как
Asking How
Как means "how". It asks about the way something is done or how something is: Как е времето? (How is the weather?)
How It Works
Manner – in what way?
Как отиваш на работа? – С автобус. (How do you get to work? – By bus.)
Как се пише тази дума? (How is this word spelled?)
State – how is it?
Как е времето? (How is the weather?)
Как е Мария? (How is Maria?)
The greeting Как си? belongs here too: see как си/как сте.
How do I...? – как да
Как да стигна до центъра? (How do I get to the center?) The verb after да has a personal ending, just as in искам да.
Names: Bulgarian asks for a name with как, not какво: Как се казваш? (What is your name?) See казвам се.
как or какъв? Как е той? asks how he is doing. To ask what someone or something is like, use какъв: Какъв човек е той? (What kind of person is he?)
Answers: Answers are often adverbs such as добре (well), бързо (quickly) or бавно (slowly). See наречия от прилагателни.
Examples (5)
- Как отиваш на работа? – С автобус.
How do you get to work? – By bus.
Word by Word: How you-go to work? – With bus.
- Как е времето днес?
How is the weather today?
Word by Word: How is weather-the today?
- Как се пише тази дума?
How is this word spelled?
Word by Word: How itself writes this word?
- Как да стигна до центъра?
How do I get to the center?
Word by Word: How that I-reach to center-the?
- Как се казваш?
What's your name?
Word by Word: How yourself you-call?
Bulgarian uses как here, where English says what.
Common Mistakes
Asking for a name with какво.
Какво се казваш?Как се казваш?In Bulgarian you ask how someone is called, so the question word is как.
Using как before a noun to ask what kind.
Как човек е той?Какъв човек е той?Как cannot be joined to a noun to ask what kind. To ask what kind of person or thing, use какъв, каква, какво or какви.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- как си/как стеAsking How Someone Is
The everyday greeting built on как.
Level 1 - казвам сеSaying Your Name
Как се казваш? is the usual way to ask a name.
Level 1 - каквоAsking What
Какво asks what, while как asks how.
Level 1 - какъв/каква/какво/каквиAsking What Kind
Asks what kind or what something is like, which как cannot do before a noun.
Level 2 - къдеAsking Where
Another basic question word that opens a question.
Level 1 - Adverbs From Adjectives
Adverbs like добре and бързо are typical answers to как.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice как in Bubblegum
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