Learn Polish: Czytanie to moje ulubione zajęcie. - Reading is my favorite activity.

Czytanie is a verbal noun meaning the act of reading. It is formed from the imperfective verb czytać (to read) by dropping the final -ć and adding the suffix -nie. In Polish, these verbal nouns act exactly like regular neuter nouns.

Is zajęcie also a verbal noun?

Yes! Zajęcie (activity or occupation) is a verbal noun formed from the perfective verb zająć (to occupy or take). Because the base verb ends in -ąć, the verbal noun takes the -cie suffix instead of -nie. Over time, it has evolved into a standard everyday noun.

Why do we use to here instead of jest?

When you state that one noun equals another noun, you usually use the word to. This allows you to keep both halves of the sentence in the basic nominative case. If you used jest, the second half would have to change to the instrumental case: Czytanie jest moim ulubionym zajęciem.

Why do moje and ulubione end in -e?