Relative kas

Relative Clauses with Kas

Level 4

After words like tas (the one), tai (that) and viskas (everything), kas links a clause the way English uses who, what or that: Pasakyk viską, ką žinai. (Tell me everything you know.)

How It Works

Words that come before kas

  • tas, kas: the one who, whoever — Tas, kas daug skaito, daug žino.
  • tai, kas: what, the thing that — Tai, ką matei, yra paslaptis.
  • viskas, kas: everything that — Viskas, kas gera, greitai baigiasi.
  • nieko, ko: nothing that — Nėra nieko, ko nežinotum. (There is nothing you would not know.)

Two words, two cases
Each word takes the case its own verb needs:

  • Džiaugiuosi tuo, ką turiu. Džiaugtis takes the instrumental (tuo), and turėti takes the accusative (ką).
  • Pasakyk viską, ką žinai. Both are accusative because both verbs take a direct object.
  • Tai, kuo domiuosi, tau neįdomu. (What I am interested in does not interest you.) Domėtis takes the instrumental kuo.

See Case Forms of Kas.

Neuter words after kas
When kas refers to an abstract thing, the adjective can be neuter: viskas, kas gera (everything that is good). See Neuter Words for States.

Proverbs with the order reversed
Sayings often put the kas clause first: Kas nedirba, tas nevalgo. (He who does not work does not eat.)

After nouns, use kuris
For a relative clause describing a noun, learn the pattern with kuris, kuri: knyga, kurią skaitau (the book that I am reading). See Relative Clauses With Kuris. Commas go around the whole kas clause; see Commas Before Subordinate Clauses.

Examples (6)

  1. Tas, kas daug skaito, daug žino.

    Whoever reads a lot knows a lot.

    Word by Word: That, who much reads, much knows.

  2. Pasakyk viską, ką žinai.

    Tell me everything you know.

    Word by Word: Tell everything, what you-know.

  3. Tai, ką matei, yra paslaptis.

    What you saw is a secret.

    Word by Word: That, what you-saw, is secret.

  4. Džiaugiuosi tuo, ką turiu.

    I am happy with what I have.

    Word by Word: I-rejoice with-that, what I-have.

    Tuo is instrumental for džiaugtis; ką is accusative for turiu.

  5. Viskas, kas gera, greitai baigiasi.

    All good things come to an end quickly.

    Word by Word: Everything, what good, quickly ends.

    Gera is neuter here because the phrase refers to what is good in general.

  6. Kas nedirba, tas nevalgo.

    He who does not work does not eat.

    Word by Word: Who not-works, that not-eats.

    A proverb with the kas clause first.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving kas the case of the main clause instead of its own clause.

    Pasakyk viską, kas žinai.
    Pasakyk viską, ką žinai.

    Kas is the object of žinai, so it must be accusative: ką.

  • Leaving out the commas around the kas clause.

    Viskas kas gera greitai baigiasi.
    Viskas, kas gera, greitai baigiasi.

    A relative clause is set off by commas on both sides when the sentence continues after it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Relative kasLevel 4Relative Clauses with Kas

Learn This First

Relative kas takes its case inside the relative clause independently of the main clause.

Words in This Pattern

tasviskas