EPISODE · Jun 7, 2026 · 13 MIN
#611 My First Polish Words, Pronunciation, Swear Words & Hilarious Mistakes
from Learn Polish · host Roy Coughlan
In this episode, Ania and Roy tackle a topic close to every Polish learner's heart — the very first words and sounds you encounter when learning Polish! Roy shares his honest experience as a foreigner living in Poland: from the very first Polish word he ever heard (spoiler: it's a swear word!), to the hardest names and phrases to pronounce, to the hilarious story of using the wrong word at a very formal meeting. Along the way, Ania reveals the most common pronunciation mistakes her students make and explains why making mistakes is actually a vital part of the process. 🇵🇱 Perfect for: Beginner to intermediate Polish learners who want to laugh, relate, and learn from real-life Polish pronunciation challenges. 0:00 - Welcome to Learn Polish Podcast & intro (with a forgotten line!) 0:42 - Today's topic: How does a foreigner perceive the Polish language? 1:07 - Polish pronunciation: what makes it so distinctive? 1:21 - Question 1: What was Roy's very first impression of Polish? 1:40 - Roy's first Polish word ever heard — and it's a swear word! 2:13 - Why is that word always the first one foreigners learn? 2:45 - The rhythm and melody of Polish: "sz, sz, sz, sz..." 3:35 - Top 5 hardest Polish words to pronounce: starting with Przemysław & Radosław 4:35 - Roy's Polish learning journey: university course, private tutor & falling asleep on a ball! 6:17 - More hard words: thinking in English and translating on the fly 7:14 - The challenge when Poles just repeat the same word louder instead of rephrasing 7:37 - Roy's most embarrassing Polish moment: saying "zajebiste" at a formal office meeting! 8:23 - Ania's top hard words for students: "przepraszam" and "szczęście" 9:09 - Confusing similar-sounding words: "brwi" (eyebrows) vs "drzwi" (doors) 9:13 - "Kanapka" (sandwich) vs "kanapa" (sofa) — a classic mix-up 9:49 - The student who said she waxes her "doors" instead of her eyebrows 10:00 - Mistakes are part of the process — you have to make them to progress! 10:20 - Roy's memory trick: "smacznego" reminds him of Arnold Schwarzenegger 10:41 - Two types of difficulty: pronunciation (consonant clusters) vs vocabulary memory 11:28 - Why Polish is harder for non-Slavic language speakers 12:01 - Is it worth learning Polish? Roy's heartfelt answer 12:30 - Question for listeners: What is your hardest Polish word to say or remember? 13:08 - Outro & thanks #LearnPolish #PolishPodcast #LearnPolishPodcast #PolishLanguage #PolskiJęzyk #PoPolsku #PolishForForeigners #PolishPronunciation #HardPolishWords #LearnPolishPronunciation #PolishForBeginners #PolishVocabulary #FunnyPolish #PolishMistakes #ConversationalPolish #EverydayPolish #PolishPhrases #LanguageLearning #LanguagePodcast #PolyglotLife #LearnLanguages #PolishLife #TeatroDeIdiomas #RoyCoughlan #PodFather #PodcastCoach #Wymowa #SłowiańskieJęzyki
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In this episode, Ania and Roy tackle a topic close to every Polish learner’s heart — the very first words and sounds you encounter when learning Polish! Roy shares his honest experience as a foreigner living in Poland: from the very first Polish word he ever heard (spoiler: it’s a swear word!), to the hardest names and phrases to pronounce, to the hilarious story of using the wrong word at a very formal meeting. Along the way, Ania reveals the most common pronunciation mistakes her students make and explains why making mistakes is actually a vital part of the process.
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#611 My First Polish Words, Pronunciation, Swear Words & Hilarious Mistakes
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