Case Around Action Nouns
When an event is expressed as a noun, the surrounding preposition governs that noun’s case. Its participants may appear in a separate genitive or prepositional phrase.
How It Works
Compare zatvaraju cestu with zatvaranje ceste. The verb takes an accusative object; the action noun expresses the corresponding participant with genitive. Turning a verb into a noun does not preserve every case unchanged.
The action noun then enters another construction: nakon zatvaranja ceste, o zatvaranju ceste. Nakon governs genitive; o in this topic sense governs locative. The inner ceste remains genitive in both phrases.
Some complements keep a preposition: razgovarati o planu → razgovor o planu. Learn the noun’s established construction. In long phrases, identify each noun’s immediate head before assigning case; a nearby preposition does not necessarily govern all following nouns.
Examples (3)
- Nakon zatvaranja mosta promet je preusmjeren.
After the bridge was closed, traffic was diverted.
- Razgovaramo o obnovi stare škole.
We are talking about the renovation of the old school.
- Pripremamo se za otvaranje izložbe.
We are preparing for the opening of the exhibition.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Nominalizations reorganize participants into case and prepositional complements.
Related Patterns
Practice Case Around Action Nouns in Bubblegum
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