Construction vocabulary – talk to the foreman about tools, materials and safety
Construction vocabulary is the names of people and places on a building site, tools (kielnia, poziomica, szlifierka), materials (cement, zaprawa, pustak, płyta g-k), activities (murować, tynkować, betonować) and equipment for work at height. Below you will find over 60 entries with plain explanations, colloquial names from the building site, signals for the crane operator and three short dialogues. In a trial lesson we will check how many site words you already understand by ear.
How to learn building site words
Learn the words together with the verb you will hear them with: podaj kielnię, przywieź worek cementu, wejdź na rusztowanie. In brackets we give colloquial names – on a building site you will hear them more often than the official ones. It is one of the materials for our Polish courses for work and supplements the Polish course for construction workers. Phrases that will come in handy in any job are in our Polish phrasebook for work.
People and places on a building site
Start with who is who – it determines whom you listen to and whom you report a problem to.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| kierownik budowy | the person responsible for the whole building site |
| majster | the person who allocates work and checks the crews on site |
| brygadzista | the boss of one crew (brygada) |
| ekipa, brygada | a group of workers who work together |
| inwestor | the person or company that pays for the construction |
| podwykonawca | a company that carries out part of the work for the main company |
| plac budowy | the whole construction area |
| zaplecze, kontener socjalny | a place to change, eat and rest |
| wykop | a hole in the ground, e.g. for foundations |
| fundament, strop, ściana nośna | the base of a building; the “ceiling” between floors; a wall that holds up the building |
| parter, piętro, poddasze | the ground-level floor, a higher floor, the part under the roof |
Tools
You will hear the names of tools most often in a request: Podaj mi… (Pass me…) – after it the noun is in the accusative.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| młotek, młot | a small and a large hammer for driving nails and chipping |
| kielnia | a tool for applying mortar when laying bricks |
| paca | a flat tool for plaster, adhesive and skim coat |
| poziomica | a tool for checking whether something is straight (horizontally and vertically) |
| miara (colloquially: metrówka) | a tape or folding device for measuring |
| sznurek murarski, pion | a string for laying evenly; a weight for checking the vertical |
| wiertarka, wkrętarka | a tool for drilling holes; a tool for driving screws |
| młotowiertarka | a drill for concrete that at the same time “hammers” |
| szlifierka kątowa (colloquially: flex) | a hand-held machine for cutting and grinding |
| piła, pilarka | a tool for cutting wood or other materials |
| łopata, taczka, kilof | for digging and scooping; a one-wheeled cart; for breaking hard ground |
| betoniarka, mieszadło | a machine for mixing concrete; a drill attachment for mixing adhesive and mortar |
| wiadro, kastra | a container for water; a large flat container for mortar |
Materials
Materials are usually counted in bags, pallets, pieces and metres – so alongside the name it is worth learning at once how to order them.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| cement, piasek, żwir | the basic ingredients of mortar and concrete |
| zaprawa | the mixture used to join bricks or blocks |
| beton (colloquially: “gruszka” is a concrete mixer truck) | a mixture that hardens; it is poured into formwork |
| cegła, pustak, bloczek | elements for building walls |
| pręty zbrojeniowe, siatka (colloquially: zbrojenie) | steel that reinforces concrete |
| szalunek | a mould made of boards or panels into which concrete is poured |
| płyta gipsowo-kartonowa (colloquially: g-k, karton-gips) | a board for partition walls and suspended ceilings |
| profil | a metal strip to which plasterboards are screwed |
| tynk, gładź, szpachla | the layers of a wall finish – from thick to very thin |
| grunt | a liquid applied to a wall before plaster or paint |
| wylewka | an even layer on a floor under tiles or panels |
| styropian, wełna mineralna | materials for insulation |
| klej do płytek, fuga | a mixture for sticking tiles; a mixture for filling the gaps between them |
Building jobs – verbs
Many of the verbs in this table come in pairs – the imperfective form describes work in progress and the perfective form finished work: murujemy (now), wymurowaliśmy (done). You can read more about this difference in our guide to verbal aspect.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| kopać / wykopać | to make a hole in the ground |
| murować / wymurować | to build a wall from bricks or blocks |
| zbroić | to lay and tie bars before concreting |
| szalować / rozszalować | to build a mould for concrete / to take it down after the concrete has set |
| betonować, lać beton | to fill the formwork with concrete |
| tynkować, szpachlować | to apply plaster; to level a wall with a thin layer |
| ocieplać | to stick polystyrene or mineral wool to walls |
| kuć, skuwać | to break up concrete or plaster, e.g. for cables |
| ciąć, przycinać | to shorten material to the required size |
| poprawić, poprawka | to fix what has been done badly |
Dimensions and quantities
With dimensions on a building site you usually give the width first and then the height: dziewięćdziesiąt na dwieście (in centimetres).
