What’s the Difference?: Какой и Каков
blog post:
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When you’re first learning Russian, you usually learn the question word for “what/which” – “Какой / Какая / Какое / Какие” – fairly early on in your studies. Какой is used very often by beginners when learning how to ask questions and get to know other people.
Ex.
- Какой твой любимый фильм?
- Какая твоя любимая книга?
- Какие у тебя хобби?
Only in my third year of learning Russian did I start seeing this new translation for “what” appear: “Каков / Какова / Каково / Какаовы.” Although they have the same definition, there are used in slightly different contexts.
Let’s take a look . . .
Какой vs. Каков
Какой – “What kind? Which? Some, Any.”
- Interrogative pronouns (What / What kind / Which): It can be used as a question word or as a conjunction between two clauses. *Note: The answer can be both a noun and an adjective.
- Какая сегодня погода? – What’s the weather like today? (В ответе: хорошая, плохая, и т.п.)
- Какая твоя любимая обжарка кофе? – What’s your favorite kind of coffee roast?
- Какой ваш любимый цвет? – What’s your favorite color?
- Какой сегодня день? – What day of the week is it?
- Я не знаю, какой твой люби́мый вид иску́сства. – I don’t know what your favorite type of art is.
- К какому времени мне быть готовым? – What time should I be ready by?
- Exclamatory statements (What! / What a(an)!): It denotes surprise, joy, or indignation at the quality of something /someone.
- Кака́я краси́вая ра́дуга! – What a beautiful rainbow!
- Како́й кошма́р! – What a nightmare!
- Како́е совпаде́ние! – What a coincidence!
- Indefinite pronouns (Some, Any): Here, какой is used to describe something not exact. It is often followed by an added suffix (-то, -нибудь, -либо).
- В какой-то сте́пени я согла́сна с тем, что ты говори́шь. – I agree with what you’re saying to an extent.
- По какой-то причи́не э́то не рабо́тает. – For some reason it isn’t working.
Каков – “What? What!”
- Interrogative pronouns (What / What kind): indicates a question about quantity, substance or content. *Note: The answer can only be a noun or a sentence – not an adjective. The purpose is to identify exactly what something is.
- Какова цель вашего приезда? – What is the purpose of your trip? (В ответе: туризм, работа, и т.п.)
- Какова длина́ э́того моста́? – What’s the length of this bridge?
- Каково предназначение этого инструмента? – What is the purpose of this tool?
- Каковы́ ваши дальнейшие планы? – What are your future plans?
- Я не зна́ю, каковы́ будут после́дствия. – I don’t know what the consequences will be.
- Exclamatory statements (What! / What a(an)!): Каков can be used to express something with a strong emotional feeling. Often used in exclamatory sentences.
- Каков фрукт! – What a piece of work!
- Каков негодяй! – What a scoundrel!
Extra Resources
Need some extra explanation? Check out these resources below!
- HiNative thread
- RusskiiYazyk.ru thread
October 17, 2020
Melissa Miller
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