Kdo je to / Co je to

Who or What Is It

Level 1

Use Kdo je to? (Who is it?) for people and Co je to? (What is it?) for things and animals.

How It Works

1. Asking Who or What
Kdo je to? means Who is it? or Who is that? Use kdo for a person. Speakers also use it for pets when treating them as individuals. Co je to? means What is it? or What is that? Use co for things, concepts, or asking what an animal is.

2. Identifying With To
For a neutral identification, learn To je...: To je můj bratr (That is my brother) and To je moje sestra (That is my sister). The to stays the same despite the different noun genders. This does not mean that personal pronouns such as on and ona are forbidden in other identity questions. Their use depends on which person is already being discussed and what the speaker emphasizes.

3. More Than One
The question Kdo je to? can receive a plural answer: To jsou moji rodiče. (Those are my parents.) Use jsou with a plural noun in this answer pattern. An explicit plural noun can also appear in the question: Kdo jsou to ti lidé? (Who are those people?).

4. What Kind
Co je to za... asks what kind of person or thing something is: Co je to za auto? (What kind of car is that?). The construction can express a neutral request for information or an evaluation, depending on context and tone.

5. Past Identification
Common questions are Kdo to byl? (Who was it?) and Co to bylo? (What was it?). In answers, compare To byl můj bratr, To byla moje sestra, To bylo moje auto and To byli moji rodiče. The past form changes with the gender and number of the noun identified.

6. Word Order
Kdo to je? and Co to je? are also common. Both orders can ask the same basic identity question. Word order and emphasis can vary with the conversation; do not treat one order as the only natural choice.

Examples (6)

  1. Kdo je to? – To je můj bratr.

    Who is that? – That is my brother.

    Word by Word: Who is it? – It is my brother.

    Use 'Kdo' (Who) when asking about a person.

  2. Co je to? – To je nová kniha.

    What is it? – It is a new book.

    Use 'Co' (What) when asking about an object.

  3. Kdo je to? – To je náš pes.

    Who is that? – That is our dog.

    Native speakers frequently use 'Kdo' (Who) for animals, especially pets, though 'Co' (What) is also grammatically correct.

  4. Kdo je to? – To jsou moji rodiče.

    Who is that? – Those are my parents.

    Word by Word: Who is it? – It are my parents.

    Here Kdo je to? receives a plural answer with jsou. Questions with an explicit plural noun can also use jsou.

  5. Co je to za auto?

    What kind of car is that?

    Word by Word: What is it for car?

    Co je to za auto? asks what kind of car it is. Tone and context determine whether the question is neutral or evaluative.

  6. Kdo to je? – To je pan Novák.

    Who is that? – That is Mr. Novák.

    The alternative word order 'Kdo to je?' or 'Co to je?' is very common and natural in spoken Czech.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a singular verb in the answer when identifying multiple things or people.

    Kdo je to? – To je moji kamarádi.
    Kdo je to? – To jsou moji kamarádi.

    In To jsou moji kamarádi, use plural jsou with plural kamarádi. The question Kdo je to? can still be singular; a question explicitly naming plural people can use Kdo jsou to ti lidé?

  • Using a masculine past form with sestra in this identification pattern.

    To byl moje sestra.
    To byla moje sestra.

    Sestra is feminine, so use byla: To byla moje sestra. The pointing word to stays unchanged.

How It Connects

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Kdo je to / Co je toLevel 1Who or What Is It

Learn This First

To understand 'Kdo je to' and 'Co je to', a learner needs to be familiar with the basic present tense conjugation of the verb 'být' (to be), specifically the third-person singular form 'je'.

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Words in This Pattern

coten