Po sprzątaniu odkładam mop, miotłę i wiadro do piwnicy.

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Breakdown of Po sprzątaniu odkładam mop, miotłę i wiadro do piwnicy.

• i: and
• do: to
• po: after

Questions & Answers about Po sprzątaniu odkładam mop, miotłę i wiadro do piwnicy.

What does Po sprzątaniu mean exactly?

It means after cleaning or after the cleaning is done.

• po = after
• sprzątaniu = cleaning in the form required after po

So Po sprzątaniu sets the time frame for the action: first the cleaning happens, then the speaker puts the items away.

Why is it sprzątaniu, not sprzątanie?

Because po normally requires the locative case in Polish.

The basic form is:

• sprzątanie = cleaning

But after po, it changes to:

• po sprzątaniu = after cleaning

This is very common:

• po obiedzie = after lunch
• po pracy = after work
• po sprzątaniu = after cleaning

So the ending changes because of grammar, not because the meaning changes.

What part of speech is sprzątanie?

It is a verbal noun: a noun made from a verb.

• sprzątać = to clean
• sprzątanie = cleaning

English does something similar with words like cleaning, reading, or swimming, which can act like nouns in some contexts.

So in Po sprzątaniu, Polish is using a noun meaning cleaning, not a verb form.