wow
/ˈwaw/
The English phrase "wow" can be said in Polish as wow or łał.
Meaning: amazement (intj)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA |
|---|---|
| wow | /ˈwaw/ |
| łał |
Both forms are used as interjections to express excitement, surprise or astonishment, functioning in the same way as the English word.
Which one should you use?
wow is a direct loanword from English, whereas łał is a phonetic Polish spelling of the word. The spelling łał is more commonly found in casual, written internet slang.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈwaw/
When do people say it?
To express enthusiasm or amazement in colloquial conversation, some speakers might also use the phrase Ale jazda!, which translates to "What a ride!"
Did you know?
- To express extreme surprise, Poles may use the word o rany, which literally translates to 'oh kidneys'.
- The expression Ale czad! functions similarly to 'Wow, how cool!', using the word for 'heat' or 'temperatures' to describe something amazing.
- While wow is common, Polish speakers often use the word o kurczę as a softer, polite alternative to express shock or amazement without using profanity.
Examples in context
- Wow, to jest śnieg!Wow, it's snow!This sentence shows how to use wow to react to seeing snow.Tatoeba #5336480 by machmet, translation #5099600 by chris3spice
- Wow, to jest takie duże.Wow, that's so big.This sentence demonstrates using wow to comment on the size of something.Tatoeba #5336347 by machmet, translation #890494 by Scott
- Łał!Wow!This sentence shows the use of the form łał as an exclamation.Tatoeba #7818298 by Hanyel, translation #52027 by Zifre
- Drogi Panie, jestem pod wrażeniem!Dear Sir, I am impressed!
- Wow, to jest niesamowite!Wow, that is incredible!
- Ale jazda, to było wspaniałe!What a ride, that was amazing!
- Drogi Panie, to jest naprawdę fantastyczne!Dear Sir, this is truly fantastic!
- Wow, ale fajne!Wow, how cool!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna shows Krzysztof a beautiful painting she made.
- KatarzynaPopatrz, to mój nowy obraz.Look, this is my new painting.
- KrzysztofWow, wygląda to niesamowicie!Wow, it looks amazing!
- KatarzynaNaprawdę ci się podoba?Do you really like it?
- KrzysztofTak, masz wielki talent.Yes, you have a great talent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wow” translations and entries wow, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
