Popít

Popít is a verb found in Czech and Slovak that means to drink a small amount of liquid, or to take a quick sip. It conveys the idea of consuming only a little rather than a full or prolonged drink. In both languages, popít is a perfective form used to indicate a completed act, and it is commonly paired with a direct object such as a beverage (for example, tea, water, wine, or coffee).

The imperfective counterparts are popíjet in Czech and popíjať in Slovak, which describe drinking in a more continuous, habitual, or repeated sense. These imperfective forms are used when the action is not presented as a single completed act. The prefix po- attached to píť (the root verb meaning “to drink”) creates popít with the nuance of a brief or single drinking action.

Usage examples include phrases like Popil jsem si čaj in Czech or Popil som si čaj in Slovak, meaning “I had a sip of tea” or “I drank a little tea.” In everyday speech, popít can be used with various beverages, and it often appears in storytelling, cooking, or descriptions of casual drinking.

In English-language contexts, the exact Slavic verb is less common, and speakers typically translate it as “to take a quick sip” or “to drink a little.” The term may appear in dictionaries or language-learning materials to illustrate aspect and verb formation.

See also: piť, popíjať, popíjať si. Popít should not be confused with Pop It, the English name for a silicone bubble fidget toy; the two are unrelated and belong to different linguistic and cultural contexts.