Master Polish Numbers
Polish numbers are among the most grammatically complex in Europe. They must agree in gender and case with the nouns they modify, and the rules change depending on the number: 1 acts like an adjective, 2–4 take genitive singular, and 5+ require genitive plural. Polish also has special masculine-personal (virile) forms for counting groups of men, and preserves traces of the ancient Slavic dual number.
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Polish Phone Numbers
How phone numbers work in Poland & how locals say them
| Numeral | Cardinal |
|---|---|
| 0 | zero |
| 1 | jeden (m)
jedna (f)
jedno (n) |
| 2 | dwa (m)
dwaj/dwóch (mp)
dwie (f)
dwoje (c) |
| 3 | trzy (m)
trzej/trzech (mp)
troje (c) |
| 4 | cztery (m)
czterej/czterech (mp)
czworo (c) |
| 5 | pięć |
| 6 | sześć |
| 7 | siedem |
| 8 | osiem |
| 9 | dziewięć |
| 10 | dziesięć |
| 11 | jedenaście |
| 12 | dwanaście |
| 13 | trzynaście |
| 14 | czternaście |
| 15 | piętnaście |
| 16 | szesnaście |
| 17 | siedemnaście |
| 18 | osiemnaście |
| 19 | dziewiętnaście |
| 20 | dwadzieścia |
| 30 | trzydzieści |
| 40 | czterdzieści |
| 50 | pięćdziesiąt |
| 60 | sześćdziesiąt |
| 70 | siedemdziesiąt |
| 80 | osiemdziesiąt |
| 90 | dziewięćdziesiąt |
| 100 | sto |
| 1000 | tysiąc |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.
What Makes Polish Numbers Challenging
Polish numbers interact with grammar in ways that make them among the hardest in Europe. The rules change at specific thresholds: 1 takes nominative, 2-4 take genitive singular, 5+ take genitive plural. The masculine-personal (virile) forms add another dimension when counting groups of men. Polish consonant clusters (cztery, trzydzieści, sześćdziesiąt) are extremely difficult for non-Slavic speakers to pronounce and distinguish. The nasal vowels (ę, ą) in some number words are unique to Polish.
Tips for Learning Polish Numbers
For listening comprehension, focus on recognizing the sound of each digit rather than producing grammatically perfect forms. The consonant clusters become easier with repeated exposure. Practice distinguishing cztery (4) from trzy (3) — this is the most common confusion point. Polish shopkeepers and taxi drivers are great sources of natural number practice. For phone numbers, individual digits bypass most grammatical complexity, making them a good starting point.
Practice Polish Numbers
Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Polish number skills with our free listening game.
Play the Number Game