100 most common Polish nouns
Ranked by how often each noun is actually spoken in films and TV series, with the English meaning and a short example. Free to download for Anki, Quizlet, Excel or print.
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The list
100 nouns
| # | Polish | English and example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | pan (m)noun | sir, Mr, gentlemanPrzepraszam, czy pan tu pracuje? Excuse me, do you work here? |
| 2 | człowiek (m)noun | person, manTo jest dobry człowiek. He is a good man. |
| 3 | pani (f)noun | madam, Mrs, ladyDzień dobry, pani Kowalska. Good morning, Mrs Kowalska. |
| 4 | czas (m)noun | timeNie mam teraz czasu. I don't have time now. |
| 5 | dom (m)noun | house, homeMój dom jest blisko. My house is nearby. |
| 6 | dzień (m)noun | dayDzień był bardzo długi. The day was very long. |
| 7 | prawda (f)noun | truth, trueChcę znać całą prawdę. I want to know the whole truth. |
| 8 | życie (n)noun | lifeMoje życie jest bardzo spokojne. My life is very peaceful. |
| 9 | rok (m)noun | yearMieszkam tu od roku. I've lived here for a year. |
| 10 | porządek (m)noun | order, tidinessW pokoju jest porządek. The room is tidy. |
| 11 | raz (m)noun | time (occasion), onceByłem tam tylko raz. I was there only once. |
| 12 | dziecko (n)noun | childDziecko śpi w pokoju. The child is sleeping in the room. |
| 13 | sprawa (f)noun | matter, case, affairTo nie twoja sprawa. It's none of your business. |
| 14 | miejsce (n)noun | place, seatCzy to miejsce jest wolne? Is this seat free? |
| 15 | rzecz (f)noun | thingTo bardzo ważna rzecz. It's a very important thing. |
| 16 | ojciec (m)noun | fatherMój ojciec jest lekarzem. My father is a doctor. |
| 17 | praca (f)noun | work, jobMam dużo pracy dzisiaj. I have a lot of work today. |
| 18 | mama (f)noun | mumMoja mama jest w kuchni. My mum is in the kitchen. |
| 19 | koniec (m)noun | endTo jest koniec filmu. This is the end of the film. |
| 20 | chwila (f)noun | momentPoczekaj tu chwilę, proszę. Wait here a moment, please. |
| 21 | dziewczyna (f)noun | girl, girlfriendMoja dziewczyna lubi kawę. My girlfriend likes coffee. |
| 22 | tata (m)noun | dadTata jest teraz w pracy. Dad is at work now. |
| 23 | przyjaciel (m)noun | friendMój przyjaciel mieszka w Gdańsku. My friend lives in Gdańsk. |
| 24 | problem (m)noun | problemTo nie jest problem. It's not a problem. |
| 25 | kobieta (f)noun | womanTa kobieta jest lekarką. That woman is a doctor. |
| 26 | noc (f)noun | nightDziś w nocy nie spałem. I didn't sleep last night. |
| 27 | świat (m)noun | worldChcę zobaczyć cały świat. I want to see the whole world. |
| 28 | myśl (f)noun | thoughtMam w głowie jedną myśl. I have one thought in my head. |
| 29 | matka (f)noun | motherJego matka mieszka w Polsce. His mother lives in Poland. |
| 30 | rodzina (f)noun | familyMoja rodzina jest duża. My family is big. |
| 31 | racja (f)noun | right (being right), reasonTym razem masz rację. You're right this time. |
| 32 | pieniądz (m)noun | money, coinNie mam przy sobie pieniędzy. I don't have any money on me. |
| 33 | facet (m)noun | guy, blokeTen facet jest dziwny. That guy is strange. |
| 34 | dziad (m)noun | old man, grandfatherMój dziad mieszkał na wsi. My grandfather lived in the countryside. |
| 35 | godzina (f)noun | hourFilm trwa dwie godziny. The film lasts two hours. |
| 36 | ręka (f)noun | hand, armBoli mnie prawa ręka. My right hand hurts. |
| 37 | głowa (f)noun | headOd rana boli mnie głowa. My head has hurt since morning. |
| 38 | syn (m)noun | sonMój syn ma pięć lat. My son is five years old. |
| 39 | żona (f)noun | wifeJego żona jest nauczycielką. His wife is a teacher. |
| 40 | oko (n)noun | eyeMam coś w lewym oku. I have something in my left eye. |
