The best Polish songs to learn the language
We all know music makes learning languages more pleasant. It helps us to learn the pronunciation, the rhyming helps to remember and because we listen to the same songs a lot we can’t help but memorize some phrases. Some of us take it a step farther and analyze lyrics.
Today I have a subjective choice of Polish songs I like or they seem useful for language learners. Let’s start with something super easy.
This very old song was covered by two great artists. It will help you to learn days of the week and basic verbs. It tells a story of a couple who is too busy to meet. The title says “Sunday will be for us”
Do you want to practice some Biernik (Accusative case)? What about a song about a perfect man by Mikromusic, a contemporary indie band. I also use their other song “Tak mi się nie chce” – “I don’t really feel like” to talk about daily routine.
Do the listening exercise here
If you don’t mind listening to folkmusic (not like boring howling but passionate songs), check out this song “Nie ma, nie ma ciebie” – “You are not here” by Kayah& Bregovic. It has a lot of interesting winter and love words. Definitely read the lyrics because, in my opinion, they are beautiful!
Another popular pop-folk band in Poland is BratHanki. If you want to practice Miejscownik (Locative case), look at their song “W kinie, w Lublinie”. Here I have their most popular hit for you – “Czerwone korale”
Another song which can help you practice your Miejscownik is an old, poetic song by Karina Jędrusik. The lyrics of this song was written by wonderful Agnieszka Osiecka, a poet who wrote a lot of songs in the sixties and seventies.
What about practicing some Imperative? If you like some old-school Punk Rock, I recommend you one of my favorite Polish bands – Manaam. Their music is unique and mesmerizing. If you are more into pop, there is a cute song by Paweł Domagała called “Weź nie pytaj” – “Come on, don’t ask”. This song has an extra value for learners – apart from multiple use of imperative verbs, it uses frequently used exclamation word “weź”. You can read more about it in the exercise.
A fan of rock music? Here is a song created by a set of top Polish musicians within”Męskie Granie” project. Every year a few artists write and sing a song together and it usually becomes a hit! The song of 2019 is “Sobie i wam” – “To ourselves and to you” but my favourite one is from 2018:
Also remember to listen to my podcast episode on the most popular rock songs from 80s! All listeners loved it!
T-Love is another band which was extremely popular in the 90s and Poles know their songs by heart. Here is one beautiful, not too complicated song about the world:
Apart from the songs I made exercises for, you may be also interested by other artists we like in Poland. Here is a short list of them:
Pop
- Dawid Podsiadło
- Ania Dąbrowska
- Monika Brodka
- Daria Zawałow
- Baranovsky
- Ewa Farna
- LemOn
- Wilki
- Kayah
- Piersi (Yes. It means boobs.)
- Sylwia Grzeszczak
Rock
Hip hop
- Taco Hemingway (great to learn some colloquial words)
- O.S.T.R.
- Paktofonika
- Jamal
Old Hits
- Rotary, Na jednej z dzikich plaż (On one of the wild beaches)
- Hanka Ordonówna, Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy (Love will forgive you everything)
- Lady pank, Zawsze tam gdzie ty (Always where you are)
Disco Polo (I don’t like this music but it has very easy lyrics)
- Bayer Ful (very easy lyrics)
- Ronnie Ferrari (Hit 2019)
- Mig
- Boys ( all Poles can sing this one)
- Akcent ( they made a movie about this singer. It’s called “Zenek”)
- Weekend
- Czadoman
Inne
- Maciej Maleńczuk & Pudelsi
- Maria Peszek
- Gdybym był bogaczem i Gdybym miał gitarę (piosenki na tryb przypuszczający)
Lubię Baronowski i Sanah