Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trzy | /ˈtʂɘ/ /tr̝ɨ/ (Middle, Polish) |
plural |
| troje | /ˈtrɔ.jɛ/ | collective |
| trójka | /ˈtruj.ka/ | feminine |
The primary way to express the cardinal number 3 is with trzy. However, Polish also uses collective and noun forms depending on whether you are counting people of mixed genders or referring to the number itself.
Which one should you use?
While trzy is the standard cardinal number used for counting, trójka is used as a noun to refer to the number three itself or to a group of three. Additionally, troje is a collective form used specifically for a group of three people or animals of mixed genders.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form trzy is used with nouns in the nominative plural and the accusative plural for inanimate objects. The collective form troje is used when referring to a group of three people or animals of mixed genders, such as troje dzieci (three children).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂɘ/
Did you know?
- In Polish schools, the grade trójka is the equivalent of a 'satisfactory' or 'C' grade, representing the middle of the grading scale.
- The collective form troje is required when counting 'children' dzieci, regardless of their gender, because the word 'child' belongs to a special grammatical category.
- The word trzy shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'three', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root '*tréyes'.
Examples in context
- Tom ma trzy psy.Tom has three dogs.This sentence shows the use of trzy with a plural noun.Tatoeba #4829984 by jeedrek, translation #1025296 by CK
- On ma trzy krowy.He has three cows.Tatoeba #8884785 by digitcrusher, translation #8480976 by CH
- Daj mi trzy minuty.Give me three minutes.Tatoeba #10604976 by polski_ren, translation #3151457 by CK
- Proszę przyjąć te trzy dokumenty.Please accept these three documents.
- Panie i Panowie, mamy trzy ważne punkty do omówienia.Ladies and Gentlemen, we have three important points to discuss.
- Kupiłem trzy nowe książki.I bought three new books.
- Spędziliśmy razem trzy wspaniałe dni.We spent three wonderful days together.
- Jestem z Górnego Śląska i mówimy "trzi" zamiast "trzy".I am from Upper Silesia, and we say 'trzi' instead of 'trzy'.
- Mam tylko trzy minuty na to zadanie.I only have three minutes for this task.
- Proszę mi dać trzy razy więcej kawy niż zwykle.Please give me three times more coffee than usual.
- Zakochałem się w tobie już po trzecim spotkaniu.I fell in love with you after the third meeting.
- 454 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Piotr and Małgorzata are at a cafe deciding what to order.
- PiotrChciałbym zamówić trzy kawy.I would like to order three coffees.
- MałgorzataTylko trzy? Kupimy też ciasto.Only three? We will also buy cake.
- PiotrDobrze, weźmy trzy kawałki ciasta.Okay, let's take three pieces of cake.
- MałgorzataTo będzie pyszne!That will be delicious!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries trzy, troje, trójka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries troje, trzy, trójka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
