Greetings & Formality

ty vs. Pan/Pani ≈ నువ్వు vs. మీరు

Just as Telugu switches from నువ్వు to మీరు for elders, strangers, or formal settings, Polish switches from ty to Pan (to a man) or Pani (to a woman). Use Pan/Pani with anyone you'd address as మీరు — shopkeepers, teachers, officials — and ty with friends, family, and children, same as నువ్వు. Pan and Pani literally mean 'Mister' and 'Madam', and — unlike మీరు — they pair with third-person verb forms, as if you were politely talking about the person rather than to them: 'Czy Pan ma czas?' is literally 'Does Mister have time?', meaning 'Do you have time?'.