Polish

Polish is a Slavic language, spoken by around 38 million people, and is the official language of Poland.

Polish is closely related to other West Slavic languages, such as Czech and Slovak, and more distantly related to other Slavic languages like Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian.

The Polish language uses the Latin alphabet with additional letters and diacritical marks to represent its unique sounds, such as the acute accent (ć, ń, ó, ś, ź), the dot above (ż), and the stroke (ł). The Polish alphabet has 32 letters in total.

How hard is it to learn Polish?

Polish, which is written in the Latin alphabet, is often easier for English speakers to learn than other Slavic languages that use the Cyrillic script, such as Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, or Bulgarian. Instead of learning a new alphabet, learners of Polish only need to become familiar with a few specific diacritic signs and digraphs. This makes Polish more approachable and easier to learn than some other Slavic languages.

However, there are some differences between English and Polish, such as the use of diacritics to indicate certain sounds and the use of different verb tenses and moods.

Most English speakers can gain proficiency in Polish with around 44 weeks of study.

Why should I learn Polish?

Polish is spoken by over 50 million people, making it an important language in Eastern Europe. By learning Polish, you can communicate with a large and diverse group of people and make connections with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Poland has a rich culture and history, and learning Polish can provide a window into this world. By learning the language, you can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Polish culture, literature, and art.

Access to other Slavic languages: Polish is a Western Slavic language, and learning it can provide a foundation for learning other Western Slavic languages such as Czech and Slovak, which have many similarities with Polish but are not mutually intelligible. By studying Polish, you will have a foundation that will allow you to quickly gain a deeper understanding of these related languages.