Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| praca | /ˈpra.t͡sa/ /ˈprɒ.t͡sa/ (Middle, Polish) |
feminine |
| robota | /rɔˈbɔ.ta/ /rɔˈbɔ.ta/ (Middle, Polish) |
feminine |
In Polish, nouns are used to describe labour, employment, occupation or a job. You can use the phrase mieć pracę to express the idea of having a job or being employed. If you want to express the action of performing work or being employed, you use the verb pracować. This verb can also mean to cause something to ferment.
Which one should you use?
Use praca for general concepts of work, employment or a professional occupation. In contrast, use robota to refer to a specific task, a piece of work or a job in a more informal way. The form prace can also be used when referring to work in the context of tasks or chores.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Praca is the most common and neutral term for work. Robota is a colloquial term used to describe work in a less formal setting. For a more formal context, such as emphasizing the state of being employed or the act of hiring, the word zatrudnienie is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb form pracować is used to express the action of performing work or being employed. The noun praca is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈpra.tsa/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- The Polish word robota is a linguistic ancestor to the English word 'robot'. Both derive from a root meaning 'forced labour' or 'servitude'.
- The colloquial term robota has a historical weight that 'job' does not, as it originally evolved from terms describing forced or seasonal labour in Slavic history.
- In colloquial Polish, saying ale robota can be an expression of disbelief or frustration when seeing a massive, overwhelming task.
Examples in context
- Czy ta praca jest ciężka?Is the work hard?This sentence is useful for asking about the difficulty of a job using praca.Tatoeba #10543150 by tokzyk, translation #4254541 by negativeclock
- Pranie ubrań to moja praca.Washing clothes is my work.This sentence is useful for describing a personal task or duty using praca.Tatoeba #2146118 by jeedrek, translation #273357 by CM
- Ta praca jest źle wykonana.That work is poorly done.This sentence is useful for commenting on the quality of a completed task using praca.Tatoeba #10549952 by tokzyk, translation #2267911 by _undertoad
- Moja praca jest bardzo wymagająca.My work is very demanding.
- Czy ona już znalazła pracę?Has she found a job yet?
- Cieszy się stabilnym zatrudnieniem.He enjoys stable employment.
- Potwierdzam zatrudnienie tego pracownika.I confirm the employment of this employee.
- Muszę iść do roboty.I have to go to work.
- To ciężka robota, ale się opłaca.It's hard work, but it pays off.
- Mam jeszcze wiele prac do zrobienia w ogrodzie.I still have a lot of work to do in the garden.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Piotr and Małgorzata are talking about their professional lives over coffee.
- PiotrJak wygląda twoja nowa praca?How is your new job looking?
- MałgorzataTa praca jest naprawdę świetna.This job is really great.
- PiotrCieszę się, że ją znalazłaś.I am glad you found it.
- MałgorzataDziękuję, Piotr.Thank you, Piotr.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “work” translations and entries praca, robota, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries praca, robota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
