какво
Asking What
Какво means "what": Какво е това? (What is this?) Какво правиш? (What are you doing?)
How It Works
Things: Какво е това? – Това е сирене. (What is this? – It's white cheese.)
Actions: Какво правиш? (What are you doing?)
Wishes: Какво искаш? (What do you want?)
The preposition comes first: English can end a question with a preposition, but Bulgarian cannot.
За какво говорите? (What are you talking about?)
С какво пишеш? (What are you writing with?)
Useful phrases: Какво има? (What's the matter? What's up?) comes from има. Какво ново? means "What's new?"
какво, кой or какъв?
A person: Кой е той? (Who is he?) See кой/коя/кое/кои.
A thing: Какво е това? (What is this?) The answer often uses това е.
What kind: before a noun, use какъв/каква/какво/какви, which agrees with the noun: Каква книга четеш? (What kind of book are you reading?) Its neuter form is also какво: Какво вино искаш? (What kind of wine do you want?)
Examples (5)
- Какво е това?
What is this?
Word by Word: What is this?
- Какво правиш?
What are you doing?
Word by Word: What you-do?
- Какво искаш за вечеря?
What do you want for dinner?
Word by Word: What you-want for dinner?
- За какво мислиш?
What are you thinking about?
Word by Word: About what you-think?
The preposition за comes before какво.
- Какво има?
What's the matter?
Word by Word: What has?
A set phrase built from има (there is).
Common Mistakes
Using какво when you want to know who someone is.
Какво е той?Кой е той?Bulgarian does not ask about a person with какво. To ask who he is, use кой: Кой е той? To ask what he is like, use какъв: Какъв е той?
Leaving the preposition at the end.
Какво мислиш за?За какво мислиш?In Bulgarian the preposition always stands in front of какво.
Using какъв to ask what a thing is.
Какъв е това?Какво е това?Какъв asks what kind and agrees with a noun. To ask what something is, use какво.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- кой/коя/кое/коиAsking Who and Which
Кой asks about people, while какво asks about things and actions.
Level 1 - какъв/каква/какво/каквиAsking What Kind
Asks what kind, and its neuter form looks the same as какво.
Level 2 - това еIdentifying with Това Е
Какво е това? is usually answered with Това е...
Level 1 - какAsking How
Как asks how, while какво asks what.
Level 1 - има/нямаThere Is and There Is Not
The phrase Какво има? is built from има.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice какво in Bubblegum
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