Kasia, Kuba, Gosia: Polish first names

With friends, family and colleagues, Poles rarely use full first names. Almost every name has a standard short form, and many cannot be guessed:

• Katarzyna → Kasia, Małgorzata → Gosia, Joanna → Asia, Aleksandra → Ola
• Jakub → Kuba, Aleksander → Olek, Andrzej → Jędrek

Women's short forms often end in -sia, -zia or -nia (Basia, Jadzia, Ania). Men's forms often end in -ek (Tomek, Piotrek, Wojtek) or in a soft -ś for a warmer tone (Staś, Krzyś). Forms such as Kaśka or Grzesiek are more casual. To offer your short form, say: Mam na imię Katarzyna, ale mów mi Kasia. (My name is Katarzyna, but call me Kasia.) When you call someone, the short form takes the vocative: Kasiu!, Tomku!