qanday

How and What Kind

Level 1

Qanday asks how or what kind. Before a noun it means what kind of: Toshkent qanday shahar? (What kind of city is Tashkent?).

How It Works

Qanday has three uses, all decided by what comes after it:

  • Before a noun: what kind of. Toshkent qanday shahar? (What kind of city is Tashkent?) → Katta, chiroyli shahar.
  • Before a verb, or as the predicate: how. Bu soʻzni qanday yozasiz? (How do you write this word?). Ahvolingiz qanday? (How are you doing?)
  • Before an adjective: an exclamation. Qanday chiroyli! (How beautiful!). Here it is not a question.

Qanaqa is the everyday twin of qanday, heard constantly in conversation: Qanaqa choy ichasiz? (What kind of tea will you drink?). In writing and formal speech, qanday is more usual. Qanday qilib stresses the method: Qanday qilib borasiz? (How exactly will you get there?).

What kind vs which. Qanday asks for a description. To ask someone to pick from things you can see or name, use qaysi.

Like other question words, qanday stands where the answer goes and never takes -mi. The related shunday / bunday answers it: shunday (like that).

Examples (5)

  1. Ahvolingiz qanday?

    How are you doing?

    Word by Word: Condition-your how?

    A common polite greeting question.

  2. Bu soʻzni qanday yozasiz?

    How do you write this word?

    Word by Word: This word-object how write-you?

    Before a verb, qanday asks about the manner.

  3. Toshkent qanday shahar?

    What kind of city is Tashkent?

    Word by Word: Tashkent what-kind city?

    Before a noun, qanday asks for a description.

  4. Qanaqa choy ichasiz?

    What kind of tea will you drink?

    Word by Word: What-kind tea drink-you?

    Qanaqa is the conversational twin of qanday.

  5. Qanday chiroyli!

    How beautiful!

    Word by Word: How beautiful!

    Before an adjective, qanday makes an exclamation, not a question.

Common Mistakes

  • Using qanday to ask someone to pick one.

    Qanday avtobus shaharga boradi?
    Qaysi avtobus shaharga boradi?

    When you want to know which of the buses you see goes to the city, ask qaysi. Qanday avtobus asks what kind of bus it is.

  • Adding -mi to a question with qanday.

    Ahvolingiz qandaymi?
    Ahvolingiz qanday?

    Qanday already makes the sentence a question. -mi is only for yes-no questions, such as Yaxshimisiz?

How It Connects

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qandayLevel 1How and What Kind

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Words in This Pattern

qandayqandayahvol