Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| połykać | /pɔˈwɘ.kat͡ɕ/ | imperfective |
| połknąć | /ˈpɔwk.nɔɲt͡ɕ/ | perfective |
The verb refers to the action of causing something to pass from the mouth into the stomach. For the act of swallowing itself, you can use the verbal noun połykanie. If you are referring to the bird, use jaskółka or dymówka. If you are referring to the amount swallowed, such as a gulp, use łyk.
Which one should you use?
Polish uses two different forms depending on whether the action is completed or ongoing. Use the imperfective form połykać to describe the ongoing process of swallowing or for actions that happen repeatedly. Use the perfective form połknąć to describe a single, completed act of swallowing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The perfective verb changes based on the subject in the past tense. For example, połknął is used for 'he swallowed' (masculine), while połknęła is used for 'she swallowed' (feminine).
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔˈwɘ.katɕ/. The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb połknąć is used in the phrase połknąć haczyk, which literally means to 'swallow the hook' and is used to say someone fell for a trick.
- The Polish word for the bird 'swallow' is jaskółka, which shares no linguistic root with the verb połykać.
- The prefix 'po-' in połykać functions as a grammatical tool to change the aspect of the verb, a distinction that does not exist in the same way in English.
Examples in context
- Musi pan powoli połykaćYou must swallow slowly.
- Trzeba przyjmować lekarstwo i połykaćYou need to take the medicine and swallow.
- Połyknij tabletkęSwallow the pill.
- Muszę połykać te tabletki codziennie.I have to swallow these pills every day.
- Dziecko nie chce połykać zagęszczonego jedzenia.The child does not want to swallow thickened food.
- Czy łatwo jest połykać te duże granulki?Is it easy to swallow these large granules?
Example conversation
Piotr and Anna are at the pharmacy discussing medication.
- PiotrCzy to lekarstwo jest łatwe do połykania?Is this medicine easy to swallow?
- AnnaTak, Piotr, te kapsułki są bardzo małe.Yes, Piotr, these capsules are very small.
- PiotrNie lubię połykać dużych tabletek.I don't like swallowing large tablets.
- AnnaWtedy połykaj tylko te mniejsze.Then just swallow the smaller ones.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swallow” translations and entries połykać, połknąć, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
