как

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kak"

Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *kako.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kak]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ak

Adverb

как • (kak) (not comparable)

1. as
2. how

Conjunction

как • (kak)

1. as

Kyrgyz

Noun

как • (kak) (Arabic spelling قاق)

1. knock

Russian

Alternative forms

• какъ (kak) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kək]
• IPA^(key): [kɐk] (before a stressed syllable)
• IPA^(key): [kak] (when stressed)

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kako.

Adverb

как • (kak)

1. (with a verb or short-form adjective, which can be implied and omitted) how (in what way, in what manner) (translated as "what" with some verbs)

   Synonym: каки́м о́бразом (kakím óbrazom)

   Как он э́то сде́лал? ― Kak on éto sdélal? ― How did he do that?

   Как дела́? ― Kak delá? ― How are things?

   Как пройти́ на по́чту? ― Kak projtí na póčtu? ― How can I get to the post office?

   Как вас зову́т? ― Kak vas zovút? ― What's your name? (literally, “How do (they/people) call you?”)

   Как ва́ша фами́лия? ― Kak váša famílija? ― What's your surname? (literally, “How does your surname (go/sound/etc.)?”)

   Как э́то бу́дет по-ру́сски / на ру́сском? ― Kak éto búdet po-rússki / na rússkom? ― What's that in Russian? / What would that be in Russian? (literally, “How will that be in Russian?”)

   Как вы э́то называ́ете? ― Kak vy éto nazyvájete? ― What do you call this? (literally, “How do you call this?”)

   Как ты ду́маешь, что он де́лает? ― Kak ty dúmaješʹ, što on délajet? ― What do you think he's doing? (literally, “How do you think, what is he doing?”)

   Как располо́жены зда́ния? ― Kak raspolóženy zdánija? ― How are the buildings situated?

   Как была́ проведена́ процеду́ра? ― Kak bylá provedená procedúra? ― How was the procedure conducted?

   Я не зна́ю, как э́то рабо́тает. ― Ja ne znáju, kak éto rabótajet. ― I don't know how this works.

   Я не зна́ю, как он э́то сде́лал. ― Ja ne znáju, kak on éto sdélal. ― I don’t know how he did it.

   Я забы́л, как э́то называ́ется. ― Ja zabýl, kak éto nazyvájetsja. ― I forgot what that's called. (literally, “I forgot how that's called.”)

   Мне не нра́вится, как он поступи́л. ― Mne ne nrávitsja, kak on postupíl. ― I don't like what he did. (literally, “I don't like how he acted/behaved/did things.”)

3. (with an adverb or short-form adjective) how (to what extent/degree)

   Synonyms: (with a long-form adjective; must be declined) како́й (kakój), наско́лько (naskólʹko), сколь (skolʹ)

   Как далеко́ он ушёл? ― Kak dalekó on ušól? ― How far did he go?

   Как до́лго э́то продолжа́ется? ― Kak dólgo éto prodolžájetsja? ― How long has this been going on?

   Я не знал, как э́то ва́жно для них. ― Ja ne znal, kak éto vážno dlja nix. ― I didn't know how important it was for them.

5. (exclamative, with an adverb or short-form adjective) how (to a significant extent/degree) (used to indicate surprise, delight or horror)

   Synonyms: (with a long-form adjective; must be declined) како́й (kakój), наско́лько (naskólʹko), сколь (skolʹ)

   Как здо́рово! ― Kak zdórovo! ― How great!

   Как ужа́сно! ― Kak užásno! ― How horrible!

   Как бы́стро он бежи́т! ― Kak býstro on bežít! ― How fast he runs!

6. (concessive, with ни (ni) and a short-form adjective, adverb or verb) as, however, however much

   Как он ни умён... ― Kak on ni umjón... ― Clever as he is...

   Как ни стра́нно... ― Kak ni stránno... ― As strange as it may seem... / Oddly enough...

   • 1872, Николай Семёнович Лесков (Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov), Соборяне, part 4, chapter 6; translated as Isabel Hapgood, transl., The Cathedral Folk, London, 1924, page 88:

     Как его́ ни упра́шивали хоть что́-нибудь вы́пить, он на все про́сьбы отвеча́л:
     — Нет, нет, освободи́те! Я ро́вно, ро́вно вина́ никако́го не пью.

