kes
Who (Kes)
kes means who. Like mis, it takes case endings: Kes see on? (Who is that?), Keda sa ootad? (Who are you waiting for?), Kelle raamat see on? (Whose book is this?).
How It Works
kes asks about people. The verb and the meaning decide which form you need.
Common forms
- kes – who (subject): Kes seal on? (Who is there?)
- kelle – whose: Kelle telefon see on? (Whose phone is this?)
- keda – who(m), partitive: Keda sa ootad? (Who are you waiting for?)
- kellega – with whom: Kellega sa elad? (Who do you live with?)
- kellele – to whom: Kellele sa helistad? (Who are you calling?)
- kellel ~ kel – who has: Kellel on küsimusi? (Who has questions?)
The answer usually has the same case as the question: Kellega sa elad? – Õega. (Who do you live with? – With my sister.)
Asking about a person
Kes ta on? asks who someone is. The answer can be a name, a relationship or a job: Ta on minu vend. (He is my brother.) Ta on arst. (She is a doctor.) To ask about a job directly, say Mis tööd ta teeb? (What work does she do?)
Good to know
- The plural looks the same: Kes nad on? (Who are they?)
- kes also starts relative clauses about people: mees, kes seal seisab (the man who is standing there).
Examples (6)
- Kes see on?
Who is that?
Word by Word: who this is
- Keda sa ootad?
Who are you waiting for?
Word by Word: whom(PART) you wait
ootama takes the partitive, so kes becomes keda.
- Kellega sa elad?
Who do you live with?
Word by Word: whom-with you live
- Kelle raamat see on?
Whose book is this?
Word by Word: whose book this is
- Kellele sa helistad?
Who are you calling?
Word by Word: whom-to you call
helistama uses the allative (-le) for the person you call.
- Kellel on küsimusi?
Who has questions?
Word by Word: who-at is questions(PART.PL)
Common Mistakes
Using the basic form kes for "whose".
Kes raamat see on?Kelle raamat see on?An owner stands in the genitive, so "whose" is kelle.
Using kes as the object of a verb that takes the partitive.
Kes sa ootad?Keda sa ootad?ootama (wait for) takes a partitive object, so the question word must be keda.
How It Connects
Learn This First
kes takes case endings like any noun.
Related Patterns
- misWhat (Mis)
mis is the matching question word for things.
Level 1 - Genitive (Owner Form)
kelle (whose) is the genitive of kes.
Level 1 - Comitative (-ga)
kellega? asks who you do something with.
Level 1 - Pronouns in Other Cases
Answers to kes-questions often use personal pronouns in the same cases.
Level 2 - mul onHaving (Mul on)
Kellel on ...? asks who has something, using the mul on structure.
Level 1 - Relative Clause with kes
The same word links a relative clause to a person: mees, kes seal seisab.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice kes in Bubblegum
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