के Meaning What

Asking What

Level 1Sounds Like kē (praśnavācaka)

के means what.

How It Works

के is the word for what. It stands in the place where the answer will go.

QuestionPossible answer
यो के हो?यो चिया हो।
तपाईं के गर्नुहुन्छ?म काम गर्छु।
तिमी के खान्छौ?म भात खान्छु।
घरमा के छ?घरमा चिया छ।

The question तपाईं के गर्नुहुन्छ? is the usual way to ask what someone does for work. The answer is a job or an activity: म शिक्षक हुँ.

के is also used for yes or no questions at the start of a sentence, as in के तपाईं नेपाली हुनुहुन्छ? There it does not mean what. Look at what follows it. When के stands where the answer would go, it asks what, in the middle of a sentence or at the start, as in के भयो? (what happened?).

Examples (5)

  1. यो के हो?

    What is this?

    के stands where the answer will go.

  2. तपाईं के गर्नुहुन्छ?

    What do you do?

    The polite way to ask what someone does for work.

  3. तिमी के खान्छौ?

    What do you eat?

    के goes before the verb.

  4. तपाईंलाई के मन पर्छ?

    What do you like?

    के is the thing liked.

  5. घरमा के छ?

    What is there at home?

    के asks what exists.

How It Connects

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

के Meaning WhatLevel 1Asking What

Learn This First

के asks what, and it grows from the yes or no question.

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Patterns that build on this one.