Back to the gym in Polish
A sports centre desk, a man returns to training after a long break in Polish. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Chcę zacząć uprawiać sport po pięciu latach przerwy.» — I want to start doing sport after a five-year break; «Mamy siłownię, basen i zajęcia jogi.» — We have a gym, a pool and yoga classes.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: a sports centre desk, a man returns to training after a long break. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- Chcę zacząć uprawiać sport po pięciu latach przerwy.I want to start doing sport after a five-year break.
- Mamy siłownię, basen i zajęcia jogi.We have a gym, a pool and yoga classes.
- Kiedyś grałem w siatkówkę, potem miałem skręcenie.I used to play volleyball, then there was a sprain.
- Wtedy zacznijmy spokojnie: rozgrzewka, pływanie, krótkie treningi.Then let us start calmly: a warm-up, swimming, short workouts.
- Ile kosztuje miesięczny abonament?How much is the monthly membership?
- Trzydzieści pięć euro, do tego darmowa szafka w szatni.Thirty-five euros — and a free locker in the changing room on top.
- Czy jest trener, który pokaże mi przyrządy?Is there a trainer who will show me the machines?
- Pierwsza godzina z trenerem jest bezpłatna. Kiedy zaczynamy?The first hour with a trainer is free. When do we start?
Lines one by one
| Polish | Translation |
|---|---|
| Chcę zacząć uprawiać sport po pięciu latach przerwy. | I want to start doing sport after a five-year break. |
| Mamy siłownię, basen i zajęcia jogi. | We have a gym, a pool and yoga classes. |
| Kiedyś grałem w siatkówkę, potem miałem skręcenie. | I used to play volleyball, then there was a sprain. |
| Wtedy zacznijmy spokojnie: rozgrzewka, pływanie, krótkie treningi. | Then let us start calmly: a warm-up, swimming, short workouts. |
| Ile kosztuje miesięczny abonament? | How much is the monthly membership? |
| Trzydzieści pięć euro, do tego darmowa szafka w szatni. | Thirty-five euros — and a free locker in the changing room on top. |
| Czy jest trener, który pokaże mi przyrządy? | Is there a trainer who will show me the machines? |
| Pierwsza godzina z trenerem jest bezpłatna. Kiedy zaczynamy? | The first hour with a trainer is free. When do we start? |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Polish in this situation?
“Chcę zacząć uprawiać sport po pięciu latach przerwy.” — I want to start doing sport after a five-year break. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.