Verbal Nouns in -ње
Verbal Nouns
Verbs make activity nouns with -ње: чита → читање (reading), пишува → пишување (writing), плива → пливање (swimming): Пливањето е здраво (Swimming is healthy).
How It Works
How to form it. Start from the imperfect stem, drop the ending, and add -ње. A-verbs: чита (читав) → читање, плива → пливање, игра → играње. E-verbs: пие (пиев) → пиење, пее → пеење, јаде → јадење. I-verbs: оди (одев) → одење, носи → носење, учи → учење, пуши → пушење. Verbs in -ува: пишува → пишување, патува → патување.
Only imperfective verbs. The activity is seen as ongoing, so the noun comes from the imperfective partner: читање, not a form from прочита. Венчање (wedding) is a rare fixed exception from a perfective verb.
Neuter noun. Like other neuter nouns, it takes -то and neuter adjectives: Пливањето е здраво, Долгото патување. The plural ends in -ња, as in the neuter plural: прашања (questions).
Everyday words. Many verbal nouns are ordinary words: јадење (food, a dish), прашање (a question), учење (study), патување (a trip).
When to use it. Use the verbal noun when the activity itself is the subject or topic: Пушењето е забрането. After verbs like сака, Macedonian usually uses да + a verb: Сакам да пливам (I like to swim). For verbal nouns after prepositions, see verbal nouns after prepositions.
Examples (6)
- Пливањето е здраво.
Swimming is healthy.
Пливање is neuter, so the article is -то and the adjective is здраво.
- Читањето е моето омилено хоби.
Reading is my favorite hobby.
- Пушењето е забрането.
Smoking is not allowed.
A very common sign. Пуши → пушење.
- Учењето јазици бара време.
Learning languages takes time.
- Патувањето до Охрид траеше три часа.
The trip to Ohrid took three hours.
Патува → патување, a verbal noun that has become an everyday word for trip.
- Имам едно прашање.
I have a question.
Прашање is a verbal noun used as an ordinary noun; its plural is прашања.
Common Mistakes
Using a masculine adjective with a verbal noun.
Пливањето е здрав.Пливањето е здраво.Every verbal noun in -ње is neuter, so the adjective ends in -о.
Making a verbal noun from a perfective verb.
Прочитањето е важно.Читањето е важно.Verbal nouns come from imperfective verbs. Use the imperfective partner чита.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Verbal nouns combine the imperfect stem and neuter nouns.
Related Patterns
- Verb Aspect
Only imperfective verbs form verbal nouns.
Level 2 - Neuter Plural in -а / -ињаPlural of Neuter Nouns
Their plural ends in -а: прашања.
Level 1 - сака да + Present TenseWanting to Do Something
After сака, a да clause usually replaces the English -ing form.
Level 2 - Verbal Nouns After Prepositions
Shows verbal nouns after prepositions in formal style.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Verbal Nouns in -ње in Bubblegum
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