Office and IT vocabulary – follow the stand-up and write an email in Polish
Office and IT vocabulary in Polish is the names of places and roles in a company, words connected with tasks and projects (termin, priorytet, wdrożenie), with work at a computer (logowanie, uprawnienia, zgłoszenie) and with HR matters (urlop, praca zdalna, L4). Below you will find over 60 entries and phrases: vocabulary with plain explanations, a glossary of “corporate jargon”, ready-made email phrases and three short dialogues. Do you have an important email to write in Polish? We will improve it together in a trial lesson.
Where to start
Start with the table that concerns your working day, and use the email phrases straight away – in your next message to a Polish colleague. The glossary is a material for our Polish courses for work that supplements the Polish course for office and IT workers. Phrases needed in every job – from asking for leave to calling in sick – are in our Polish phrases for work.
The office and people
You hear these words from the first day – at reception, at your desk and in the corridor.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| biuro, open space | a workplace; a large room with many desks and no walls |
| stanowisko | a place of work (a desk) or a function in the company: Na jakim stanowisku pracujesz? |
| sala konferencyjna (colloquially: salka) | a room for meetings; Zarezerwowałam salkę na trzecim piętrze. |
| identyfikator, karta wejściowa | a card with your name that you use to open doors |
| przełożony, przełożona | the person who directs your work (male, female) |
| kierownik zespołu (colloquially: lider, team leader) | the person responsible for the team |
| dział | a part of a company, e.g. dział kadr, dział finansów, dział IT |
| kadry, HR | the department that deals with contracts, leave and recruitment |
| współpracownik | a person you work with |
| klient wewnętrzny, klient zewnętrzny | another department of your company; a company or person from outside the company |
Tasks, projects and meetings
These words come up at every stand-up and in every message about deadlines.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| zadanie | one thing to be done |
| termin (colloquially: deadline) | the day or time by which something must be ready |
| priorytet | how important and urgent a task is; To ma najwyższy priorytet. |
| spotkanie (colloquially: call, meeting) | a team conversation, live or online |
| przełożyć spotkanie | to change the date of a meeting to another one |
| odwołać spotkanie | there will be no meeting |
| zaproszenie | a calendar message with the date of a meeting |
| porządek spotkania (colloquially: agenda) | a list of topics to discuss |
| notatka ze spotkania | a short summary of what was agreed |
| raport, zestawienie | a document with data and results |
| wdrożenie | launching a new system or version; also: introducing a new employee |
| wymaganie | what a system or product is supposed to do |
Computer, IT and the helpdesk
The words in this table are useful when something does not work and you have to describe the problem in a ticket.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| zgłoszenie (colloquially: ticket) | a request for help sent to the IT department |
| zalogować się, wylogować się | to get into a system and to leave it |
| hasło, login | the secret word for an account; the user name |
| zresetować hasło | to set a new password when the old one does not work |
| uprawnienia, dostęp | the right to open files or systems; Nie mam dostępu do folderu. |
| błąd (colloquially: bug) | something works wrongly in a program |
| poprawka (colloquially: fix) | a change that repairs a bug |
| aktualizacja | a new version of a program or system |
| środowisko testowe, produkcyjne (colloquially: test, produkcja) | the version for checking and the version that customers use |
| kopia zapasowa | a saved copy of data in case of failure |
| załącznik | a file added to an email |
| udostępnić | to give others access to a file or a screen; Udostępnisz ekran? |
| zawiesić się | of a program or computer: to stop responding; Komputer się zawiesił. |
HR and working time
You need these words when talking to the HR department and to your manager about your working time.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| umowa o pracę, umowa B2B | employment as an employee; cooperation with a company as a self-employed contractor |
| okres próbny | the first, shorter period of work under a new contract |
| wniosek urlopowy | a request for leave, usually in the HR system |
| urlop wypoczynkowy, urlop na żądanie | planned leave; a day off requested at the last moment |
| zwolnienie lekarskie, L4 | a doctor's note confirming that you cannot work because of illness |
| praca zdalna, praca hybrydowa (colloquially: home office) | working from home; some days in the office, some at home |
| nadgodziny | work longer than normal hours |
| wynagrodzenie, pasek wypłaty | money for work; a document with the pay calculation |
| benefity | extras from the company, e.g. a sports card or private healthcare |
| rozmowa okresowa (colloquially: ocena roczna) | a conversation with your manager about results and goals |
| delegacja | a business trip |
Corporate jargon – loanwords and their Polish equivalents
In Polish corporations people speak a mixture of Polish and English. It is worth understanding these words, but in an email to a client or to a manager you do not know it is better to use the Polish equivalent.
