Basic quantifiers (dużo, mało, trochę)

Quantifiers with the Genitive Case

To talk about amounts of uncountable things (like time, sugar, or water), use these basic quantifiers:

  • dużo (a lot / much)
  • mało (little / not much)
  • trochę (a little / some)

Nouns following these quantifiers take the Genitive case. Here is how to form the Genitive for uncountable nouns:

Masculine Nouns

Many masculine uncountable nouns (like abstract concepts and some foods) take the ending -u.

  • czas (time) → czasu
  • stres (stress) → stresu
  • cukier (sugar) → cukru (the e drops out)

Some masculine food nouns take -a instead.

  • ser (cheese) → sera
I have a lot of time today.
Mam dzisiaj dużo czasu.
Our boss has little time.
Nasz szef ma mało czasu.
I want a little sugar.
Chcę trochę cukru.
There is a lot of stress in the new job.
W nowej pracy jest dużo stresu.

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -y (or -i after k or g).

  • woda (water) → wody

The feminine noun sól (salt) ends in a consonant. In the Genitive, it becomes soli (the ó changes to o).

There is a lot of salt in the soup.
W zupie jest dużo soli.
This soup has little salt.
Ta zupa ma mało soli.
Is there little water in the river?
Czy w rzece jest mało wody?

Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns ending in -o or -e change to -a.

  • szczęście (luck) → szczęścia
  • mięso (meat) → mięsa
Our family has a little luck.
Nasza rodzina ma trochę szczęścia.
I am buying a little meat and a little cheese.
Kupuję trochę mięsa i trochę sera.

Plural Nouns (Money)

The word for money, pieniądze, is always plural. Its Genitive form is pieniędzy.

This new computer costs a lot of money.
Ten nowy komputer kosztuje dużo pieniędzy.
She has little money.
Ona ma mało pieniędzy.

Contributors