Common perfective verbs (poznać, wrócić)

Perfectives you will use every day

These verbs name a completed event, so they live in the past and future — never the present.

to meet, to get to know (perfective)

poznać — to meet, to get to know (completed): Poznałem Annę w szkole.

to meet, to run into (perfective)

spotkać — to meet, to run into: Spotkałam go w sklepie. The imperfective partner you know is spotykać się.

to return, to come back (perfective)

wrócić — to return, to come back: Wróciliśmy do domu.

to take along, to take away (perfective)

zabrać — to take (along / away): Zabrałem klucze.

to glance, to take a look (perfective)

spojrzeć — to glance, to take a look: Spojrzała na mnie.

to listen for a while (perfective)

posłuchać — to listen (for a while): Posłuchaj! — the perfective partner of słuchać.

Two that only work with się

to find out (perfective)

dowiedzieć się — to find out: Dowiedziałem się wczoraj.

to succeed, to work out (udało się)

udać się — to succeed, to work out. Used impersonally: Udało się! (It worked!)