# Verb to express "to drink"



## Lorenc

Hello, 
I'm learning Polish, my level is lower-intermediate.
Partly for fun/curiousity I'm trying to make some sense of the innumerable verbs derivate from pić, to drink.
I must say at first sight this seems an immense enterprise: counting separately perfective/imperfective and reflexive forms my dictionary reports no less than 38 pić-related verbs!
Counting together aspectual pairs and reflexive form there are 13 verbs; in more or less random order they are (the perfective form is given):
wypić, napić, przepić, rozpić, spić, opić, upić, zapić, popić, dopić, nadpić, podpić. 

To begin I would like to ask a couple of question on the most basic forms.

1) Sometimes wypić is listed as the perfective of pić. However, wypić has also its own imperfective form wypijać. What is then the difference (in use, if not in meaning) between pić and wypijać?

2) Is it true that napić can be used only in reflexive form napić się?

More questions will follow 
Thanks!

Lorents


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## PawelBierut

Lorenc said:


> 1) Sometimes wypić is listed as the perfective of pić. (in my opinion it can also underline the fact of drinking something to the end - whole glass/bottle etc. not only some gulps) However, wypić has also its own imperfective form wypijać.(right now I can only think about its usage in repetitive situations like: _wypijał trzy szklanki mleka dziennie_) What is then the difference (in use, if not in meaning) between pić and wypijać? (so _wypijać_ in my opinion is used when you refer to drinking sth to the end repetitively)
> 
> 2) Is it true that napić can be used only in reflexive form napić się?


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## Lorenc

Thanks 
I'm wondering whether the difference between _pić_ and _wypijać_ can be somehow assimilated to the one between, say, _iść_ and _chodzić_ (determinate/indeterminate forms). For example, are these examples (made up my myself) correct:
-Co robisz? Piję szklankę mleka.
-Co robisz? Idę do sklepu po zapupy.

-Kiedy byłem mały zawsze wypijałem szklankę mleka na śniadanie.
-Kiedy byłem mały zawsze chodziłem do szkoły z bratem.


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## PawelBierut

Lorenc said:


> For example, are these examples (made up my myself) correct:
> -Co robisz? Piję szklankę mleka.It seems to be correct but personally I'd say: _Piję mleko (ze szklanki)_
> -Co robisz? Idę do sklepu po (or slightly better: _zrobi_ć) zakupy.
> 
> -Kiedy byłem mały zawsze wypijałem szklankę mleka na śniadanie. You can also say: _...piłem szklankę mleka..._ (_piłem_ simply doesn't say if you were drinking the whole glass or some part of it -- and _wypijałem_ always means that you were drinking it to the end.)
> -Kiedy byłem mały zawsze chodziłem do szkoły z bratem.



*Edit*:
_iść_ and _chodzić_ (determinate/indeterminate forms)
I think that it isn't the difference... they quite the same but for example you say:

_ Idź tam_, and not _chodź tam_
but
_chodź tu_, not _idź tu

_and I'd say that _chodzić_ can be used in repetitive situations and _iść_ can't.

I think that it's relatively difficult to explain the difference --> you should memorize the usage and that's it...


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## kknd

Lorenc said:


> Thanks
> I'm wondering whether the difference between _pić_ and _wypijać_ can be somehow assimilated to the one between, say, _iść_ and _chodzić_ (determinate/indeterminate forms). For example, are these examples (made up my myself) correct:
> -Co robisz? Piję szklankę mleka.
> -Co robisz? Idę do sklepu po zakupy.
> 
> -Kiedy byłem mały, zawsze wypijałem szklankę mleka na śniadanie.
> -Kiedy byłem mały, zawsze chodziłem do szkoły z bratem.



more accurate, instead of _chodzić_ (pić, pisać), would be _chadzać_ (pijać, pisywać) which is frequentative; nonetheless in casual conversation most of the natives use former form as you pointed out.


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## Thomas1

Just to add to what has been said so far about iterative verbs in Polish, here are some excerpts from a dictionary you may find useful:
Czasownik wielokrotny czasownik oznaczający czynność lub stan, które się powtarzają, utworzony od czasownika jednokrotnego za pomocą pewnych przyrostków (np. -a-, -wa-, -ywa-) lub przedrostków (głównie po- i na-), często przy jednoczesnej zmianie samogłoski rdzennej (np. jadać od jeść, bywać od być, siadywać od siedzieć, pozamykać od zamykać, nawlewać od wlewać); czasownik częstotliwy
Słownik języka polskiego PWN c Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN SA

[...] przy tworzeniu form wielokrotnych od czasowników mających w składzie morfem -łącz-. Przeciwstawienie: jednokrotność   wielokrotność powinno być sygnalizowane tylko przez oboczność przyrostków tematycznych -y- : -a-, np. dołączyć   dołączać; przełączyć   przełączać; rozłączyć   rozłączać; włączyć   włączać.
Nowy słownik poprawnej polszczyzny PWN c Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN SA​


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## Lorenc

Thank you all for your opinions and advice  
In particular, thank you for the pointers to iterative verbs (I wasn't aware of their existence).
I read some general theory about them in O.E. Swan's "A grammar of contemporary Polish", p.290-291 (polish.slavic.pitt.edu/grammar.pdf ).
In particular, Swan says:
_The frequentative is used more often in the south of Poland than in the
north. It may almost always be replaced with the regular Imperfective._
Do you agree?

