Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'what'

English Word: what

Key Russian Translations:

• что [ʧto] - [Informal, Interrogative Pronoun]
• какой [kɐˈkoj] - [Formal or Descriptive, Used for "what kind" or "which"]

Frequency: High (Especially "что" is one of the most common words in everyday Russian conversation)

Difficulty: A1 for "что" (Beginner level, as it's a basic interrogative); B1 for "какой" (Intermediate, due to its use in more descriptive contexts)

Pronunciation (Russian):

что: [ʧto]

какой: [kɐˈkoj]

Note on что: The initial "ч" sound is a voiceless palatal fricative, similar to the "ch" in "church" in English. Be careful with the soft "t" at the end, which can vary slightly in fast speech.

Note on какой: Stress falls on the second syllable; the "о" is pronounced as a short "a" sound.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Interrogative pronoun asking for identification or information (e.g., "What is this?")

Translation(s) & Context:

• что - Used in informal questions about objects, ideas, or general inquiries in everyday speech.

Usage Examples:

• Что это такое? (What is this thing?)

  English: What is this thing?

• Что ты думаешь об этом? (What do you think about this?)

  English: What do you think about this? (Shows "что" in a conversational context.)

• Что происходит? (What is happening?)

  English: What is happening? (Demonstrates use in urgent or narrative situations.)

• Что ты ешь? (What are you eating?)

  English: What are you eating? (Illustrates everyday informal dialogue.)

Meaning 2: Descriptive or qualifying "what" (e.g., "What color is it?")

Translation(s) & Context:

• какой - Used when asking about qualities, types, or characteristics, often in more formal or specific contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Какой цвет у этой машины? (What color is this car?)

  English: What color is this car? (Focuses on attributes in descriptive speech.)

• Какой фильм ты хочешь посмотреть? (What movie do you want to watch?)

  English: What movie do you want to watch? (Used in decision-making or preferences.)

• Какой размер тебе нужен? (What size do you need?)

  English: What size do you need? (Common in shopping or practical scenarios.)

• Какой стиль у этой музыки? (What style is this music?)

  English: What style is this music? (Shows variation in cultural or artistic contexts.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For "что" (an interrogative pronoun), it undergoes declension based on case, which is irregular compared to nouns. It remains mostly invariable in nominative form but changes in other cases:

For "какой" (an adjective), it follows standard adjective declension patterns, changing by case, number, and gender. It is not invariable and must agree with the noun it modifies. Example in nominative: какой (masc.), какая (fem.), какое (neut.), какие (plur.).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • что - какой (slight difference: "что" is more general, while "какой" specifies qualities)
  • что - который (used in relative clauses, e.g., "which one")
• Antonyms: N/A (as "what" is interrogative, it doesn't have direct antonyms, but contextually opposites might include affirmative statements)

Related Phrases:

• Что нового? (What's new? - A common greeting phrase in casual conversations.)
• Какой ужас! (What a horror! - Used to express shock or surprise.)
• Что за...? (What on earth...? - An idiomatic expression for disbelief or inquiry.)

Usage Notes:

"Что" directly corresponds to the basic interrogative "what" in English and is used in informal settings, while "какой" is better for questions about attributes, similar to "what kind" or "which." Be mindful of word order in Russian sentences, as questions often start with the interrogative word. In formal writing, "какой" might be preferred for precision. When choosing between translations, opt for "что" in simple questions and "какой" when describing characteristics.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using "что" when a descriptive form is needed, e.g., saying "Что цвет?" instead of "Какой цвет?"
  Correct: "Какой цвет у этой рубашки?" (What color is this shirt?)
  Explanation: "Что" doesn't work for attributes; it leads to confusion in meaning.
• Mistake: Forgetting case changes, e.g., using "что" in genitive contexts without changing to "чего."
  Correct: "Где чего?" should be "Где чего лежит?" (Where is what lying? - Though awkward, shows proper inflection.)
  Explanation: Russian requires agreement in case, which English learners often overlook, resulting in grammatically incorrect sentences.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, phrases like "Что нового?" are staples in social interactions, reflecting a value on community and curiosity. "Что" in expressions like "Что за жизнь?" (What a life!) often carries a tone of resignation or irony, common in Russian literature and everyday speech, influenced by historical contexts of hardship and reflection.

Related Concepts:

• кто (who)
• где (where)
• когда (when)