feminine terms. gała is a slang word for 'ball' often used in the context of soccer, such as in the phrase 'strzelić gałę' (to score a goal).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
futbol is used in colloquial speech. gała and noga are slang.
How does it change in a sentence?
piłka nożna is a feminine noun. futbol is a masculine noun. Both gała and noga are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈpiw.ka ˈnɔʐ.na/. The stress is on the first syllable of the four-syllable word.
Did you know?
- The slang word gała for 'ball' is also a common Polish slang term for an 'eye'.
- The word piłka used for 'ball' is linked to the Latin word pilus, which originally referred to a 'bundle of hair'.
- In Poland, the sport is so culturally dominant that piłka is often used alone to mean 'soccer', even though the word simply means 'ball' and applies to any spherical object.
Examples in context
- Piłka nożna to mój ulubiony sport.Soccer is my favorite sport.This sentence uses piłka nożna to express a personal preference for the sport.Tatoeba #530635 by Bilberry, translation #1481754 by weihaiping
- Moim ulubionym sportem jest piłka nożna.My favorite sport is soccer.This sentence uses piłka nożna to identify a favorite sport.Tatoeba #1002947 by zipangu, translation #250849 by CK
- Najpopularniejsze sporty w tym kraju to piłka nożna, żużel i skoki narciarskie.The most popular sports in that country are soccer, speedway and ski jumping.This sentence uses piłka nożna to list popular sports in a country.Tatoeba #744193 by zipangu, translation #744194 by zipangu
- Lubię piłkę nożnąI like soccer
- Razem możemy iść kopać w piłkęTogether we can go kick the ball
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Paweł are discussing their weekend plans.
- AnnaCzy lubisz piłkę nożną?Do you like soccer?
- PawełTak, piłka nożna jest świetna.Yes, soccer is great.
- AnnaChcesz iść na mecz?Do you want to go to a match?
- PawełJasne, to świetny pomysł!Sure, that is a great idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soccer” translations and entries piłka nożna, futbol, gała, noga, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries futbol, gała, noga, nożna, piłka, piłka nożna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