The PWN Oxford dictionary has these examples for _pijać_:
_chętnie pijam wino_ - I like (to drink) wine; 
_(on) dużo pija na przyjęciach_ - he drinks a lot at parties

Would it be okay in these sentences to use _pić_?

I've translated the explanations posted by Thomas1;
I'll quote them here to make sure I got everything right:

_Frequentative (iterative, habitual) verb_
A verb indicating an activity or a state which repeats itself. The frequentative is created from the corresponding non-iterative verb by usage of various suffixes (e.g.,  _-a-_, _-wa-_, _-ywa-_) or prefixes (chiefly _po-_ and _na-_); often a change of the root vowel also takes place (e.g., _jadać_ from _jeść_, _bywać_ from _być_, _siadywać_ from _siedzieć_, _pozamykać_ from _zamykać_, _nawlewać_ from _wlewać_)

to build the iterative form from verbs with the morpheme _-łącz-_.
Opposition: the one-time or iterative character of the verb is signalled by the alternation of the suffixes _-y-_ to _-a-_. E.g.: _dołączyć dołączać; przełączyć przełączać; rozłączyć rozłączać; włączyć włączać_.


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## Thomas1

Lorenc said:


> Thank you all for your opinions and advice
> In particular, thank you for the pointers to iterative verbs (I wasn't aware of their existence).
> I read some general theory about them in O.E. Swan's "A grammar of contemporary Polish", p.290-291 (polish.slavic.pitt.edu/grammar.pdf ).
> In particular, Swan says:
> _The frequentative is used more often in the south of Poland than in the
> north. It may almost always be replaced with the regular Imperfective._
> Do you agree?
> I can't tell about the geographical distribution of frequentative forms, but I can agree with the second statement. And most people do it, although that's a pity (I'm probably in the minority who uses frequentative forms more often than the average Polish speaker).
> The PWN Oxford dictionary has these examples for _pijać_:
> _chętnie pijam wino_ - I like (to drink) wine;
> _(on) dużo pija na przyjęciach_ - he drinks a lot at parties
> 
> Would it be okay in these sentences to use _pić_?
> Yes. This is what most Polish native speakers would use today.
> 
> I've translated the explanations posted by Thomas1;
> I'll quote them here to make sure I got everything right:
> 
> _Frequentative (iterative, habitual) verb_
> A verb indicating an activity or a state which repeats (itself). The frequentative is created from the corresponding non-iterative one-time (or the technical name: semelfacitve) verb by (usage of) various suffixes (e.g.,  _-a-_, _-wa-_, _-ywa-_) or prefixes (chiefly _po-_ and _na-_); often a change of the root vowel also takes place (e.g., _jadać_ from _jeść_, _bywać_ from _być_, _siadywać_ from _siedzieć_, _pozamykać_ from _zamykać_, _nawlewać_ from _wlewać_)
> 
> to build the iterative form from verbs with the morpheme _-łącz-_.
> Opposition: the one-time or iterative character of the verb is signalled by the alternation of the suffixes _-y-_ to _-a-_. E.g.: _dołączyć dołączać; przełączyć przełączać; rozłączyć rozłączać; włączyć włączać_.


 To tell the truth I can't tell whether the verbs in the -łącz- group are imperfect of iterative. I'm wondering if they can be both.


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## Lorenc

Thank you, Thomas1 

To sum up, I think it is possible (and perhaps a better idea) to treat _pić_ and _wypić_ as aspectual pairs, while _wypijać_ is the frequentative (also known as iterative or habitual) form of _pić_. _Wypijać_ can generally substituted with _pić_.

Now, moving on to the next verb: _napić_. I would be grateful if anyone could point out if what I write is correct 
_Napić_ is a perfective verb and is used only in its reflexive form,_napić się_ + GEN of the liquid to be drunk, which has the (active) meaning "to have a drink (of something)". 
It is chiefly used for invitations to have a drink, especially (but not necessarily) of alcohol:
_Czego chciałbyś się napić?_ What would you like to drink? [said e.g. in a bar]
_Napije się pan kawy albo herbaty?_ Would you like (to drink) tea or coffee?
_Napiję się kawy_ I'll have (a drink of) coffee.

