kai kas / kai kurie
Some with Kai
kai kas = some people, something. kai kurie (masculine), kai kurios (feminine) = some of a group.
How It Works
Two words, and only the second one changes. Kai never changes. The second word declines like kas or like kuris. Always write them as two words.
Kai kas: some people, something. Kai kas stands alone, without a noun. It can mean some people or some things, and it takes a third-person verb form: Kai kas mano, kad tai netiesa. (Some people think that isn't true.) It takes the forms of kas:
- kai ko: Man dar kai ko trūksta. (I'm still missing something.)
- kai kam: Kai kam šis filmas nepatiko. (Some people didn't like this film.)
- kai ką: Kai ką jau supratau. (I have already understood some things.)
- kai kuo: Jis kai kuo panašus į tėvą. (He is like his father in some ways.)
Kai kurie, kai kurios: some of them. This one agrees with a noun in gender and case, like an adjective. It picks out part of a group: Kai kurie studentai gyvena bendrabutyje. (Some students live in the dorm.) Kai kurios parduotuvės sekmadienį nedirba. (Some shops are closed on Sunday.) The noun can also be left out when it is clear: Kai kurie jau išėjo. (Some of them have already left.)
More words with kai. The same pattern gives kai kur (in some places) and kai kada (sometimes).
How it differs from kažkas. Kažkas refers to an unidentified person or thing: Kažkas skambina. (Someone is calling.) Kai kas usually means some people, but not all of them, and often the speaker knows who.
Examples (6)
- Kai kas dar nežino šios naujienos.
Some people don't know this news yet.
Word by Word: Some-who still not-knows this news.
The accusative direct object of žinoti becomes genitive after nežino: šios naujienos.
- Kai kurie studentai gyvena bendrabutyje.
Some students live in the dormitory.
- Kai kurios parduotuvės sekmadienį nedirba.
Some shops are closed on Sunday.
Word by Word: Some shops on-Sunday don't-work.
Parduotuvė is feminine, so kai kurios.
- Kai kam šis filmas nepatiko.
Some people didn't like this film.
Word by Word: To-some this film not-pleased.
Patikti takes the dative, so kas becomes kam.
- Kai ką jau supratau, bet ne viską.
I've understood some things already, but not everything.
- Kai kuriuos žodžius sunku ištarti.
Some words are hard to pronounce.
Žodžius is the object of ištarti, so kai kuriuos is accusative plural too.
Common Mistakes
Writing kai kas or kai kurie as one word.
Kaikurie studentai jau atėjo.Kai kurie studentai jau atėjo.Kai is always a separate word: kai kas, kai kurie, kai kur, kai kada.
Putting kai kas in front of a noun.
Kai kas studentai dar nežino.Kai kurie studentai dar nežino.Kai kas is a pronoun and stands alone. With a noun, use kai kurie or kai kurios.
Not matching kai kurie to a feminine noun.
Kai kurie knygos labai senos.Kai kurios knygos labai senos.Knyga is feminine, so the word must be feminine too: kai kurios knygos.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Kai kas and kai kurie select some members without changing kai.
Related Patterns
- kažkas / kas norsSomeone and Anyone
Kažkas and kas nors mean someone or anyone; kai kas means some people out of many.
Level 3 - visas / kiekvienas / kitasAll, Every and Other
Words for all, every and other describe the rest of the group.
Level 3 - niekas / niekada + ne-Negative Words with Ne-
Niekas (nobody) is the opposite of kai kas.
Level 2 - šioks toksSome with Šioks Toks
Šioks toks is another way to say some, a bit, at Level 5.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice kai kas / kai kurie in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Lithuanian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
