Polish at the pharmacy and in the shop – how to ask, enquire and pay

At the pharmacy – a glossary

At a pharmacy you will hear words from the leaflet and the prescription. The table below will help you understand the pharmacist and the medicine packaging. How to describe your symptoms to the doctor yourself is explained in our guide Polish at the doctor’s.

Phrases at the pharmacy

Tell the pharmacist what you need the medicine for, not just the name – medicine names are different in different countries.

• Poproszę coś na ból gardła. – I would like something for a sore throat.
• Czy ten lek jest bez recepty? – Is this medicine over the counter?
• Mam e-receptę. Tu jest kod. – I have an e-prescription. Here is the code.
• Czy jest tańszy zamiennik? – Is there a cheaper equivalent?
• Jak mam to brać? Ile razy dziennie? – How should I take it? How many times a day?
• Czy mogę brać ten lek razem z innymi lekami? – Can I take this medicine together with other medicines?
• Czy to lek dla dorosłych? – Is this a medicine for adults?

Dialogue 1: at the pharmacy

In the shop – quantities and packaging

After words that denote a quantity or a package, the noun is in the genitive. This is one of the first rules that is useful in Poland every day.

Watch out for numbers too – the noun changes form after 2–4 and after 5 and more:

At the counter with cold meats and cheeses you can ask for: w plasterkach (sliced), w kawałku (in one piece, unsliced), cienko / grubo (thin / thick).

Dialogue 2: at the shop counter

At a regular till and at the self-checkout

At the till you will hear short questions – it is worth knowing them in advance, because cashiers speak fast.

• Torebkę? / Reklamówkę? – Do you want a bag?
• Ma pan kartę klienta / aplikację? – Do you have the shop’s loyalty card?
• Kartą czy gotówką? – How are you paying?
• Paragon? – Do you want a receipt?
• Reszty nie trzeba. – Please keep the change (this is what you say).

On the screen of a self-checkout you will often see instructions in the imperative mood, e.g. Zeskanuj produkt (scan the product), Odłóż produkt do strefy pakowania (put the product in the packing area), Wybierz formę płatności (choose a payment method), Poczekaj na pomoc obsługi (wait for staff assistance).

If the goods are faulty, say: Chciałbym złożyć reklamację. Mam paragon. (I would like to make a complaint. I have the receipt.) If you want to give goods back because they do not suit you: Czy mogę zwrócić ten towar? (May I return this item?) A reklamacja concerns a defect, and a zwrot – giving the goods back.

The most common slips when shopping

Most mistakes in a shop concern endings after numbers and quantities – the shop assistant will understand, but the correct form sounds natural.

These situations are best practised in conversation – we work through pharmacy and shop scenes in the conversation club and in the from-scratch course. You can practise the first scene at the trial lesson.