Breakdown of Umycie rąk przed obiadem jest ważne.
być
to be
obiad
the dinner (main meal)
przed
before
ważny
important
Questions & Answers about Umycie rąk przed obiadem jest ważne.
What does umycie mean, and what kind of word is it?
Umycie is a verbal noun. It comes from the verb umyć, which means to wash in the sense of to wash completely / to get something washed.
So umycie rąk literally means the washing of hands or more naturally washing one’s hands.
In this sentence, umycie rąk przed obiadem is the whole subject of the sentence.
Why is it umycie and not mycie?
Both are possible, but they are not exactly the same.
- umycie comes from umyć (perfective)
- mycie comes from myć (imperfective)
Very roughly:
- mycie rąk = hand-washing as an activity, process, or habit
- umycie rąk = washing the hands properly / getting them washed, often seen as a completed act
So:
- Mycie rąk przed obiadem jest ważne = Washing hands before lunch is important
- Umycie rąk przed obiadem jest ważne = Washing your hands before lunch is important, with a slightly stronger sense of the act being completed
In everyday use, both can sound natural, but umycie stresses the completed result a bit more.
Why is it rąk and not ręce?