КАКО́Й?

Let’s take a step back from adjectives and talk about question words. The question word we use when asking about the characteristics, type, or identity of a noun is како́й?. Just like adjectives, како́й? has to change its ending to match the noun it refers to.

It also has several possible meanings in English, such as: What? Which? What kind of? The exact meaning depends on the context.

And lastly, the question како́й? can be answered with an adjective or a noun!

Let’s unpack all of this now!

First things first, what are the four forms of како́й?

That gives us three of the four:

• Како́й? – masculine

• Како́е? – neuter

• Кака́я? – feminine

• Каки́е? – plural

These endings shouldn’t be anything new to you!

Како́й? changes its ending to match the gender and number of the noun.

Let’s practise now!

Choose the correct ending to match each noun

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1. Как—ойоеаяие рюкза́к?

2. Как—ойоеаяие одея́ло?

3. Как—ойоеаяие полоте́нце?

4. Как—ойоеаяие проду́кты?

5. Как—ойоеаяие о́кна?

6. Как—ойоеаяие же́нщины?

7. Как—ойоеаяие кни́ги?

8. Как—ойоеаяие ру́чка?

9. Как—ойоеаяие ле́бедь?

10. Как—ойоеаяие крова́ть?

Reveal answersReset

Now let’s look at some examples!

Како́й спорт ты лю́бишь? – What sport do you like?

Каки́е фи́льмы вы лю́бите? – What kind of films do you like?

Како́е мо́ре вы лю́бите? – Which sea do you like?

As you can see, the meaning really depends on the context. And so does the answer! The answer can sometimes be an adjective, but it can also be a noun.

Let’s look at this question:

Кака́я э́то маши́на? – What kind of car is this?

This question can be answered in two ways:

1. You can describe the car using adjectives: Э́то кра́сная, спорти́вная и сти́льная маши́на. (It’s a red, sporty and stylish car). Here, we are describing the car.

2. You can give a noun as the answer: Э́то Ферра́ри. (It’s a Ferrari). Here, we are telling you what the car is, rather than describing it.

So, како́й? / кака́я? / како́е? / каки́е? can be used to ask about the type, characteristics, or identity of something.

And remember: just like adjectives, the ending of како́й? changes to match the noun!