     Kak jevó ni uprášivali xotʹ štó-nibudʹ výpitʹ, on na vse prósʹby otvečál:
     — Net, net, osvobodíte! Ja róvno, róvno viná nikakóvo ne pʹju.

     Urge him as they would to drink something, he replied to all entreaties:
     "No, no, release me! I cannot drink liquor, absolutely no liquor at all."

   • 1982, Сергей Донатович Довлатов (Sergei Donatovich Dovlatov), Зона (Записки надзирателя); translated as Anne Frydman, transl., The Zone: A Prison Camp Guard's Story, A.A. Knopf, 1985, page 22:

     Как я ни му́чился, как ни проклина́л э́ту жизнь, созна́ние функциони́ровало безотка́зно.

     Kak ja ni múčilsja, kak ni proklinál étu žiznʹ, soznánije funkcionírovalo bezotkázno.

     However much I suffered, however much I cursed that life, my consciousness functioned without fail.

7. (between same-tense verbs) as soon as, when

   Synonyms: как то́лько (kak tólʹko), когда́ (kogdá)

   Я прие́ду, как смогу́. ― Ja prijédu, kak smogú. ― I'll come as soon as I can.

   Я отпра́влю тебе́ фо́тку, как уви́жу его́. ― Ja otprávlju tebé fótku, kak uvížu jevó. ― I'll send you a pic as soon as I see it.

   Я останови́лся, как услы́шал его́ го́лос. ― Ja ostanovílsja, kak uslýšal jevó gólos. ― I stopped as soon as I heard his voice.

8. (after a phrase about passed time and before a verbal phrase) since (the last time something happened)

   Synonyms: с тех по́р, как (s tex pór, kak); с того́ вре́мени, как (s tovó vrémeni, kak); с того́ моме́нта, как (s tovó moménta, kak)

   Прошёл год, как мы ви́делись. ― Prošól god, kak my vídelisʹ. ― It's been a year since we've seen each other.

9. (in the following construction with так (tak) and и (i)) both (or not translated)

   Synonym: и ..., и ... (i ..., i ...)

   Э́то прино́сит по́льзу как молоды́м, так и ста́рым. ― Éto prinósit pólʹzu kak molodým, tak i stárym. ― This benefits both the young and the old. (literally, “This brings benefit in the same way (it does) to the old as (it does) to the young too.”)

10. (colloquial, with a conjugated perfective verb) suddenly, all of a sudden (in the past)

    Как он вско́чит! ― Kak on vskóčit! ― All of a sudden, he jumped up!

    Он как закричи́т! ― On kak zakričít! ― He suddenly started shouting/screaming!

Derived terms

• ещё как (ješčó kak)

Conjunction

как • (kak)

1. like (in the same manner as / a similar manner to); occasionally as

   Synonyms: (archaic) а́ки (áki), бу́дто (búdto), сло́вно (slóvno), (dated) я́ко (jáko)

   Она́ вы́глядит как знамени́тость. ― Oná výgljadit kak znamenítostʹ. ― She looks like a celebrity.

   Звук «г», как в сло́ве «good». ― Zvuk «g», kak v slóve «good». ― The sound "g", like/as in the word "good".

   Он относи́лся к э́тому как к рабо́те. ― On otnosílsja k étomu kak k rabóte. ― He treated it like/as a job.

   широ́кий как мо́ре ― širókij kak móre ― wide like the sea / (as) wide as the sea

   Бу́дьте как до́ма. ― Búdʹte kak dóma. ― Make yourself at home. (literally, “Be like at home.”)

2. as (in the capacity/role of)

   Synonyms: бу́дучи (búduči) (about the subject only), в ка́честве (v káčestve)

   В настоя́щее вре́мя дом функциони́рует как музе́й. ― V nastojáščeje vrémja dom funkcionírujet kak muzéj. ― The house now functions as a museum.

