Interrogative Pronouns in Russian

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. In Russian, they are used to inquire about people, things, places, and possessions, among other things. These pronouns are essential for forming direct questions, and like other pronouns in Russian, they must agree in case, gender, and number with the noun they refer to.
The main interrogative pronouns in Russian are:
- Кто (kto) – «Who»
- Что (chto) – «What»
- Какой (kakoy) – «Which» or «What kind of»
- Чей (chey) – «Whose»
Each of these pronouns has different forms depending on the case they are used in, and each one serves a specific function in forming questions.
1. Interrogative Pronouns in Different Cases
1.1. «Кто» (Who)
«Кто» is used to ask about people or living beings. It is an interrogative pronoun that does not change based on gender but does change depending on the case.
Case | Form |
---|---|
Nominative | Кто (kto) |
Genitive | Кого (kogo) |
Dative | Кому (komu) |
Accusative | Кого (kogo) |
Instrumental | Кем (kem) |
Prepositional | О ком (o kom) |
Example Sentences:
- Кто это? (Who is this?)
- Кого ты ищешь? (Who are you looking for?)
- Кому ты помогаешь? (Who are you helping?)
- Кем ты работаешь? (What is your occupation? / Who do you work as?)
1.2. «Что» (What)
«Что» is used to ask about things or concepts that are not human. It is used when you want to inquire about objects, ideas, or actions.
Case | Form |
---|---|
Nominative | Что (chto) |
Genitive | Чего (chego) |
Dative | Чему (chemu) |
Accusative | Что (chto) |
Instrumental | Чем (chem) |
Prepositional | О чём (o chyom) |
Example Sentences:
- Что это? (What is this?)
- Что ты ищешь? (What are you looking for?)
- Чему ты учишься? (What are you studying?)
- Чем ты интересуешься? (What are you interested in?)
1.3. «Какой» (Which/What kind of)
«Какой» is used to inquire about the quality, appearance, or type of something. It is used when asking about objects or people in terms of their characteristics or features.
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | Какой (kakoy) | Какая (kakaya) | Какое (kakoye) | Какие (kakiye) |
Genitive | Какого (kakogo) | Какой (kakoy) | Какого (kakogo) | Каких (kakikh) |
Dative | Какому (kakomu) | Какой (kakoy) | Какому (kakomu) | Каким (kakim) |
Accusative | Какой (kakoy) | Какую (kakuyu) | Какое (kakoye) | Какие (kakiye) |
Instrumental | Каким (kakim) | Какими (kakimi) | Каким (kakim) | Какими (kakimi) |
Prepositional | О каком (o kakom) | О какой (o kakoy) | О каком (o kakom) | О каких (o kakikh) |
Example Sentences:
- Какой фильм ты хочешь посмотреть? (What kind of movie do you want to watch?)
- Какая у тебя книга? (What book do you have?)
- Какое это место? (What kind of place is this?)
- Какие у тебя планы? (What are your plans?)
1.4. «Чей» (Whose)
«Чей» is used to ask about possession or ownership. It is used to inquire about who something belongs to.
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | Чей (chey) | Чья (chya) | Чьё (chyo) | Чьи (chyi) |
Genitive | Чьего (chego) | Чьей (chyei) | Чьего (chego) | Чьих (chikh) |
Dative | Чьему (chemu) | Чьей (chyei) | Чьему (chemu) | Чьим (chiyim) |
Accusative | Чей (chey) | Чью (chyu) | Чьё (chyo) | Чьи (chyi) |
Instrumental | Чьим (chiyim) | Чьей (chyei) | Чьим (chiyim) | Чьими (chimi) |
Prepositional | О чём (o chyom) | О чьём (o chyom) | О чём (o chyom) | О чьих (o chikh) |
Example Sentences:
- Чей это рюкзак? (Whose backpack is this?)
- Чья это книга? (Whose book is this?)
- Чьё это письмо? (Whose letter is this?)
- Чьи это дети? (Whose children are these?)
2. Interrogative Pronouns in Sentences
Here are more examples using different interrogative pronouns in Russian:
- Кто это? (Who is this?)
- Что ты хочешь? (What do you want?)
- Какая твоя любимая книга? (What is your favorite book?)
- Чей это телефон? (Whose phone is this?)
3. Conclusion
Interrogative pronouns are essential tools in Russian for forming questions. They help you inquire about people, things, qualities, and ownership. It is important to remember that these pronouns agree with the noun they refer to in case, gender, and number.
By mastering how to use кто, что, какой, and чей in different cases, you can ask more precise and varied questions in Russian.
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