के

Asking Who

Level 1Sounds Like kē

के means who, and ककर means whose.

How It Works

के means who. It stands where the person would be in the sentence.

WordMeaningExample
केwhoओ के छथि?
ककरwhoseई ककर किताब अछि?
ककराto whom, whomअहाँ ककरा देखैत छी?

When you ask about someone you respect, use a respectful verb: ओ के छथि? When you ask about a child, use अछि.

के is not the same as कोन. Use के for people (who) and कोन for choosing (which): कोन गाम (which village).

Do not use the Hindi कौन. Maithili says के.

Examples (5)

  1. ओ के छथि?

    Who is she?

    के asks who, and छथि shows respect.

  2. के एतय छथि?

    Who is here?

    के is the subject.

  3. ई ककर किताब अछि?

    Whose book is this?

    ककर means whose.

  4. अहाँ ककरा देखैत छी?

    Whom do you see?

    ककरा is the object form.

  5. अहाँ ककरा संग जाइत छी?

    Who are you going with?

    ककरा comes before संग.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Hindi कौन.

    ओ कौन छथि?
    ओ के छथि?

    Maithili uses के for who.

How It Connects

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

केLevel 1Asking Who

Learn This First

के first appears with छथि, and its form ककर works like ओकर.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

केककरककराकोन