koleś

Cultural Note

'Koleś' is the casual slang for 'a guy/dude.' It derives from 'kolega' (colleague/friend) but is more informal and can refer to any random man. 'Ten koleś' (that dude) is how you'd point out a stranger. It's not offensive but it's definitely casual — you wouldn't use it in formal settings. It's been standard slang since the 1990s and is universal across Polish youth. Sometimes used with a slightly dismissive tone: 'jakiś koleś' (some random dude). The diminutive 'kolesio' adds more informality.