bezczasownikowo

Bezczasownikowo is a term used in Polish linguistics to describe a predication mode in which a clause is formed without a finite verb. The concept denotes verbless or non-finite predication, relying on predicative adjectives, nouns used in predicative position, or non-finite verb forms (participles, infinitives) to convey meaning. The name is built from bez- (without) and czasownik (verb), with the suffix -owo marking a descriptive adverbial form.

In usage, bezczasownikowo appears mainly as a stylistic device in literary prose, poetry, journalism, and public signage where brevity and immediacy are valued. It yields elliptical constructions that compress information and foreground states or qualities rather than actions tied to a tense. Typical examples include simple verbless sentences such as Cisza or Zimno, which function as stand-alone predicates. More complex instances may combine several predicative elements, such as Czysto, jasno, or Słoneczny dzień, prosty i przyjemny, all without a finite verb. The device can create a stark, impressionistic effect or serve as a headline-like shorthand in concise text.

Bezczasownikowo is distinct from sentences that merely omit parts of a clause for rhetorical effect and from standard non-finite clauses that still rely on connected finite verbs elsewhere in the discourse. It is discussed as a stylistic and functional modality within Polish syntax and stylistics, often in relation to elliptical sentences, nominal stylistics, and journalistic or poetic language.

See also: verbless sentences, nominal style, ellipsis in Polish, predicative adjectives.