Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA |
|---|---|
| bardzo | /ˈbar.d͡zɔ/ /ˈbar.d͡zɔ/ (Middle, Polish) |
| wielce | /ˈvjɛl.t͡sɛ/ |
bardzo is used to indicate that something is to a high degree. It can also be used on its own to mean 'very much', such as in the phrase 'Dziękuję bardzo' (Thank you very much).
Which one should you use?
bardzo is the standard, everyday word for 'very'. In contrast, wielce is a more formal or literary version meaning 'highly' or 'greatly' and is rarely used in casual speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
wielce is used in formal or literary registers. For contexts where you might want to say 'extraordinarily' or 'incredibly', you can use niezwykle. In casual settings, the slang term mega is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, bardzo does not change its form based on gender, number or case.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbar.dzɔ/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word bardzo is a linguistic relative of the English word 'bridge'. Both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root *mreǵʰ-, which originally referred to something high or lofty.
- In very informal Polish, speakers sometimes replace bardzo with the word strasznie, which literally means 'terribly'. This is used even for positive things, like saying something is 'terribly beautiful'.
- Polish speakers often use the phrase bardzo proszę not just to say 'you are very welcome', but as a polite way to tell someone to 'go ahead' or 'please do'.
Examples in context
- One są bardzo duże.They are very big.This sentence shows how to use bardzo with an adjective to describe size.Tatoeba #563543 by Bilberry, translation #37779 by CK
- On bardzo cię lubi.He likes you very much.This sentence demonstrates using bardzo to express how much someone likes another person.Tatoeba #3432369 by konrad509, translation #2561952 by Hybrid
- Ona go bardzo lubi.She likes him very much.This sentence shows another example of using bardzo to express a high degree of liking.Tatoeba #11131790 by MarekMazurkiewicz, translation #11131788 by MarekMazurkiewicz
- Jestem bardzo zadowolony z twojego postępu.I am very happy with your progress.
- Spotkałem się z bardzo mądrym człowiekiem.I met a very wise person.
- Jestem niezwykle wdzięczny za twoją pomoc.I am incredibly grateful for your help.
- To jest bardzo fajne!This is very cool!
- Byłem bardzo zmęczony po całym dniu pracy.I was very tired after a whole day of work.
- To jest mega trudne!This is mega difficult!
- Byłem mega podekscytowany przed koncertem.I was mega excited before the concert.
- Twój telefon jest ekstra szybki!Your phone is extra fast!
- 1001 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Krzysztof and Agnieszka are talking about a movie they just watched.
- KrzysztofTen film był bardzo ciekawy.That movie was very interesting.
- AgnieszkaZgadzam się, ale był też bardzo długi.I agree, but it was also very long.
- KrzysztofCzy chcesz teraz iść na kawę?Do you want to go for coffee now?
- AgnieszkaTak, jestem bardzo głodna.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “very” translations and entries bardzo, wielce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bardzo, wielce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
