kas / ką
Question Word Kas
Kas = who or what (the subject). Ką = who or what (the object): Ką darai? (What are you doing?)
How It Works
One word for who and what. Kas ten? can mean Who is there?, and Kas tai? means What is this? The situation makes the meaning clear.
Kas for the subject. Use kas when the answer is the one who does something or the thing that is: Kas nori arbatos? (Who wants tea?) When kas is the subject, the verb is in the third person, just as after jis or ji. An answer uses the nominative; see the nominative subject and identifying with tai.
Ką for the object. Use ką when the answer is an accusative object: Ką valgai? — Picą. (What are you eating? — Pizza.) The answer is in the accusative, the same case as the direct object.
Match the verb. Ask with the case the verb needs. Norėti takes the genitive, so the question is ko, not ką: Ko nori? — Kavos. See wanting things with norėti. The full set of forms (kas, ko, kam, ką, kuo) is in case forms of kas.
Useful set phrase: Kas yra? means What is the matter?
Examples (6)
- Kas tai? — Tai kava.
What is this? — It is coffee.
Word by Word: What this? — This coffee.
- Kas ten?
Who is there?
Word by Word: Who there?
- Ką tu darai?
What are you doing?
Word by Word: What you do?
- Ką valgai? — Picą.
What are you eating? — Pizza.
Word by Word: What eat-you? — Pizza.
The answer picą is in the accusative, like ką.
- Kas nori arbatos?
Who wants tea?
Word by Word: Who wants tea?
Kas is the subject here, so the verb is the third-person nori.
- Kas yra?
What is the matter?
Word by Word: What is?
Common Mistakes
Using kas for the object of the verb.
Kas tu darai?Ką tu darai?Tu is already the subject. The thing being done is the direct object, so the question word is ką.
Using ką for the wanted thing directly after norėti, without an understood infinitive.
Ką nori?Ko nori?Norėti puts the wanted thing in the genitive, so the question word is ko, the genitive of kas.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Kas and ką distinguish questions about subjects from questions about accusative objects.
Related Patterns
- Case Forms of kas
All the case forms of kas: ko, kam, ką, kuo.
Level 3 - tai + nominativeIdentifying with Tai
The usual answer to Kas tai?
Level 1 - norėti + genitiveWanting Things with Norėti
Norėti needs the genitive question word ko.
Level 1 - Questions With arYes-No Questions with Ar
Yes-no questions use ar instead of a question word.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice kas / ką in Bubblegum
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