Verbal Nouns in -šana
Naming an Activity: -šana
Take an infinitive, drop -t and add -šana: lasīt → lasīšana (reading), braukt → braukšana (driving, riding). For a reflexive verb, drop -ties and add -šanās: mācīties → mācīšanās (studying).
How It Works
1. Forming it. Every verb can do this, even irregular ones:
- lasīt → lasīšana (reading)
- peldēt → peldēšana (swimming)
- runāt → runāšana (talking)
- braukt → braukšana (driving, riding)
- iet → iešana (walking, going)
- ēst → ēšana (eating)
When the stem ends in s, that s merges into the š: ēst → ēšana, nest → nešana (carrying), not ēsšana.
2. Reflexive verbs: -šanās. Reflexive verbs keep their meaning with -šanās: mācīties → mācīšanās (studying), smieties → smiešanās (laughing). This form has only a few case forms: mācīšanās in the nominative and genitive, and mācīšanos in the accusative. You already know one: Uz redzēšanos comes from redzēties (to see each other).
Watch the difference: mācīt means to teach, so mācīšana is teaching, while mācīšanās is studying or learning.
3. Using it.
- As a subject: Lasīšana ir mans hobijs. (Reading is my hobby.)
- After a preposition: pēc ēšanas (after eating), pirms braukšanas (before driving)
- With an object in the genitive: vēstules rakstīšana (writing a letter), valodas mācīšanās (learning a language)
- In compounds: riteņbraukšana (cycling)
4. -šana or the infinitive? After patīk you can use either: Man patīk peldēt or Man patīk peldēšana. The infinitive is more common in everyday speech, but after a preposition you need the -šana noun. Formal writing uses many of these nouns; see formal nominal style.
Examples (6)
- Man patīk peldēšana.
I like swimming.
Peldēt → peldēšana.
- Lasīšana ir mans mīļākais hobijs.
Reading is my favourite hobby.
Lasīt → lasīšana, used as the subject.
- Pēc ēšanas es vienmēr dzeru kafiju.
After eating I always drink coffee.
Ēst → ēšana. Pēc takes the genitive: pēc ēšanas.
- Valodas mācīšanās prasa laiku.
Learning a language takes time.
Mācīties → mācīšanās. The object valoda goes before it in the genitive: valodas.
- Vēstules rakstīšana aizņēma stundu.
Writing the letter took an hour.
Rakstīt → rakstīšana, with the object in the genitive: vēstules.
- Uz redzēšanos!
Goodbye!
Word by Word: Until seeing each other!
Redzēties → redzēšanās, in the accusative redzēšanos after uz.
Common Mistakes
Putting the object in the accusative.
Vēstuli rakstīšana aizņēma stundu.Vēstules rakstīšana aizņēma stundu.An -šana noun is a noun, so the thing acted on goes before it in the genitive: vēstule → vēstules rakstīšana.
Using mācīšana when you mean studying.
Valodas mācīšana prasa laiku.Valodas mācīšanās prasa laiku.Here the speaker means learning a language. Mācīšana comes from mācīt and means teaching; studying is mācīšanās, from mācīties.
How It Connects
Learn This First
-šana nouns name an activity.
Related Patterns
- Formal Nominal Style With -šanaFormal Nominal Style
How formal texts build whole phrases around -šana nouns.
Level 5 - patīk + InfinitiveLiking to Do Something
Patīk can take an infinitive or an -šana noun.
Level 3 - Uz redzēšanosSaying Goodbye
A greeting built on the -šanās noun redzēšanās.
Level 1 - Agent Nouns -tājs / -ējsPeople Who Do Something
Another way to make nouns from verbs, naming the person who acts.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Verbal Nouns in -šana in Bubblegum
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