_Napić się_ indicates the act of drinking in a social context (drinking from a glass and not so much out of thirst but as a socialising medium), not the ''biological'' action as does the basic form _pić_.

_Napić się_ does not have an imperfective partner, presumably because it is not needed given the context in which _napić się_ is used. I guess the normal _pić_ can be used when the present tense of "have a drink" is needed:
_Co pijesz?_ -_Piję Manhattan dry_
What are you drinking? I'm drinking a Manhattan dry


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## Thomas1

Lorenc, you stepped onto thin ice... 


Lorenc said:


> Thank you,  Thomas1
> 
> To sum up, I think it is possible (and perhaps a better idea) to treat _pić_  and _wypić_ as aspectual pairs, while _wypijać_ is the  frequentative (also known as iterative or habitual) form of _(wy)pić_. _Wypijać_ can generally substituted  with _pić_. This is generally  true, but there are subtle differences in meanig  between these verbs. Though, I would say that most natives may not pay much attention to them (in a context such as I'm going  to present). If you say: Codziennie wypija szklankę herbaty. You focus  more on the fact that it's a finished process + the info that is a  habitual course of action is reinforced by the frequentative form. If  you say Codziennie pije szklankę herbaty. You focus more on passing the  information that he does it, no matter whether the process of drinking  is finished or not (althout, in this context I'm fairly sure the action  of drinking is finished); the info about a habitual course of action is  not reinforced (the form is not iterative). However, you can make it  reinforced: Codziennie pija szklankę herbaty. _Pija _is a  frequentative form of _pić_.
> 
> Now, moving on to the next verb: _napić_. I would be grateful if  anyone could point out if what I write is correct
> _Napić_ is a perfective verb and is used only in its reflexive  form,_napić się_ + GEN of the liquid to be drunk, which has the  (active) meaning "to have a drink (of something)".
> It is chiefly used for invitations to have a drink, especially (but not  necessarily) of alcohol:
> _1 Czego chciałbyś się napić?_ What would  you like to drink? [said e.g. in a bar]
> _2 Napije się pan kawy albo herbaty?_  Would you like (to drink) tea or coffee?
> 3 _Napiję się kawy_ I'll have (a drink of)  coffee.
> 
> _Napić się_ indicates the act of drinking in a social context  (drinking from a glass and not so much out of thirst but as a  socialising medium), not the ''biological'' action as does the basic  form _pić_.
> The verb can be used like that, but not only. You can  surely say: Muszę się czegoś napić. It doesn't have to mean drinking alcohol, but a pure biological need. The examples you've given are a proof of it  (although #1 may be both). I think that the implication of social  driking of alcohol is implied most often when we don't mention the name  of a drink. Then, it's the context which helps us determine whether it  is alcohol drinking or not.
> _Napić się_ does not have an imperfective partner, presumably  because it is not needed given the context in which _napić się_ is  used. I guess the normal _pić_ can be used when the present tense  of "have a drink" is needed:
> _Co pijesz?_ -(_Piję)  Manhattan dry_
> What are you drinking? I'm drinking a Manhattan dry
> I was going to say: it is _pić _which simply has many  perfective counterparts: wypić, napić się, spić (although there's  spijać, which, by the way, looks like a frequentative form), etc. But now I've got some doubts because there are changes of meaning...


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## Ben Jamin

Lorenc said:


> Hello,
> I'm learning Polish, my level is lower-intermediate.
> Partly for fun/curiousity I'm trying to make some sense of the innumerable verbs derivate from pić, to drink.
> I must say at first sight this seems an immense enterprise: counting separately perfective/imperfective and reflexive forms my dictionary reports no less than 38 pić-related verbs!
> Counting together aspectual pairs and reflexive form there are 13 verbs; in more or less random order they are (the perfective form is given):
> wypić, napić, przepić, rozpić, spić, opić, upić, zapić, popić, dopić, nadpić, podpić.
> 
> To begin I would like to ask a couple of question on the most basic forms.
> 
> 1) Sometimes wypić is listed as the perfective of pić. However, wypić has also its own imperfective form wypijać. What is then the difference (in use, if not in meaning) between pić and wypijać?
> 
> 2) Is it true that napić can be used only in reflexive form napić się?
> 
> More questions will follow
> Thanks!
> 
> Lorents


 
2) Is it true that napić can be used only in reflexive form napić się?
Yes, this is true.

pić is "to drink" 
- in general or abstract meaning
- about an ongoing action 
wypijać has a perfective/repetitive meaning "to drink again and again" or "to drink up usually/often". Some people call it a seperate aspect or subaspect of the perfective.


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