"Jedzenie cukru to zły pomysł."

Translation: Eating sugar is a bad idea.

[foldmani]

So one could say, "jedzenie jedzenia" to mean the eating of food? So jedzenie means both "food" and (the act of) "eating"? Do Poles think this is weird? I would imagine it is never really ambiguous so Poles don't really think about it.

[JerryMcCarthy99]

Well, it's rare but not unknown to use the English phrase "The eats" to mean food. It would be possible to say "I am eating the eats" although that would be even more rare :-)

[eannaoc]

I've never heard of "the eats" in my life, this a recent thing?

[JerryMcCarthy99]

It's a very casual thing, but I don't think it's that recent.

[Jellei]

Yeah, you could technically say that, but it'd mostly be said for fun :)

[Readingski]

As would "Eating the eats". At a party/buffet/informal gathering, it would be more common to say "I'm going to get some eats now".

[VeryBigP]

Zakaz jedzenia jedzenia

[actimelekuwu]

Johny Johny..

[jumbo420]

You know, you need sugar to live too.

[MCDoubleQ]

Johnny's papa learns Polish

[polec2]

Why the genitive case?

[immery]

I don't know "why", but that's how direct objects change when they follow a noun made from the verb.

[JerryMcCarthy99]

As in "The eating of sugar..." which is exactly how Eng. could put it in slightly formal contexts.

[polec2]

I see, thank you. I thought the genitive case here was implying an unspecific amount of sugar, like when we say "kilo cukru" or "słoik cukru"

[magpie_gir]

A gerund (verbal noun) has a noun declination.

So in possesive case (noun of noun) for nouns we use Genitive:

• piątka mężczyzn - five men
• rysowanie obrazu - drawing a picture
• rysunek obrazu - drawing of the picture
• szklanka mleka - a glass of milk
• kromka chleba - a slice of bread

[AndreyZhulanov]

This idea is bad, but sweet