kolega

Kolega is a Polish noun meaning a person with whom one works or studies; a colleague or classmate. The masculine form is kolega; the feminine form is koleżanka; the plural forms are koledzy (for groups including men or mixed groups) and koleżanki (for groups of women). In everyday speech, kolejka can also carry the sense of a friend or buddy among peers, with kolega often used in workplace or school contexts.

Usage is common across professional, educational, and informal settings. Examples include a coworker in the office, a classmate from a course, or a friend you meet regularly. The phrase kolega z pracy means coworker, while kolega z klasy means classmate. When addressing someone directly, gendered forms apply: mój kolega (my male colleague or friend) and moja koleżanka (my female colleague or friend). In more formal contexts, synonyms such as współpracownik or partner may be preferred, but kolega remains widely understood as neutral to semi-formal.

Etymology traces the word to Latin collega, meaning partner or fellow, with transmission into Polish via German Kollege and related routes. The pronunciation is approximately [kɔˈlɛɡa], with the usual Polish stress on the penultimate syllable.

Overall, kolega is a core term for describing professional or academic peers in Polish, with gendered and plural variations that reflect the speaker’s relationship and the number of people involved.