picie

Picie is a Polish noun that denotes the act or practice of drinking. It is derived from the verb pić (to drink) and is formed with the common deverbal suffix -ie, in the same way as related nouns such as jedzenie (eating) and spanie (sleeping). As a neuter, mass noun, picie generally refers to the act in itself rather than a countable instance of drinking.

In ordinary usage, picie can refer to drinking beverages in general or to the act of consuming a particular drink when accompanied by a specification in the genitive, for example picie kawy (drinking coffee), picie wody (drinking water), or picie alkoholu (drinking alcohol). The term is flexible enough to appear in neutral, everyday statements as well as in more specialized contexts such as health, sociology, or public policy. Common collocations include phrases describing patterns or habits, such as nadmierne picie alkoholu (excessive alcohol consumption) or umiarkowane picie (moderate drinking).

Etymologically, picie fits a broader Polish category of nominalized verb forms expressing actions or processes. It contrasts with related terms that emphasize results or states, such as pijaństwo (drunkenness), which denotes a pathological or excessive reliance on drinking, rather than the act itself.

In literature, journalism, and discourse about health and culture, picie is often discussed in terms of consumption patterns, social norms, and public health implications. It serves as a neutral descriptor of drinking activity and as a linguistic tool for phrasing discussions about beverage use.

See also: pijaństwo, picie alkoholu, drinking in Polish.