wojna
/ˈvɔj.na/feminine
The Polish word for "war" is wojna.
wojna is a feminine noun used to describe a conflict involving the organized use of arms. For a more formal or specific way to refer to an armed conflict, you can use konflikt zbrojny. Additionally, the verb walczyć means "to fight" and can be used metaphorically to describe putting effort into a challenging task.
Meaning: conflict involving organized use of arms (noun)
Which one should you use?
While wojna is the noun, the verb wojować is used specifically to mean "to wage war" or "to engage in war".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of wojna is wojny. If wojna is the direct object of a verb, it changes to the accusative form wojnę.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈvɔj.na/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- You can find the same linguistic DNA in the Polish word wojewoda, a title for a high-ranking administrative official, which literally translates to 'leader of warriors'.
- The term wojna domowa is used for 'civil war', but it can also be used colloquially to describe a heated argument within a family.
- In Polish, the expression wypowiedzieć wojnę means 'to declare war'. Interestingly, the verb wypowiedzieć also means 'to speak out' or 'to utter'.
Examples in context
- Wojna to straszna rzecz.A war is an awful thing.Tatoeba #3629724 by Katubeltza, translation #3629481 by xLilithx
- Wojna wybuchła w roku 1939.War broke out in 1939.Tatoeba #368035 by zipangu, translation #273295 by CK
- Wojna weszła w końcową fazę.The war had entered its final stage.Tatoeba #364910 by zipangu, translation #273309 by voxbubnya
- Polska była dotknięta wieloma wojnami w swojej historii.Poland has been affected by many wars throughout its history.
- Świat jest obecnie świadkiem wielu konfliktów zbrojnych.The world is currently witnessing many armed conflicts.
- Wielkie starcie wojsk nastąpiło na polu bitwy.A great clash of armies occurred on the battlefield.
- Ostatnio w mediach dużo mówią o nowej wojence.Lately, the media has been talking a lot about the new little war.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Krzysztof are discussing a news report in their living room.
- AgnieszkaCzy ta wojna kiedyś się skończy?Will this war ever end?
- KrzysztofNikt nie wie, Agnieszko.Nobody knows, Agnieszka.
- AgnieszkaTo bardzo smutne.It is very sad.
- KrzysztofTak, to tragiczna wojna.Yes, it is a tragic war.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “war” translations and entries wojna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
