-nie / -tie
Verbal Nouns
A verbal noun names an action, like English reading or swimming: čítanie, plávanie, pitie. It ends in -nie or -tie and is always neuter.
How It Works
Naming an action. Slovak turns a verb into a noun with -nie or -tie: čítanie (reading), plávanie (swimming), pitie (drinking).
How to form it. Start from the passive participle and swap the ending:
- -ný → -nie: písaný → písanie, čítaný → čítanie, varený → varenie
- -tý → -tie: pitý → pitie, umytý → umytie, zabudnutý → zabudnutie
Verbs that have no passive participle still form these nouns the same way: spať → spanie, plávať → plávanie, sedieť → sedenie.
Neuter nouns. They decline like vysvedčenie (see neuter declension): Ďakujem za pozvanie. Bez čítania to nejde.
The object goes in the genitive. A verb takes an accusative object, but its noun takes a genitive one: umývať riad → umývanie riadu, čítať knihy → čítanie kníh. See verbal nouns with a genitive object.
Both aspects. An imperfective verb gives the ongoing activity (otváranie, opening again and again); a perfective verb gives one completed act (otvorenie, the opening). With reflexive verbs, sa is usually dropped: učiť sa → učenie.
Everyday nouns. Many verbal nouns are ordinary words with their own meaning: bývanie (housing), stretnutie (meeting), pozvanie (invitation), prekvapenie (surprise).
Examples (6)
- Čítanie ma veľmi baví.
I really enjoy reading.
Word by Word: Reading me very amuses.
- Plávanie je dobré pre zdravie.
Swimming is good for your health.
Word by Word: Swimming is good for health.
- Umývanie riadu nemám rád.
I don't like washing the dishes.
Word by Word: Washing of-dishes not-I-have glad.
The object riad goes in the genitive: riadu.
- Ďakujem za pozvanie!
Thank you for the invitation!
Word by Word: I-thank for invitation!
- Fajčenie je tu zakázané.
Smoking is forbidden here.
Word by Word: Smoking is here forbidden.
- Máme stretnutie o desiatej.
We have a meeting at ten.
Word by Word: We-have meeting at tenth.
Stretnutie comes from stretnúť, a -tie noun.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the object in the accusative.
Umývanie riad je nuda.Umývanie riadu je nuda.After a verbal noun, the object goes in the genitive: umývanie riadu, čítanie kníh.
Using the Czech ending -ní.
Písání ma baví.Písanie ma baví.Slovak verbal nouns end in -nie or -tie: písanie, pitie. -ní is Czech.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Verbal Nouns, learn Passive Participles. Verbal nouns in -nie / -tie are formed from the passive participle stem.
Related Patterns
- Verbal Nouns With a Genitive Object
More on the genitive object after a verbal noun.
Level 5 - Neuter Declension Types
Verbal nouns decline like vysvedčenie.
Level 3 - Nominal Style
Formal Slovak uses many verbal nouns in place of verbs.
Level 5 - rád + VerbLiking to Do Something
To say you like an activity, you can also use rád with a verb: Rád čítam.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice -nie / -tie in Bubblegum
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