dużo / mało + Genitive

Quantities with the Genitive

Level 2

In Polish, words for 'a lot' (dużo), 'a little/few' (mało), and 'some/a bit' (trochę) act as heads of the phrase. They force the noun they describe into the genitive case. Unlike English, Polish uses the same words for both countable items (many) and uncountable substances (much).

How It Works

When you want to talk about quantities in Polish using indefinite words, you must follow these rules:

  • The Genitive Rule: The noun following dużo, mało, or trochę must be in the genitive case.
  • Countable vs. Uncountable: If the noun is countable (like 'books'), use the genitive plural. If it is uncountable (like 'water' or 'time'), use the genitive singular.
  • Verb Agreement: If a phrase like 'dużo ludzi' (a lot of people) is the subject of a sentence, the verb stays in the 3rd person singular. In the past tense, the verb takes the neuter ending -o (e.g., było, stało, przyszło).
  • Zero Endings: Be careful with feminine and neuter nouns in the genitive plural; they often drop their ending vowel, sometimes adding a 'fleeting e' (e.g., książka becomes książek).

Examples (5)

  1. Mam dużo czasu.

    I have a lot of time.

    Word by Word: I have much time [genitive singular].

    'Czas' is uncountable, so it takes the genitive singular ending '-u'.

  2. W lodówce jest mało jajek.

    There are few eggs in the fridge.

    Word by Word: In fridge is little eggs [genitive plural].

    'Jajko' is countable, so it uses the genitive plural 'jajek' (with a fleeting 'e').

  3. Czy chcesz trochę wody?

    Do you want some water?

    Word by Word: Whether you want some water [genitive singular]?

    'Woda' is a mass noun, so it changes to the genitive singular 'wody'.

  4. Dużo ludzi czekało na autobus.

    A lot of people were waiting for the bus.

    Word by Word: Much people [genitive plural] waited [neuter singular] for bus.

    Notice the verb 'czekało' is in the neuter singular form because the subject is a quantity phrase.

  5. Mamy mało pieniędzy.

    We have little money.

    Word by Word: We have little money [genitive plural].

    In Polish, 'pieniądze' (money) is always plural, so it takes the genitive plural form 'pieniędzy'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative case after a quantifier.

    Mam dużo czas.
    Mam dużo czasu.

    Learners often forget to decline the noun. 'Dużo' always triggers the genitive case.

  • Using a plural verb with a quantity subject.

    Dużo osób byli w kinie.
    Dużo osób było w kinie.

    Even though 'osób' (people) is plural, the quantifier 'dużo' makes the whole phrase grammatically singular and neuter for verb agreement.

  • Confusing the quantifier 'dużo' with the adjective 'duży'.

    To jest dużo dom.
    To jest duży dom.

    'Duży' is an adjective meaning 'big' and must agree with the noun. 'Dużo' is a quantifier meaning 'a lot of' and requires the genitive.

How It Connects

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dużo / mało + GenitiveLevel 2Quantities with the Genitive

Learn This First

Learn Genitive Case before Quantities With The Genitive.

Words in This Pattern

dużomałotrochę