Chains of Verbal Nouns

Level 6Sounds Like addzeâsloŭnyâ lancugí

Formal chains stack nouns: павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі насельніцтва (raising the population's level of education). Plain style uses a verb.

How It Works

Official Belarusian often turns actions into verbal nouns and links them with genitives:

павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі насельніцтва — literally raising of level of education of population.

How a chain is built. The verb's direct object becomes a genitive: павышаць узровень → павышэнне ўзроўню. Each following noun is another genitive: узровень адукацыі, адукацыя насельніцтва. If the verb takes another case, the verbal noun keeps it: спрыяць развіццю → спрыянне развіццю.

How to read one. Find the verbal noun (-нне, -цце, -ка), turn it back into a verb, and let the genitives become its object and subject:

  • праверка выканання плана → правяраць, ці выконваецца план (to check whether the plan is carried out)
  • забеспячэнне захавання помнікаў → захаваць помнікі (to preserve the monuments)

When to use it. Chains belong to reports, laws and news. In ordinary writing, a verb is clearer: Мы хочам, каб людзі атрымлівалі лепшую адукацыю. Long chains are the core of officialese, which careful writers avoid.

Examples (6)

  1. павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі насельніцтва

    raising the population's level of education

    Word by Word: raising of-level of-education of-population

  2. Мэта праграмы — павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі насельніцтва.

    The program aims to raise the population's level of education.

    Word by Word: Goal of-program — raising of-level of-education of-population.

  3. Мы хочам, каб людзі атрымлівалі лепшую адукацыю.

    We want people to get a better education.

    Word by Word: We want that people received better education.

  4. Праводзіцца праверка выканання плана.

    The plan's progress is being checked.

    Word by Word: Is-carried-out check of-fulfillment of-plan.

  5. Мы правяраем, ці выконваецца план.

    We are checking whether the plan is being carried out.

    Word by Word: We check whether is-carried-out plan.

  6. Гэта спрыяе захаванню помнікаў гісторыі.

    This helps preserve historical monuments.

    Word by Word: This favors preservation(dat.) of-monuments of-history.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving a noun inside the chain in the accusative.

    павышэнне ўзровень адукацыі
    павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі

    The object of a verbal noun is genitive: узроўню, not узровень.

  • Changing the case a verb requires when it becomes a noun.

    спрыянне развіцця
    спрыянне развіццю

    Спрыяць takes the dative, and its verbal noun keeps it: спрыянне развіццю.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Chains of Verbal NounsLevel 6

Learn This First

Chains need verbal nouns and the genitive.