хто
Question Word Хто
Хто means "who": Хто гэта? (Who is this?), Хто ведае? (Who knows?).
How It Works
Хто asks about living beings. English uses "what" for animals, but Belarusian uses хто: Хто гэта? Гэта наш кот (What is that? It is our cat). For things, use што.
Case forms. Хто changes according to its job in the question:
- каго (genitive and accusative): Каго ты чакаеш? (Who are you waiting for?), Пра каго вы гаворыце?
- каму (dative): Каму ты пішаш? (Who are you writing to?)
- кім (instrumental): З кім ты ідзеш? (Who are you going with?)
- (аб) кім (locative).
Agreement. Хто takes a singular verb, even when you expect several people: Хто ідзе ў кіно? In the past the verb is masculine singular by default: Хто прыйшоў? (Who has come?)
The same word also joins clauses, as in Я не ведаю, хто гэта (I do not know who this is). See indirect questions.
Examples (6)
- Хто гэта?
Who is this?
- Хто ведае?
Who knows?
- Хто гэта? Гэта наш кот.
What is that? It is our cat.
Хто is used for animals too.
- Каго ты чакаеш?
Who are you waiting for?
Каго is the genitive and accusative form of хто, used here as the object of чакаць.
- Каму ты пішаш?
Who are you writing to?
Каму is the dative form.
- З кім ты ідзеш у кіно?
Who are you going to the cinema with?
Кім is the instrumental form after з.
Common Mistakes
Using a plural verb after хто.
Хто ведаюць?Хто ведае?Хто always takes a singular verb.
Keeping хто after a preposition.
З хто ты ідзеш?З кім ты ідзеш?After з meaning "with", хто changes to its instrumental form кім.
Using што to ask about a person.
Што гэта? — Гэта мой сябар.Хто гэта? — Гэта мой сябар.The answer names a person, so the question must use хто. Што is for things.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- штоQuestion Word Што
Што asks about things; хто asks about people and animals.
Level 1 - Як цябе завуць?Asking Someone's Name
Як вас завуць? asks for a name, while Хто гэта? asks who someone is.
Level 1 - чыйQuestion Word Чый
Чый asks whose something is.
Level 2 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
Personal pronouns change for case the same way.
Level 2 - ніхто / нічога + не + VerbNegative Words with Double Negation
Ніхто (nobody) is the negative partner of хто.
Level 2 - Indirect Questions with Question Words
Хто can also start an indirect question.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice хто in Bubblegum
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