English has one 'you'. Polish has two registers: informal 'ty' for friends, family and children, and formal 'Pan' (to a man) or 'Pani' (to a woman) for everyone else.
The catch
Formal 'you' uses the he/she verb form, not a 'you' form. 'Do you speak English?' to a stranger is 'Czy Pan mówi po angielsku?', literally 'Does sir speak...'.
| Situation | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Friend, child, family | ty | Mówisz po angielsku? |
| A man you don't know | Pan | Czy Pan mówi po angielsku? |
| A woman you don't know | Pani | Czy Pani mówi po angielsku? |
Watch out: Default to Pan / Pani with any adult stranger, shop staff, officials and older people. Switch to 'ty' only when invited, or with peers your own age in casual settings.
Tip: 'Proszę Pana' / 'Proszę Pani' is a polite way to get attention, like 'excuse me, sir / ma'am'.
Przepraszam, czy Pani ma czas?
/ psheh-PRAH-shahm, chih PAH-nee mah chahs /
Excuse me, do you (ma'am) have a moment?