Work & Career in Polish: Pracuję Jako…, Chcę Zostać…

"What do you do?" is the second question of every Polish conversation (right after where you're from). This lesson gives you both answers — and the verb for what you want to become.

Two Ways to Say Your Job

Pracuję jako kelner (I work as a waiter — jako + nominative) or jestem kelnerem (I'm a waiter — the Chapter 2 instrumental). Same fact, two registers of the same sentence; both perfectly natural.

Becoming: zostać + Instrumental

Chcę zostać lekarzem — I want to become a doctor. zostać takes the same instrumental as być: zostać nauczycielem, zostać szefową. The question that goes with it: Kim chcesz zostać?

The Workplace

firma (company), biuro (office), szef / szefowa (boss — the kitchen chef is kucharz!), kolega / koleżanka z pracy (workmate), spotkanie (meeting), zarabiać (to earn), studiować (university study).

The Three-Case Commute

One working day, three cases: rano jadę do pracy (genitive — to work), jestem w pracy (locative — at work), wracam z pracy (genitive — from work).

Common Mistakes

• jako + instrumental. jako keeps the nominative: pracuję jako kelner, not *jako kelnerem.
• zostać + nominative. Becoming takes the instrumental: zostać lekarzem.
• szef in the kitchen. Your boss is szef; the person cooking your bigos is kucharz.

What You Can Do Now

You can present your job both ways, talk studies and salaries, and say what you're becoming — interview small talk, unlocked in Polish.