Questions & Answers about Mówienie po polsku jest łatwe.
Why is it mówienie and not mówić?
Polish normally uses a noun as the subject of jest in this kind of sentence.
Mówić is the infinitive verb (to speak), while mówienie is a verbal noun (like English speaking in Speaking Polish is easy).
So:
- Mówienie po polsku jest łatwe. = Speaking Polish is easy. (noun as subject)
- Łatwo mówić po polsku. = It is easy to speak Polish. (infinitive after an adjective)
Using mówienie makes the structure parallel to English speaking as a noun.
What exactly is mówienie grammatically?
Mówienie is a verbal noun (gerund-type noun) formed from the verb mówić.
- It names the activity: mówienie = the act of speaking.
- It behaves like a neuter noun in grammar (it declines, can take adjectives, etc.).
- That is why it can be the subject of jest and why the adjective must agree with it (see łatwe below).
Why do we say po polsku instead of something like w polskim?