Examples of zakupić and kupić

Hi all,

Can someone give some examples of when to use zakupić rather than kupić when talking about shopping?

I'm trying to get the hang of imperfective and perfective and I was doing quite well until I thought about these two verbs...

Thanks.

I think you are getting confused - the imperfective and perfective pair for "to buy" are kupować (imperf) and kupić (perf).

Zakupić is a different word meaning "to purchase". It is perfective and it's imperfective partner is zakupywać.

I'd say that the couple imperfective-perfective of the verb "buy" is kupować-kupić rather than "kupić-zakupić". In that sense the verb "zakupić" is a different one.

Of course, it means exactly the same as "kupić". I think it is rarely used in "normal" language. It may be more often heard in "official" contexts. At home, no one would say "zakupiłem chleb", they will say "kupiłem chleb". The noun "zakupy" formed on this verb seems indespensable, however. You say "idę na zakupy" or "zrobiłem zakupy", but never "idę na kupy" or "zrobiłem kupy", the last one would have a rather nasty meaning ...

Thanks.

Having an 11 day old daughter I know all about "zrobiłem kupy"!

I do find the whole imperfective/perfective thing quite difficult.

Is it possible to give an everyday example of each for the pair kupować-kupić? Maybe it'll make more sense to me then.

This has been asked many many times on this forum. I did a quick search just now and found this thread:

https://polishforums.com/archives/2005-2009/language/share-perfective-imperfective-verbs-17963/

If you do a search you will find more.

But to get you started:

imperfective - kupowałem chleb - I was buying bread - emphasis on the action of buying rather than the result (i.e. the reader doesn't know if I bought the bread in the end or not)

perfective - kupiłem chleb - I bought bread - emphasis on the result rather than the action.

kupować

present tense - regular/habitual/repetitive and similar

Pan Jarek co miesiąc kupuje 'Majsterkowanie w domu i ogrodzie'.

Mr Jarek buys 'DIY at home and in the garden' every month.

this is sort of infinite action - it repeats itself over and over - that's why it is imperfective

Pani Hela właśnie kupuje włoszczyznę do zupy. - Ms Hela is buying soup veggies right now.

Cześć Mirek. Gdzie się podziewasz? Hi Mirek. Where are you actually?
Jestem w Auchanie. Kupujemy komputer. - I'm in the Auchan. We're buying a puter.(right now or We're about to buy a puter - present tense is often used in Polish to describe intentions, plans for the future - Na wakacje jadę na Krym. I am going to Crimea for the holidays. - seems like it's quite simmilar in English)

there are no perfective forms in the present tense - either you have finished something - so it already happened (and thus is a question of the past) or you are planning to complete some action (have something done/finished) in the future

present tense - now - is always working/happening in the process (however lengthy the process might be)

more later

Nice summary Gumishu, but I presume you mean 'computer' :-)

Yes what a great summary. The way you described it makes perfect sense.

Thank you.