को / का / की

Showing Possession

Level 1Sounds Like kō, kā ra kī

को joins two nouns to say of or 's, and the ending agrees with the thing owned.

How It Works

को works like of or 's, but it comes after the owner and agrees with what is owned.

EndingThe thing ownedExample
कोone thing, or a manरामको घर
काseveral things or peopleरामका साथीहरू
कीa woman or a girlरामकी बहिनी

The ending shows the owned noun and does not change with the owner. रामका साथीहरू uses का because there are several friends. In speech, people often say रामको बहिनी too, and the written standard has की for a woman. A respected person owned takes का too: रामका बुबा.

को joins the owner without a space: आमाको फोन, नेपालको राजधानी. After a plural, it follows हरू: साथीहरूको घर.

Do not confuse this with the question word को (who), which stands alone. The marker को is always joined to a noun or pronoun.

Examples (5)

  1. यो रामको घर हो।

    This is Ram's house.

    को joins Ram to the house.

  2. रामका साथीहरू बजार जान्छन्।

    Ram's friends go to the market.

    का fits the plural साथीहरू.

  3. रामकी बहिनी घरमा छे।

    Ram's younger sister is at home.

    की fits the girl बहिनी.

  4. यो आमाको फोन हो।

    This is Mother's phone.

    को joins आमा to the phone.

  5. नेपालको राजधानी काठमाडौं हो।

    The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu.

    को joins Nepal to its capital.

Common Mistakes

  • Using को with a plural thing owned.

    रामको साथीहरू बजार जान्छन्।
    रामका साथीहरू बजार जान्छन्।

    In writing, a plural thing owned takes का, and साथीहरू is plural.

How It Connects

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

को / का / कीLevel 1Showing Possession

Learn This First

को, का and की mark who owns something and are postpositions.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.