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| centymetr, metr | dwa metry, pięć metrów |
| metr kwadratowy (m²) | area, e.g. of a wall or floor: dwadzieścia metrów kwadratowych |
| metr sześcienny (m³), colloquially “kubik” | volume, e.g. of concrete: trzy kubiki betonu |
| worek, paleta, sztuka | dziesięć worków kleju, dwie palety pustaków |
| w pionie, w poziomie | straight up and down; straight sideways |
| krzywo, równo | Ta ściana jest krzywa, popraw. |
Safety phrases on a building site
The safety phrases in this table are the most important in the whole glossary – on a building site an accident can happen in a second.
| Phrase | What it means and what you do |
|---|---|
| Kask cały czas na głowie. | on a building site you do not take your helmet off |
| Przypnij się! | at height you attach your safety harness with a lanyard to a fixed point |
| rusztowanie, barierka, poręcz | a structure for work at height and protection against falling |
| Nie stój pod ładunkiem! | do not go under material that a crane is lifting |
| Uwaga, z góry! | something is falling or may fall – move away |
| Teren budowy – wstęp wzbroniony. | a sign for outsiders |
| Drabina jest niestabilna. | the ladder is wobbling – do not climb it, fix it or report it |
| Wykop jest niezabezpieczony. | there is no barrier by the hole – report it to the foreman |
| Wypadek! Wezwij pomoc! | someone is injured – you call others and call an ambulance |
Signals for the crane operator
When working with a crane the instructions are very short – often over a radio. The signals are given by one person (colloquially “hakowy”, the banksman) who attaches the load.
| Instruction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Podnoś! / W górę! | raise the load |
| Opuszczaj! / W dół! | lower the load |
| Powoli! | slow the movement down |
| W prawo! / W lewo! | move the load sideways |
| Stop! | stop the movement immediately |
Dialogues from the building site
The dialogues show how the words from the glossary sound in conversation. Read them aloud and change the materials or dimensions.
Rano u majstra (in the morning with the foreman)
– Panie Piotrze, co dziś robimy?
– Wy dwaj murujecie ściany działowe na piętrze. Pustaki są już na górze.
– A zaprawa?
– Betoniarka stoi przy wejściu. Jak skończycie, posprzątajcie piętro.
Brakuje materiału (material is running short)
– Szefie, kończy się klej do płytek.
– Ile worków jeszcze potrzebujesz?
– Na łazienkę na górze – pięć, może sześć.
– Dobrze, po południu przywiozę.
Wypadek (an accident)
– Pomocy! Kolega spadł z drabiny!
– Nie ruszaj go. Jest przytomny?
– Tak, ale mówi, że bardzo boli go noga.
– Dzwonię po pogotowie. Zostań z nim.
Tell your teacher in the trial lesson what you do on site – together you will build a dialogue with your own tools and materials, and you will practise it out loud.
Frequently asked questions
What does “kubik” mean on a building site?
“Kubik” is the colloquial name for a cubic metre (m³). It is used mainly for concrete, soil and sand: Zamówiłem cztery kubiki betonu.
What is the board used for partition walls called in Polish?
It is a płyta gipsowo-kartonowa, colloquially płyta g-k or karton-gips (plasterboard). It is fixed to metal profile strips.
How should I address the foreman on a building site?
The safest choice: panie + first name in the vocative (Panie Piotrze) or colloquially szefie. Switch to “ty” only when the foreman suggests it himself.
Vocabulary and conversations from your industry. Book a trial lesson and we will tailor the programme.
See also
- ConstructionThe foreman's instructions, tools and materials, dimensions, scaffolding and safety on site.from 99 PLN / lessonRead →
- Workplace phrasesAbout 70 everyday phrases: instructions, schedule, leave, sickness, pay and chatting over coffee.Read →
- Job interviewRecruiter questions, ready answers, the pan / pani form and an employment glossary.Read →