Capital or Lowercase Letter in Polish?

Polish grammar has specific rules regarding when to use capital (uppercase) letters and when to use lowercase letters.

When to Use Capital Letters in Polish

Capital letters in Polish are used for:

• Sentence Start – Dzisiaj jest piękna pogoda. (Today the weather is beautiful.)

• Names & Surnames – Maria Skłodowska-Curie, Adam Mickiewicz

• Holidays & Events – Boże Narodzenie (Christmas), Wielkanoc (Easter)

• Institutions & Companies – Uniwersytet Jagielloński (Jagiellonian University), Bank Pekao

• Countries – Polska (Poland), Portugalia (Portugal), Holandia (Netherlands), Szwecja (Sweden), Wielka Brytania (United Kingdom)

• Continents – Europa (Europe), Ameryka Południowa (South America), Afryka (Africa), Azja (Asia)

• Nationalities – Polak (Pole), Włoszka (Italian woman), Niemiec (German man), Francuzka (French woman), Hiszpan (Spaniard)

• Rivers – Wisła (Vistula), Odra (Oder), Sekwana (Seine), Nil (Nile), Dunaj (Danube)

• Mountains – Tatry (Tatra Mountains), Alpy (Alps), Pireneje (Pyrenees)

  
  

When to Use Lowercase Letters in Polish

Lowercase lettering in Polish is used for:

• Days of the week – poniedziałek (Monday), wtorek (Tuesday), środa (Wednesday)

• Months – styczeń (January), luty (February), marzec (March)

• Adjectives for Nationalities – argentyński (Argentinian), austriacki (Austrian), kanadyjski (Canadian)