Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "what" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

какой

Meaning: what, which, what sort of, how

Pronunciation: [kah-KOY]

Part of speech: pronoun

Rank: #42 (see frequency list)

Example sentences:

Како́е сего́дня число́?
What is the date today?
Из како́й вы страны́?
What country are you from? (polite or plural)
Кака́я хоро́шая но́вость!
What a good news!
Како́й у тебя́ рост?
What is your height? / How tall are you? (informal)
Како́й сего́дня день неде́ли?
What day of the week is it today?
Каки́е у Вас краси́вые глаза́!
What a beautiful eyes you have! (polite)
Како́й цвет вам нра́вится бо́льше всего́?
What color do you like most? (polite or plural)
Мы не нужда́емся ни в како́й по́мощи!
We do not need any help! (rather formal)
Кака́я из э́тих книг интере́снее?
Which one of these books is more interesting?
Како́го цве́та у тебя́ глаза́?
What color are your eyes? (informal)
Како́й э́то разме́р?
What size is this?
Како́й он до́брый!
How kind he is!
Како́й я учёный?
What kind of a scientist would I make? (a rhetorical question)
Тепе́рь ты зна́ешь, како́й я челове́к.
Now you know what kind of person I am.
Како́й тёплый день!
What a warm day!

Idioms and set expressions:

такой... какой = such ... as
какой ... ни = whatever
какой ни на есть = just any
Каким образом? = How?; Which way?
с каких пор = since when
хоть какой = any you like
какой угодно = any you like
какой бы... = whatever...

Proverbs and sayings:

Это ни в какие ворота не лезет.
This is out of all reason.
literal This doesn't fit into any gate.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

case	singular			plural
case	masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
Nominative	како́й	како́е	кака́я	каки́е
Genitive	како́го	како́го	како́й	каки́х
Dative	како́му	како́му	како́й	каки́м
Accusative (anim/inanim)	како́го/ како́й	како́е	каку́ю	каки́х/ каки́е
Instrumental	каки́м	каки́м	како́й	каки́ми
Prepositional	како́м	како́м	како́й	каки́х

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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