kupić vs nabyć
Polish word comparison
Listen to kupić
Listen to nabyć
| kupić | nabyć |
|---|---|
/KU-peech/ verb (perfective) | /NAH-bich/ verb (perfective) |
| to buy; to purchase (completed action) | to acquire; to obtain (completed action), often used for acquiring property, rights or shares |
How they differ
Unlike kupić, nabyć is broader — it can mean acquiring something by purchase, inheritance, or other legal means; it is more formal and often appears in legal, official or written contexts. Kupić specifically emphasizes buying with payment in everyday speech.
When to use each
When to use kupić: Prefer kupić in everyday spoken Polish when you mean 'to buy' (a completed purchase) in a neutral, colloquial way.
When to use nabyć: Prefer nabyć in formal/written contexts (contracts, legal texts) or when you want to express acquisition in a broader sense, not strictly buying.
Side-by-side examples
- Kupiłem nowy telefon wczoraj.
(I bought a new phone yesterday.) - Spółka nabyła udziały w konkurencyjnej firmie.
(The company acquired shares in a competing firm.)
Register & nuance: nabyć is more formal and common in legal, administrative or written language; less colloquial than kupić.