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Do you know these Polish acronyms and abbreviations?
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Punctuations rules
When it comes to writing abbreviations, Polish punctuation rules are similar to the ones used in British English. As a general rule, full stops should be omitted in abbreviations which include the first and the last letter of a word, e.g. nr (numer), dr (doktor). Other abbreviations should be followed by full stops. Time units, e.g. min (minuta) or units of measurement (cm, mm, km) are an exception to this rule.
Common abbreviations
| Polish Abbreviation | Meaning | English Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| br. | bieżący rok/bieżącego roku (current year) | - |
| cd. | ciąg dalszy (continued) | cont. |
| cdn. | ciąg dalszy nastąpi (to be continued) | TBC |
| godz. | godzina (hour) | h/hr |
| itp. | i tym podobne (and the like) | etc. |
| itd. | i tak dalej (and so on) | etc. |
| jw. | jak wyżej (ditto, as stated above) | do. |
| m.in. | między innymi (among other things) | i.a. |
| min | minuta/y (minute/s) | min |
| np. | na przykład (for example) | e.g. |
| nr | numer (number) | no. |
| pt. | pod tytułem (entitled) | - |
| r. | rok (year) | yr* |
| śp. | świętej pamięci (the late...) | R.I.P. |
| św. | święty, święta (Saint) | St |
| tj. | to jest (that is) | i.e. |
| tzn. | to znaczy (that is) | i.e. |
| tzw. | tak zwany (so-called) | - |
| ul. | ulica (street) | st |
*note that while there is an abbreviation for "year" in the English language, the word is used in different contexts than the Polish "rok". The letter "r." in Polish is sometimes placed after dates to indicate the word "year", e.g. 15 maja 2020 r.
Titles and Forms of Address
| Polish Abbreviation | Meaning | English Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| dr | doktor (doctor) | Dr |
| dyr. | dyrektor (director) | Dir. |
| inż | inżynier (a professional title, a degree often translated as BEng or MEng) | - |
| lic. | licencjat ( a degree awarded upon completion of first-cycle study programmes - often translated as BA or BSc) | - |
| mgr | magister (a professional title, a degree awarded upon completion of second-cycle study programmes - often translated as MA or MSc) | - |
| p. | pani/pan (Mrs/Ms/Mr) | Mr/Mrs/Ms |
| p.o. | pełniący obowiązki (acting - as in performing someone else's duties) | - |
| prof. | profesor (professor) | prof. |
International relations, companies and institutions
| Polish Abbreviation | Meaning | English Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| NBP | Narodowy Bank Polski (National Bank of Poland) | - |
| ONZ | Organizacja Narodów Zjednoczonych (United Nations) | UN |
| PKP | Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways) | - |
| RP | Rzeczpospolita Polska (The Republic of Poland) | - |
| SA | Spółka Akcyjna (a joint-stock company) | - |
| sp. z o.o. | Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością (a private limited company) | - |
| UE | Unia Europejska (European Union) | EU |
Colloquial abbreviations, internet slang
Fortunately for non-native speakers of Polish, English texting abbreviations (idk, btw, ikr and so on) are as popular in Poland as anywhere else. However, there are also some Polish abbreviations you may come across when talking with your Polish friends:
| Polish Abbreviation | Meaning | English Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| jbc | jakby co (usually translated as 'by the way') | btw |
| nmzc | nie ma za co (you are welcome) | yw |
| nwm | nie wiem (I don't know) | idk |
| pzdr | pozdrawiam (greetings, regards) | - |
| zw | zaraz wracam (be right back) | brb |
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