From a verb — a noun: the odsłownik in -anie, -enie, -cie
Nouns are made from verbs here more readily than in English, and one tail with three shapes is prepared for the job. It is called odsłownik, and it is the most productive word-machine of the language. For example: “Lubię gotowanie, ale nie lubię sprzątania” — I like cooking but I do not like cleaning. A rule from the Polish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Nouns are made from verbs here more readily than in English, and one tail with three shapes is prepared for the job. It is called odsłownik, and it is the most productive word-machine of the language.
-anie — for verbs in -ać: czytać → czytanie, malować → malowanie, gotować → gotowanie. From any such verb the word is made on the spot, and you will be understood.
-enie — for verbs in -eć and -ąć: rozumieć → rozumienie, siedzieć → siedzenie. And -cie — the short one, for two words: pić → picie, jeść → jedzenie — though jedzenie was learned earlier than any grammar, through the kitchen.
The odsłownik lives like an ordinary neuter noun: Lubię gotowanie — I like cooking; po przeczytaniu — after reading. And note: it does not need the English the fact that: kupowanie przez internet — shopping online, no extra words.
Table
| Verb | Odsłownik | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| czytać | czytanie | czytanie powieści | reading a novel |
| malować | malowanie | malowanie obrazów | painting pictures |
| gotować | gotowanie | gotowanie obiadu | cooking dinner |
| kupować | kupowanie | kupowanie przez internet | shopping online |
| rozumieć | rozumienie | rozumienie ze słuchu | listening comprehension |
| jeść | jedzenie | jedzenie w restauracji | eating at a restaurant |
| pić | picie | picie kawy rano | drinking coffee in the morning |
By example
- Lubię gotowanie, ale nie lubię sprzątaniaI like cooking but I do not like cleaning
- Po przeczytaniu powieści pożyczyłem ją siostrzeAfter reading the novel I lent it to my sister
- Malowanie uspokaja mnie po pracyPainting calms me after work
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
From a verb — a noun: how does it work in Polish?
Nouns are made from verbs here more readily than in English, and one tail with three shapes is prepared for the job. It is called odsłownik, and it is the most productive word-machine of the language.
What does it look like in a Polish example sentence?
“Lubię gotowanie, ale nie lubię sprzątania” — I like cooking but I do not like cleaning. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.