kažkas / kas nors

Someone and Anyone

Level 3

Kažkas points to one real person or thing you cannot or will not name: Kažkas skambino (Someone called). Kas nors means anyone at all: Ar kas nors žino? (Does anyone know?).

How It Works

1. Kažkas: someone real. The speaker knows that the person or thing exists but does not know or does not say which one:

  • Kažkas skambino. (Someone called.)
  • Girdžiu kažką virtuvėje. (I hear something in the kitchen.)

2. Kas nors: anyone at all. No particular person or thing is meant. It is typical in questions, requests, commands and conditions:

  • Ar kas nors žino? (Does anyone know?)
  • Nupirk ko nors skanaus. (Buy something tasty.)
  • Jei kas nors paskambins, pasakyk, kad grįšiu vakare. (If anyone calls, say that I will be back in the evening.)

3. Both change for case. Put them in the case the sentence needs, just like kas. The object of girdžiu is kažką, and after nupirk with the meaning some it is genitive ko nors. Nors itself stays the same.

4. The same pattern with other question words. kažkur / kur nors (somewhere / anywhere), kažkada / kada nors (once, at some time / ever), kažkoks / koks nors (some kind of / any kind of), kažkaip / kaip nors (somehow / in any way): Ar kada nors buvai Lietuvoje? (Have you ever been to Lithuania?)

5. Nobody. For nobody and nothing, use niekas with ne-: Ar kas nors skambino? – Ne, niekas neskambino.

6. Avoid kažkas tai. Do not add an empty tai to kažkas or kažko just to mean someone or something. Just say kažkas or kas nors.

Examples (6)

  1. Kažkas skambino, kol tavęs nebuvo.

    Someone called while you were out.

    A real caller who is not identified in this sentence.

  2. Ar kas nors žino, kur mano raktai?

    Does anyone know where my keys are?

    In a question, anyone at all is kas nors.

  3. Girdžiu kažką virtuvėje.

    I hear something in the kitchen.

    Kažką is the accusative object of girdžiu.

  4. Jei kas nors paskambins, pasakyk, kad grįšiu vakare.

    If anyone calls, say that I'll be back in the evening.

    Kas nors is typical in an if-clause.

  5. Nupirk ko nors skanaus.

    Buy something tasty.

    Word by Word: Buy of-anything tasty.

    Ko nors skanaus is a partitive phrase: some unspecified tasty food or drink.

  6. Ar kada nors buvai Lietuvoje?

    Have you ever been to Lithuania?

    Kada nors means ever, at any time.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding tai after kažkas.

    Kažkas tai skambino.
    Kažkas skambino.

    When tai is merely an added particle meaning nothing here, leave it out: kažkas already means someone. An independent tai meaning “that” has a different role.

  • Leaving kas nors in the nominative when it is the object.

    Ar matei kas nors?
    Ar matei ką nors?

    The kas part changes for case like kas itself. The object of matei is accusative: ką nors.

How It Connects

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

kažkas / kas norsLevel 3Someone and Anyone

Learn This First

Kažkas and kas nors use the case forms of kas with different indefinite meanings.

Words in This Pattern

kažkas