| 41 | sposób (m)noun | way, mannerTo dobry sposób na naukę. That's a good way to learn. |
| 42 | pomoc (f)noun | helpCzy mogę prosić o pomoc? May I ask for help? |
| 43 | śmierć (f)noun | deathOn bardzo bał się śmierci. He was very afraid of death. |
| 44 | doktor (m)noun | doctorDoktor przyjmie pana teraz. The doctor will see you now. |
| 45 | samochód (m)noun | carMój samochód jest czerwony. My car is red. |
| 46 | tydzień (m)noun | weekZa tydzień jadę na wakacje. In a week I'm going on holiday. |
| 47 | brat (m)noun | brotherMój brat gra w piłkę. My brother plays football. |
| 48 | strona (f)noun | side, pageOtwórz książkę na pierwszej stronie. Open the book to the first page. |
| 49 | droga (f)noun | road, wayTa droga jest bardzo długa. This road is very long. |
| 50 | osoba (f)noun | personTo bardzo miła osoba. She's a very nice person. |
| 51 | nadzieja (f)noun | hopeMam nadzieję, że przyjdziesz. I hope you'll come. |
| 52 | chłopak (m)noun | boy, boyfriendJej chłopak jest miły. Her boyfriend is nice. |
| 53 | powód (m)noun | reasonTo nie jest dobry powód. That's not a good reason. |
| 54 | bóg (m)noun | God, godOna codziennie modli się do Boga. She prays to God every day. |
| 55 | spokój (m)noun | peace, calmChcę tylko trochę spokoju. I just want a bit of peace. |
| 56 | kochanie (n)noun | darling, sweetheartKochanie, chodź tu na chwilę. Darling, come here for a moment. |
| 57 | pokój (m)noun | room, peaceMój pokój jest na górze. My room is upstairs. |
| 58 | minuta (f)noun | minutePoczekaj jeszcze jedną minutę. Wait one more minute. |
| 59 | imię (n)noun | first nameJakie jest twoje imię? What is your name? |
| 60 | miasto (n)noun | city, townTo jest duże miasto. This is a big city. |
| 61 | pytanie (n)noun | questionMam jedno proste pytanie. I have one simple question. |
| 62 | broń (f)noun | weapon, gunPolicja znalazła broń w domu. The police found a weapon in the house. |
| 63 | słowo (n)noun | wordPowiedz mi jedno słowo. Tell me one word. |
| 64 | gra (f)noun | gameTa gra jest bardzo trudna. This game is very hard. |
| 65 | policja (f)noun | policeZadzwoń na policję, szybko! Call the police, quickly! |
| 66 | serce (n)noun | heartMoje serce bije szybko. My heart is beating fast. |
| 67 | chłopiec (m)noun | boyMały chłopiec gra w piłkę. A little boy is playing football. |
| 68 | telefon (m)noun | phoneMój telefon nie działa. My phone doesn't work. |
| 69 | prawo (n)noun | law, rightTo jest przeciwko prawu. It's against the law. |
| 70 | szkoła (f)noun | schoolMoja siostra idzie do szkoły. My sister goes to school. |
| 71 | miesiąc (m)noun | monthZa miesiąc jadę do Polski. In a month I'm going to Poland. |
| 72 | szansa (f)noun | chanceTo jest nasza ostatnia szansa. This is our last chance. |
| 73 | krew (f)noun | bloodNa podłodze jest krew, zadzwoń po pogotowie! There is blood on the floor, call an ambulance! |
| 74 | miłość (f)noun | loveMiłość to najważniejsza rzecz w życiu. Love is the most important thing in life. |
| 75 | ciało (n)noun | body, fleshCałe ciało mnie dzisiaj boli. My whole body hurts today. |
| 76 | robota (f)noun | work, jobMam w domu dużo roboty. I have a lot of work at home. |
| 77 | wieczór (m)noun | eveningDziś wieczorem idziemy razem do kina. Tonight we are going to the cinema together. |
| 78 | drzwi (pl)noun | doorZamknij drzwi, proszę, jest zimno. Close the door, please, it is cold. |
| 79 | gość (m)noun | guest, visitorMamy dziś wieczorem gości na kolacji. We have guests for dinner tonight. |
| 80 | mąż (m)noun | husbandMój mąż pracuje w szpitalu. My husband works in a hospital. |
| 81 | mężczyzna (m)noun | manTen mężczyzna stoi przed domem od rana. That man has been standing in front of the house since morning. |
| 82 | woda (f)noun | waterPoproszę szklankę zimnej wody. A glass of cold water, please. |
