drobny
/ˈdrɔb.nɘ/
In Polish, the English phrase "wee" can be translated as drobny or mały.
Meaning: small, little (adj)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA |
|---|---|
| drobny | /ˈdrɔb.nɘ/ /ˈdrɔb.nɨ/ (Middle, Polish) |
| mały | /ˈma.wɘ/ /ˈma.ɫɨ/ (Middle, Polish) |
Both words are used to describe things that are small or little, but they are applied to different types of smallness.
Which one should you use?
mały is the standard, most common word for something small in terms of physical dimensions or scale. In contrast, drobny is used for things that are fine, minute or consist of small particles, such as sand or small change.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective drobny must agree with the gender of the noun it describes: drobna is the feminine form, and drobne is used for neuter singular nouns or for any gender in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word drobny is pronounced /ˈdrɔb.nɘ/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word drobny shares a root with the Polish word drób, which means 'poultry'.
- The word mały descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)mel-, which is a distant relative of the English word 'small'.
- In Polish, calling a person mały can sometimes be used as a nickname for a child, whereas calling them drobny would sound like you are commenting on their physical build or delicacy.
Examples in context
- Czy możesz zaczekać chwilę? Muszę iść siusiu.Can you wait a moment? I need to go pee.
- Mój syn właśnie się nauczył mówić siusiu.My son just learned to say wee.
- To jest bardzo drobny druk.This is very small print.
- Mam drobny problem z komputerem.I have a small problem with the computer.
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Tomasz are talking about a present.
- KatarzynaTomaszu, co masz w tej torebce?Tomasz, what do you have in that bag?
- TomaszTo tylko drobny prezent dla ciebie.It is just a little present for you.
- KatarzynaOjej, dziękuję ci bardzo!Oh, thank you very much!
- TomaszMam nadzieję, że ci się spodoba.I hope you will like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wee” translations and entries drobny, mały, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries drobny, mały, CC BY-SA 4.0.
