napotykam

Napotykam is the first-person singular present indicative form of the Polish imperfective verb napotykać, meaning “I encounter” or “I come across.” It is used to describe coming upon someone or something, typically by chance, in everyday speech and in written narrative.

As an imperfective verb, napotykam emphasizes the process or recurring nature of encountering rather than a single completed act. The construction often involves the preposition na followed by the accusative, for example napotykam na przeszkodę, napotykam na problemy. The verb has a perfective counterpart, napotkać, which expresses a completed encounter and is used in contexts referring to a single, definite meeting or a future/past encounter with a clear endpoint.

Examples of usage include: Podczas spaceru napotykam na znajomego. (During a walk I encounter a friend.) Napotkałem na poważne problemy w projekcie. (I encountered serious problems in the project.) Nie napotykam na żadne trudności. (I do not encounter any difficulties.)

Related verbs include spotkać, which more commonly denotes meeting someone, and natknąć się, which more often conveys a sense of stumbling upon something unexpectedly. Napotykam shares its core meaning with these verbs but is distinguished by its imperfective aspect and its frequent use in ongoing or repeated encounters.

See also: spotkać, natknąć się, napotkać.