| 83 | część (f)noun | part, pieceTo tylko część mojego planu. This is only part of my plan. |
| 84 | środek (m)noun | middle, meansStoimy na samym środku drogi. We are standing right in the middle of the road. |
| 85 | lata (pl)noun | yearsMieszkam tu od wielu lat. I have lived here for many years. |
| 86 | pomysł (m)noun | ideaTo jest naprawdę dobry pomysł. This is a really good idea. |
| 87 | góra (f)noun | mountain, topLatem jedziemy w góry. In the summer we are going to the mountains. |
| 88 | ziemia (f)noun | earth, ground, landDzieci siedzą na ziemi i rysują. The children are sitting on the ground and drawing. |
| 89 | rada (f)noun | advice, councilDziękuję za twoją radę. Thank you for your advice. |
| 90 | siostra (f)noun | sisterMoja siostra mieszka w Londynie. My sister lives in London. |
| 91 | córka (f)noun | daughterMoja córka ma dziesięć lat. My daughter is ten years old. |
| 92 | zdjęcie (n)noun | photo, pictureZrobię ci teraz zdjęcie. I'll take a picture of you now. |
| 93 | plan (m)noun | planMasz jakiś plan na jutro? Do you have any plan for tomorrow? |
| 94 | historia (f)noun | story, historyOpowiedz mi swoją historię. Tell me your story. |
| 95 | szef (m)noun | boss, chiefMój szef jest dziś w złym humorze. My boss is in a bad mood today. |
| 96 | wiadomość (f)noun | message, newsDostałem od ciebie dziwną wiadomość. I got a strange message from you. |
| 97 | twarz (f)noun | faceZnam twoją twarz skądś. I know your face from somewhere. |
| 98 | wina (f)noun | fault, guilt, blameTo nie jest moja wina. It is not my fault. |
| 99 | uwaga (f)noun | attention, remarkUwaga, tutaj jest ślisko! Watch out, it is slippery here! |
| 100 | para (f)noun | couple, pair, steamOni są bardzo miłą parą. They are a very nice couple. |
How this list was made
Most frequency lists count newspapers and books. This one counts what people say on screen: word counts from the OpenSubtitles 2018 collection of film and TV subtitles (237 million Polish words), published by the FrequencyWords project.
Different forms of the same word are counted together under the dictionary form, so every form of a verb adds to the verb's rank. Names, English words, typos and swear words were removed. Nouns are shown with their article where the language has one, so you learn the gender with the word.
Ranking: OpenSubtitles 2018 via FrequencyWords by Hermit Dave (CC BY-SA 4.0). This list is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Questions
How many Polish words do you need to understand films and TV?
In 237 million words of Polish subtitles, the 100 most common words make up 51.7% of everything said, the top 500 make up 67.7% and the top 1000 make up 71.9%. The rest are rarer words that are easiest to pick up from the shows themselves, in context.
How do I import this list into Anki?
Download the Anki deck (.apkg) and open it, or in Anki choose File, Import and pick the file. The cards arrive in the order of the list, most common first, with the meaning and an example on the back. AnkiDroid and AnkiMobile open the same file.
Can I use it in Quizlet?
Yes. Open the Quizlet file, copy everything, then in Quizlet create a set, choose Import and paste. Keep "Tab" between term and definition and "New line" between cards. Knowt and Brainscape accept the same text.
Is it free to use and share?
Yes. Download it, print it and share it. The list is published under CC BY-SA 4.0: if you publish it or a changed version, credit Fluent by Accident and the FrequencyWords project and share it under the same licence.
Where do the translations and examples come from?
The ranking comes only from real word counts. The English meanings and example sentences were drafted with AI and can contain small mistakes. If you spot one, write to rk@coldabry.com.