какой vs который

kakoy vs kotoryy — which/what kind vs which one/that (relative)

What it really means

Како́й asks about a quality, type, or choice: "Какой фильм ты хочешь?" (What kind of film do you want? / Which film?). Кото́рый identifies one item from a known set or introduces a relative clause: "Который фильм ты уже видел?" (Which film have you already seen?) and "Фильм, который мы смотрели..." (The film that we watched...).

The boundary can overlap in short questions, and native speakers sometimes use какой where English uses which. A useful default is какой for describing or choosing by qualities, and который for identifying a numbered, ordered, or already mentioned item and for "which/that" in relative clauses.

Examples in natural speech

Какой сегодня день?
What day is it today?
Какой ресторан ты рекомендуешь?
What kind of restaurant do you recommend?
Который автобус идёт в центр?
Which bus goes to the centre?
Который час?
What time is it?
Это книга, которую я искал.
This is the book that I was looking for.
Какой из этих вариантов лучше?
Which of these options is better?

Common mistakes

Do not use который as the only translation of English "which": it is also the relative pronoun "which/that" and often points to an identified item. Do not forget agreement and case: какой, какая, какое, какие and который, которая, которое, которые all change with their noun.

Memory tip

Какой asks "what kind or which choice?"; который points to the identified one or links a relative clause.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between какой and который in Russian?

Какой asks what kind or which choice, often focusing on qualities. Который identifies one item from a known set and is also the relative pronoun meaning which or that.

How do you say which one in Russian?

Use "который" when the listener can identify the set or item: "Который твой?" means "Which one is yours?" In an open-ended question about a type or quality, use какой.

What does который mean in a Russian relative clause?

Который means which or that and agrees with the noun it refers to: "книга, которую я читаю" means "the book that I am reading." Its case comes from its role inside the relative clause.

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