Core Grammar / Function Words

Вопроси́тельные слова́

The thirteen words that open a question, and the grid that turns each of them into “some-”, “any-” and “no-”. The place trio где / куда́ / отку́да is the one English speakers get wrong most.

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Who and what

кто who

Declines like a noun: кого́, кому́, кем, о ком. Always takes a singular verb.

Кто э́то сде́лал? Who did this?
что what

Also declines: чего́, чему́, чем, о чём. As a conjunction it means “that”.

Что ты де́лаешь? What are you doing?

Place: the trio that matters

где where (at what place)

Static location. The answer is in the PREPOSITIONAL case.

Где ты живёшь? Where do you live?
куда́ where to

Motion towards. The answer is in the ACCUSATIVE after в or на.

Куда́ ты идёшь? Where are you going?
отку́да where from

Motion away. The answer is in the GENITIVE after из, с or от.

Отку́да ты? Where are you from?

Time, manner, reason

когда́ when

Works as both a question word and a conjunction, with no change of form.

Когда́ начина́ется фильм? When does the film start?
как how

Also “as” or “like” in comparisons.

Как ты себя́ чу́вствуешь? How are you feeling?
почему́ why (cause)

Asks the cause. Answered with потому́ что. See Cause & Purpose for the full contrast.

Почему́ ты молчи́шь? Why are you silent?
заче́м what for (purpose)

Asks the purpose. Answered with что́бы.

Заче́м тебе́ э́то? What do you need that for?

Which, whose, how many

како́й what kind of, which

An adjective, so it agrees in gender, number and case with its noun.

Како́й фильм ты смотре́л? What film did you watch?
кото́рый which, who (relative)

Chiefly a RELATIVE pronoun joining clauses, not a question word.

Челове́к, кото́рый звони́л, ждёт. The man who called is waiting.
чей whose

Agrees with the thing owned, not the owner: чья, чьё, чьи.

Чей э́то телефо́н? Whose phone is this?
ско́лько how many, how much

The counted noun goes into the GENITIVE: ско́лько книг, ско́лько вре́мени.

Ско́лько э́то сто́ит? How much does this cost?

The -то and -нибудь grid

кто́-то someone (a definite one)

The person exists and is specific; you simply do not know which.

Кто́-то звони́л, пока́ тебя́ не́ было. Someone called while you were out.
кто́-нибудь anyone (any one at all)

Any person will do, or you do not know whether there is one.

Кто́-нибудь зна́ет отве́т? Does anyone know the answer?
никто́ nobody

REQUIRES не on the verb: Никто́ не зна́ет.

Никто́ не отве́тил. Nobody answered.
что́-то something

A specific thing, unidentified.

Он что́-то сказа́л. He said something.
что́-нибудь anything

Any thing at all, typically in a question or a request.

Купи́ что́-нибудь на у́жин. Buy something for dinner.
ничто́ nothing

Requires не. In practice the accusative ничего́ is far more common.

Ничего́ не случи́лось. Nothing happened.
где́-то somewhere

A definite place, unknown to the speaker.

Ключи́ где́-то здесь. The keys are somewhere here.
где́-нибудь anywhere

Any place at all.

Посиди́м где́-нибудь? Shall we sit somewhere?
нигде́ nowhere

Requires не: Я нигде́ не́ был.

Его́ нигде́ нет. He is nowhere to be found.
когда́-то once, at some time

At a definite past or future time, unspecified.

Когда́-то здесь был лес. There was once a forest here.
когда́-нибудь ever, some day

At any time at all; the natural word for “ever” in a question.

Ты когда́-нибудь был в Москве́? Have you ever been to Moscow?
никогда́ never

Requires не: Я никогда́ не курю́.

Он никогда́ не опа́здывает. He is never late.
ка́к-то somehow

In some definite way, not specified.

Он ка́к-то узна́л а́дрес. He somehow found out the address.
ка́к-нибудь somehow, one way or another

Any way at all, often meaning “we will manage”.

Ка́к-нибудь спра́вимся. We will manage somehow.
ника́к in no way, not at all

Requires не: Ника́к не могу́ поня́ть.

Дверь ника́к не открыва́ется. The door will not open at all.

Choosing between them

These comparisons are the reason this page exists. A function word is rarely hard to translate; it is hard to choose.

где against куда́ against отку́да

English uses “where” for all three, which is why this is the trio to learn first. где is static and answered in the prepositional: Где ты? В шко́ле. куда́ is motion towards and answered in the accusative: Куда́ ты? В шко́лу. отку́да is motion away and answered in the genitive: Отку́да ты? Из шко́лы. The same three-way split runs through здесь / сюда́ / отсю́да and там / туда́ / отту́да.

како́й against кото́рый

како́й asks what KIND: Како́й э́то суп? Грибно́й. кото́рый asks WHICH ONE of a known set, and far more often it is not a question at all but the relative pronoun joining two clauses: Кни́га, кото́рую я чита́ю. In speech, если you are choosing from things in front of you, како́й is usually what you want.

-то against -нибудь

This is the highest-value distinction on the page and it is not about certainty, it is about DEFINITENESS. -то means the thing exists and is specific, you just cannot name it: Кто́-то звони́л, a real person rang. -нибудь means any one at all would do, or you do not know whether there is one: Кто́-нибудь звони́л? A rule of thumb that works most of the time: -то in statements about the past, -нибудь in questions, requests and futures.

the ни- words and the double negative

Every ни- word REQUIRES не on the verb, and Russian is perfectly happy with the double negative that results: Я никогда́ не курю́, literally “I never do not smoke”. Dropping the не is one of the most audible learner errors there is. With more than one ни- word they simply stack: Никто́ никогда́ ничего́ не говори́т.