How difficult is Polish?

Polish can be a challenging language to learn, however, with dedication, practice, and the right resources, it is definitely possible to learn Polish.

The amount of time it takes to learn Polish can vary depending on a variety of factors such as the learner’s native language, their level of dedication and effort, and the resources and learning methods used.

How difficult is Polish for English speakers?

According to the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), which provides language training to US government employees, Polish is considered a Category III language, meaning it is considered to be moderately difficult for English speakers to learn. The FSI estimates that it takes approximately 1100 hours of study to reach proficiency in Polish for full time students (25 hours per week). Comparingly it takes only half of this amount (600-750 class hours) to learn languages like French, Italian, or Spanish but twice that much (2200 class hours) to learn Chinese or Arabic. We can sum up that for an English speaker Polish might not be the easiest choice among the languages to learn, but it’s also definitely not the most difficult one. 

How difficult is Polish for Slavic language speakers?

Since Polish belongs to the Slavic language family, it is generally considered easier to learn for those who already know another Slavic language. Czech and Slovakian speakers are likely to have the easiest time learning Polish, as these languages share the greatest degree of similarity with Polish, to the extent that basic communication between speakers of these languages is possible without any formal study. Other Slavic languages, such as Ukrainian, Russian, and even more distantly related Croatian, also share some similarities with Polish, particularly in terms of vocabulary. However, differences in grammar, pronunciation, and even the alphabet can still pose challenges for learners of these languages. The similarities between languages can sometimes work against language learners, as there may be numerous false friends and misleading similarities that can lead to difficulties. This can create a false perception where learners may assume that because they understand a particular word or phrase, they will also be easily understood by native speakers.

Why is Polish considered to be difficult?

Polish can be considered a difficult language for a few reasons. Here are some factors that contribute to its complexity:

GRAMMAR

Polish has a complex grammar system, with seven cases and three genders. This means that every noun, pronoun, and adjective has multiple forms depending on its function in the sentence. 

GRAMMATICAL CASES

The important aspect of Polish grammar is the system of grammatical cases, which modify nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and other words to indicate their function in a sentence. Polish has seven cases with complex sets of endings that differ based on grammatical gender and a number of a noun. 

To jest kot. (It is a cat).

Mam kota. (I have a cat) 

Idę na spacer z kotem. (I’m going for a walk with cat)

We have 3 forms here – kot, kota, kotem – all of them mean cat, the form differs based on the context or verb that is present in the sentence. 

Polish name	English name	singular	plural
Mianownik (kto?co?)	Nominative	kot	koty
Dopełniacz (kogo?czego?)	Gentivie	kota	kotów
Celownik (komu?czemu?)	Dative	kotu	kotom
Biernik (kogo?co?)	Accusative	kota	koty
Narzędnik (z kim?z czym?)	Instrumental	kotem	kotami
Miejscownik (o kim?o czym?)	Locative	kocie	kotach
Wołacz (o!)	Vocative	kocie!	koty!

GRAMMATICAL GENDERS

In Polish, every noun has a grammatical gender, which means that it is classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun is not necessarily related to the natural gender of the object it represents.

For example, the word kobieta (woman) is feminine, while the word pan (mister) is masculine, but the word for child dziecko is neuter.

The gender of a noun is important because it affects the forms of the adjectives, pronouns, and verbs that are used with it. For example, if you want to say “the big cat” in Polish, you would use the adjective duży (masculine form) as the noun “cat” is masculine. If the noun would be feminine (for example torba) we would use the feminine adjective  duża, and duże neuter form if the noun is neuter for example dziecko.

Take a look at our article about Polish grammatical gender which explains in more detail what gender is, how to recognize it, and why it is really important in Polish: Noun gender on PolskiPlus

CONJUGATION

Conjugation in Polish refers to the process of changing the form of a verb to match the subject of a sentence, as well as to indicate the tense, aspect, mood, and voice of the verb. Polish verbs are conjugated to reflect he grammatical person (I, you, he/she/it, we, you plural, they), number (singular or plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) of the subject.

In Polish, the conjugation of a verb can be quite complex because it involves adding various suffixes and prefixes to the stem of the verb, depending on the tense, aspect, and mood being used. For example, the present tense of the verb “to speak” in Polish is “mówić”, which is conjugated differently depending on the subject:

• Ja mówię (I speak)
• Ty mówisz (you speak)
• On/ona/ono mówi (he/she/it speaks)
• My mówimy (we speak)
• Wy mówicie (you plural speak)
• Oni/one mówią (they speak)

PRONUNCIATION

Polish has a number of sounds that are not present in English, such as nasal vowels ( ą,ę), soft consonants (ś,ź,ć,ń, dź), but also very Polish letters like ł or ż.

Additionally, many Polish words have multiple consonant clusters that can be difficult to pronounce- for example, Świętokrzyska.

VOCABULARY

Polish has a large vocabulary with many words that are not derived from Latin or Germanic languages, which may be unfamiliar to English speakers (for example kiełbasa).

SPELLING

Polish orthography can be complex, with many words containing consonant clusters that can be difficult to spell. There are letters in Polish that are pronounced exactly the same, but written differently:

rz (rzeka) and ż (żona)

ch (chleb) and h (herbata)

ó (Kraków) and u (ulica)

Due to the fact that those letters can no longer be differentiated by their pronunciation, there are rules in place to determine when to use certain letters. However, these rules can be quite complex, and even native speakers may find them challenging to navigate.

Why is Polish easy?

While there are reasons why Polish may be considered a challenging language to learn, there are also several aspects that make it relatively easy. Unlike English, Polish only has three basic tenses. Additionally, as an Indo-European language, Polish shares similarities with many other European languages. Furthermore, English loanwords are commonly used in Polish vocabulary and are easy to recognize and remember (for example ambitny-ambitious). Polish pronunciation is not overly complex, although there are occasional exceptions to the rules. Polish sentence structure is more flexible than English, making it easier to create questions.

To jest kot. (Czy) to jest kot?

This is a cat. Is this a cat?

Why is it worth learning Polish?

Acquiring proficiency in Polish demands significant effort, time, and commitment, but the results are undoubtedly worth it. With over 50 million speakers across the globe, Polish is the most prevalent Western-Slavic language. It serves as the official language of Poland and is spoken by substantial Polish diasporas in numerous countries. Learning Polish opens up opportunities to explore the captivating Slavic world, and once proficient, acquiring another language from the same language family will undoubtedly become more accessible.

Learning Polish can be beneficial for personal and professional reasons, such as improving cultural understanding, increasing job opportunities, and enhancing travel experiences. Moreover, Poland has a rich cultural heritage, and learning Polish can help you appreciate and understand it better.

Overall, Polish is a beautiful language, and learning it may be a rewarding and challenging experience that can help you develop cognitive skills, improve memory, and increase your overall language awareness. Moreover, Polish people have a positive attitude towards those who make an effort to learn their native language and highly value such attempts. With adequate resources, effective methods, and personalized courses, mastering Polish is undoubtedly possible, and the learning process can be a truly fun and captivating adventure!