Breakdown of Czytanie starych książek jest bardzo ciekawe.
być
to be
książka
book
bardzo
very
ciekawy
interesting
stary
old
czytanie
reading
Questions & Answers about Czytanie starych książek jest bardzo ciekawe.
How is the word czytanie formed?
Czytanie (reading) is a verbal noun made from the imperfective verb czytać (to read). You drop the -ć and add the suffix -nie. Like all verbal nouns ending in -nie or -cie, it is grammatically a neuter noun.
Why do we use starych książek instead of the accusative stare książki here?
Because czytanie is a noun, not a verb! In Polish, verbal nouns cannot take a direct object in the Accusative case. Instead, they are followed by the Genitive case. It literally translates to 'the reading of old books'.
Why is the adjective ciekawe instead of ciekawy?
The adjective ciekawe (interesting) describes the subject of the sentence, which is czytanie. Because verbal nouns are always neuter, the adjective must take the neuter singular ending -e.
Could I use a verbal noun from the perfective verb przeczytać here?
Not in this context. The perfective verbal noun przeczytanie exists, but it focuses on a completed result. Since this sentence is about the general, ongoing activity of reading, we must use the imperfective verbal noun czytanie.
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