SITUATIONS

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Making a request
To ask someone to repeat
“Could you close the door, please?” what they have just said
to make a request | prosić o coś Pardon? I didn’t hear what you said.

Asking for help politely To say “no”

to a suggestion
I was wondering if you have time to help me this afternoon.
Language

or I’d love to, but I can’t. I have

I was wondering, do you have time to help me this afternoon? to get up early tomorrow
morning.
politely | grzecznie
to wonder | zastanawiać się

To ask for information

By any chance, do you know where the train station is?
Do you, by any chance, know where the train station is?
Do you know where the train station is by any chance?

by any chance | przypadkiem

To ask for permission

Do you mind if we sit here?
to ask for permission | prosić o pozwolenie
do you mind… | czy ma pan/pani/czy masz coś przeciwko…
To make a suggestion
What if we went out to eat instead of cooking a meal tonight?
instead of sth | zamiast czegoś
To interrupt somebody
Sorry to bother you, but I really need your help.
to interrupt sb | przerywać komuś
to bother sb | przeszkadzać komuś
When you want something
I would like another coffee please.

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You want to speak to a stranger in
To end a conversation the street to ask something.
I’d love to hear more, but I’m running late. Excuse me, do you know the way to the bus station?

to run late | być spóźnionym, spóźniać się stranger | nieznajomy

You want someone to leave you alone

for the moment because you’re busy. Or, you want to tell a stranger
something important.
Could you just give me five minutes please?
Excuse me, I think you’ve just dropped your phone.

You really don’t want to to drop sth | upuścić coś

do something but you
don’t want to seem rude.
When you want to be flexible
I’m afraid I can’t, I’m sorry. about time (ish means the same
as approximately).
to seem | tu: wypaść na
rude | niegrzeczny We can meet at 2 ish tomorrow if that’s ok.
I’m afraid… | Obawiam się…
flexible | elastyczny approximately | około,
w przybliżeniu

You want to speak to a potential customer

Language
in a face to face situation.
Male - Excuse me Sir, but do you need any help?
Female – Excuse me Miss, but do you need any help?
You can also use Ms (instead of Miss), as this means you are not assum-
ing that a woman is single.

customer | klient to mean sth | oznaczać, znaczyć coś

male | mężczyzna to assume sth | zakładać coś
female | kobieta

You’d like to say ‘can’t’ but you’d

prefer to be more polite about it.
I won’t be able to get to the meeting on time tomorrow.
Will it be ok if I’m a few minutes late?

a few | kilka You want to thank somebody

if they have been very helpful.
I couldn’t have done it without you, thank you so much.
You want someone to stop
doing something. without sb | bez kogoś

Would you mind not using your phone during the

film, please? You want to respond to somebody
who has just thanked you.
Would you mind… | Czy mógłbyś/mogłaby pani/pan…
It was my pleasure, I was glad to help.

pleasure | przyjemność
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