Polish · Nieobecność / usprawiedliwienie
Your child is ill and you phone the school: what to say in Polish
Your child is ill and you phone the school.
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How it's done. A child's illness is reported at school on the first day: by phone, in the register or in writing; afterwards the parents' usprawiedliwienie (excuse) is needed.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Sekretariat szkoły, dzień dobry.Seh-kreh-TAH-ryuht SHKOH-vih, dzyayn DOH-brih.
School office, good day.
YOU REPLY
Dzień dobry, mówi mama Sofii z klasy trzeciej. Sofia jest chora i dziś nie przyjdzie.
Dzyayn DOH-brih, MOO-vee MAH-muh Soh-FEE-ee s KLAH-sih TSHEH-tsyay. SOH-fyuh yehst KHOH-ruh ee dzeesy nyeh PSHIHYD-zyeh.
Good day, this is Sofia's mother from class three. Sofia is ill and won't come today.
THEY SAY
Dziękuję za informację. Jak długo potrwa choroba?Dzyayn-KOO-eh zah een-for-MAH-tsyeh. Yahk DVOO-goh POTR-vuh khoh-ROH-buh?
Thank you for the information. How long will the illness last?
They might also say:
Zdrowia życzymy! Czy wie pan już, na jak długo?
ZDROH-vyuh zhih-CHIH-mih! Chih vyeh pahn yoosh, nuh yahk DVOO-goh?
We wish her health! Do you know yet for how long?
2
YOU FINISH
Nie wiem jeszcze. Powiadomię w dzienniku.
Nyeh vyehm YEHSH-cheh. Poh-vyuh-DOH-myeh v dzyayn-NEE-koo.
I don't know yet. I'll let you know in the register.
THEY SAY
Dobrze. Dziękuję i życzymy zdrowia.DOB-zheh. Dzyayn-KOO-eh ee zhih-CHIH-mih ZDROH-vyuh.
Good. Thank you and we wish her health.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Polish for life in Poland”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Sekretariat
Seh-kreh-TAH-ryuht
noun
office
szkoły
SHKOH-vih
noun
school (genitive)
dzień
dzyayn
noun
day
dobry
DOH-brih
adjective
good
mówi
MOO-vee
verb
speaks
mama
MAH-muh
noun
mum
26 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Proszę powtórzyć.
PROH-sheh pof-TOO-zhitsy.
Please repeat that.
Proszę mówić wolniej.
PROH-sheh MOO-veetsy VOL-nyay.
Please speak more slowly.
Nie mówię jeszcze dobrze po polsku.
Nyeh MOO-vyeh YEHSH-cheh DOB-zheh poh POLS-koo.
I don't speak Polish well yet.
Similar situations
Your child is coming back after an illness and needs a noteNieobecność / usprawiedliwienie · A2 in the app
→You say your child will miss a few days because of a tripNieobecność / usprawiedliwienie · A2 in the app
→The school phones: your child feels unwell and must be collectedNieobecność / usprawiedliwienie · A2 in the app
→You ask about meetings with teachersZebranie / oceny · A2 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report