| Phrase | What it means – in neutral Polish |
|---|---|
| ASAP | as soon as possible (jak najszybciej) |
| na wczoraj | very urgent, it was needed earlier already |
| ogarnąć temat | to take care of a matter and sort it out |
| dać feedback | to give feedback, to assess |
| wrzucić na kanał | to write a message in a group conversation in the chat app |
| podpiąć się pod spotkanie | to join a meeting |
| zrobić update | to pass on the latest information |
| dać znać | to inform; Daj znać, jak skończysz. |
| być na bieżąco | to know the latest information |
| zerknąć | to check quickly; Możesz zerknąć na mój plik? |
Email phrases
A Polish business email has fixed formulas – if you know them, the rest of the message can be short and simple. You can read how to write a longer letter in our guide to the formal letter and email, and we practise meetings with clients and negotiations in our business Polish course.
| Phrase | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Szanowna Pani, / Szanowny Panie, | a very formal opening, e.g. to a client or an office |
| Dzień dobry, | a neutral opening – suits most emails within a company |
| Cześć, | to a team colleague with whom you are on “ty” terms |
| W nawiązaniu do naszej rozmowy… | when you write after a meeting or a phone call |
| W załączniku przesyłam… | when you attach a file |
| Uprzejmie przypominam o… | a polite reminder about a deadline or a matter |
| Proszę o informację, czy… | a polite question |
| Z góry dziękuję. | thanks at the end of a request |
| Pozdrawiam / Z poważaniem | sign-off: neutral / very formal |
Dialogues from the office
In the dialogues, the glossary words appear in three everyday office situations. Read them aloud and replace the examples with your own tasks.
Stand-up
– Dobra, zaczynamy. Maria, co u ciebie?
– Wczoraj skończyłam raport dla działu finansów. Dziś robię poprawki po feedbacku.
– Masz jakieś blokery?
– Tak, nadal nie mam dostępu do nowego folderu. Zgłoszenie wisi od wtorku.
– Dobra, podpytam IT po spotkaniu.
Zgłoszenie do helpdesku przez telefon (a helpdesk ticket by phone)
– Helpdesk, w czym mogę pomóc?
– Dzień dobry, od rana nie mogę się zalogować do VPN-a. Wyskakuje błąd hasła.
– Zmieniał pan ostatnio hasło?
– Tak, w piątek.
– Zresetuję panu hasło. Proszę spróbować za pięć minut.
Rozmowa przy ekspresie do kawy (a chat by the coffee machine)
– Cześć! Jak minął weekend?
– Dobrze, byliśmy w górach. A u ciebie?
– Spokojnie, odpoczywałem w domu. Kawa?
– Chętnie, dzięki.
In the trial lesson you will practise your own stand-up or a call to the helpdesk with your teacher – using the tasks you actually have this week.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start a Polish email with “Dzień dobry”?
Yes. “Dzień dobry,” is now a very common, neutral opening of a business email. Leave “Szanowna Pani / Szanowny Panie” for very formal situations.
What does “ogarnąć temat” mean?
It is a colloquial office phrase: to take care of a matter and sort it out. In an email to a client it is better to write: Zajmę się tą sprawą.
How do I ask for access to a file in Polish?
Write: Czy możesz mi udostępnić ten plik? or in an IT ticket: Proszę o nadanie dostępu do folderu…
Vocabulary and conversations from your industry. Book a trial lesson and we will tailor the programme.
See also
- IT and officeStand-ups, emails, chat, IT tickets, small talk and HR matters.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 →