Declining verbal nouns

Declining Verbal Nouns

Because verbal nouns ending in -nie and -cie are neuter, they decline exactly like regular neuter nouns ending in -e (such as mieszkanie).

In the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) cases, the ending stays exactly the same.

Do you prefer painting or drawing?
Wolisz malowanie czy rysowanie?

The Genitive Case and Purpose

When a neuter noun ending in -e takes the genitive case, the ending changes to -a. This means malowanie becomes malowania, and rzeźbienie (sculpting) becomes rzeźbienia.

You will frequently use the genitive case of verbal nouns with the preposition do to express the purpose of an object (what it is "for").

I am going to get paints and a new brush for painting.
Idę po farby i nowy pędzel do malowania.
I need a new brush for painting.
Do malowania potrzebuję nowego pędzla.
For sculpting, you need a lot of strength.
Do rzeźbienia trzeba dużo siły.

The Instrumental Case

To form the instrumental case for these nouns, replace the -e with -em (for example, rysowanie becomes rysowaniem).

This case is essential when talking about your hobbies or professions using reflexive verbs like interesować się (to be interested in) and zajmować się (to occupy oneself with / to deal with).

She is interested in drawing and art.
Ona interesuje się rysowaniem i sztuką.
My grandfather occupies himself with sculpting in wood.
Mój dziadek zajmuje się rzeźbieniem w drewnie.

The Locative Case

When you are talking about an activity (using the preposition o) or describing something that happens in an activity (using w), you need the locative case. For neuter nouns ending in -e, the locative ending is -u (malowaniu, rzeźbieniu).

Are we talking about drawing or painting?
Rozmawiamy o rysowaniu czy o malowaniu?
In sculpting, patience is important.
W rzeźbieniu ważna jest cierpliwość.

Art Supplies and Materials

Now you can combine your knowledge of verbal noun cases with physical vocabulary for creating art, such as płótno (canvas), paleta (palette), and glina (clay).

The canvas and the palette are lying on the table.
Płótno i paleta leżą na stole.
The artist is making a sculpture out of clay.
Artysta robi rzeźbę z gliny.