како́й vs как
kakoy vs kak — which/what kind vs how
Register: neutral
What it really means
Како́й is an interrogative adjective meaning “which?” or “what kind of?” It agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case: какой фильм, какая книга, какое место, какие люди. It asks the listener to identify or characterize a noun, so the noun is normally present or understood: Какой ты выбрал? means “Which one did you choose?”
Как is an adverb meaning “how?” and asks about manner, condition, degree, or the way something happens: как добраться, “how to get there,” and как это работает, “how does this work?” It can also mean “as/like” in comparisons or “that” in reported speech. Choose какой when the question targets a thing or its type, and как when it targets the manner of an action or state.
Examples in natural speech
Какой фильм ты хочешь посмотреть?
Which film do you want to watch?
Какая сегодня погода?
What is the weather like today?
Как добраться до вокзала?
How do I get to the station?
Как ты готовишь этот суп?
How do you make this soup?
Я знаю, как это работает.
I know how this works.
Common mistakes
Do not use как when you need an adjective agreeing with a noun: какой поезд means “which train,” while как поезд means “like a train” or “as a train” depending on context. Conversely, как does not change for gender or number; do not invent forms such as ка́кая добраться. Remember that какой asks about the noun, while как asks about the way an action happens.
Memory tip
Како́й identifies the thing; как describes the way.
Frequently asked questions
Does какой change form?
Yes. It agrees with the noun: какой стол, какая лампа, какое окно, какие книги.
Can какой be used without a noun?
Yes, when the noun is understood: Какой выбрать? means “Which one should I choose?”
Can как mean “what”?
In English translations it sometimes does, but its Russian meaning is usually “how”: Как тебя зовут? literally asks “How are you called?”
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