Przebiec

Przebiec is a Polish verb in its infinitive form, with both perfective and imperfective aspects. It is derived from the root bieć (to run) with the prefix prze-, yielding meanings centered on rapid movement through a space or through something in a figurative sense.

Meanings and usage. The primary sense of przebiec is to run through a place quickly, such as a park, a street, or a building. It can also describe moving through something more abstractly, for example a list or a text, often translated as “to skim through” or “to go through quickly.” In combination with other elements, the verb can express crossing a boundary or obstacle in a brisk manner, for example przebić a road or przebyć a distance.

Aspects and conjugation. The perfective form przebiec denotes a completed action: “Przebiegłem przez park,” meaning I ran through the park. The imperfective counterpart przebygać is used for ongoing or repeated action: “Przebiegam przez park każdego ranka” (I run through the park every morning). The imperfective has present forms such as przebiegam/przebiegają, and past forms like przebiegałem/przebiegała, while the perfective past forms are przebiegłem/przebiegła and so on, with standard gender and number agreement.

Collocations and phrases. Common phrases include przedostać przebiec wzrokiem, przebyć trasę, or przebywać w krótkim czasie. The expression przebiec wzrokiem means to skim a text with one’s eyes, while przebyć a distance refers to covering distance quickly on foot or in transport.

See also. Biec, Przebiegać, Skim (in Polish usage, przeglądać can be a related sense for reading).