   Я говорю́ э́то как челове́к, кото́рый хо́чет помога́ть други́м. ― Ja govorjú éto kak čelovék, kotóryj xóčet pomogátʹ drugím. ― I say this as a man who wants to help others.

   Я люблю́ её как челове́ка. ― Ja ljubljú jejó kak čelovéka. ― I love her as a person.

3. as, since (because, due to the fact that)

   Synonym: так как (tak kak) (more common)

   И как он до́лго не приходи́л, обе́дать ста́ли без него́. ― I kak on dólgo ne prixodíl, obédatʹ stáli bez nevó. ― And since he hadn't arrived for a long time, they began to have lunch without him.

4. (when beginning a clause after так (же) (tak (že)) + a short-form adjective or adverb) as (introducing an object or scenario of comparison)

   Они́ так (же) краси́вы, как на фотогра́фиях. ― Oní tak (že) krasívy, kak na fotográfijax. ― They're as beautiful as (they are) on the photos.

   Их не так мно́го, как ка́жется. ― Ix ne tak mnógo, kak kážetsja. ― There aren't as many of them as it seems.

5. (when beginning a clause after a verb or short-form adjective + так (же) (tak (že))) as (introducing an object or scenario of comparison; can also be "how" + pronoun + verb in this case, or even just "how", if a verb and pronoun already exist)

   Она́ звучи́т так (же), как в фи́льмах. ― Oná zvučít tak (že), kak v fílʹmax. ― She sounds the same as / like (she does) in the films. / She sounds (like) how she does in the films.

   Они́ располо́жены так (же), как на схе́ме. ― Oní raspolóženy tak (že), kak na sxéme. ― They are positioned as/like (they are) on the diagram. / They are positioned (like) how they are on the diagram. / They are positioned (in) the same way as on the diagram.

   Они́ говоря́т не так, как говори́м мы. ― Oní govorját ne tak, kak govorím my. ― They don't talk (like) how we talk. / They don't talk like we talk.

6. Used to connect a verb of perception (see, hear etc.) with a verb phrase describing an action being perceived. Usually not translated, but can sometimes be translated as "how". Sometimes, что (što) can be used in place of как (kak), but this has a different meaning and is usually translated as "that".

   Я подслу́шал, как он говори́л с мое́й сестро́й. ― Ja podslúšal, kak on govoríl s mojéj sestrój. ― I overheard him talking to my sister.

   Я ви́дела, как она́ ходи́ла за ним в шко́ле. ― Ja vídela, kak oná xodíla za nim v škóle. ― I saw her following him around in school. (literally, “I saw how she was following him around in school.”)

   Я по́мню, как она́ пла́кала в раздева́лке. ― Ja pómnju, kak oná plákala v razdeválke. ― I remember her crying in the changing room. (literally, “I remember how she was crying in the changing room.”)

7. (colloquial, between a duplicated noun) Used to emphasise the insignificance of something, that something isn't special.

   В рука́х Мо́ны Ли́зы нет ничего́ необы́чного. Ру́ки как ру́ки.

   V rukáx Móny Lízy net ničevó neobýčnovo. Rúki kak rúki.

   There's nothing unusual about the Mona Lisa's hands. They're just hands.

   Паца́н как паца́н, норма́льный ма́льчик. ― Pacán kak pacán, normálʹnyj málʹčik. ― He's just a guy, a normal boy.

8. (with a negative or interrogative) except, besides, other than

   Synonym: кро́ме (króme)

   Бо́льше не́кому, как тебе́. ― Bólʹše nékomu, kak tebé. ― There's no one but you.

   Кто, как не мы? ― Kto, kak ne my? ― Who else, if not us?

Derived terms

• до того́ как (do tovó kak)
• как бы (kak by)
• как бы не (kak by ne)
• как бы не так (kak by ne tak)
• как бы то ни́ было (kak by to ní bylo)
• как говори́тся (kak govorítsja)
• как раз (kak raz)
• как сле́дует (kak slédujet)
• как то́лько (kak tólʹko)
• пе́ред тем как (péred tem kak)
• по ме́ре того́ как (po mére tovó kak)
• по́сле того́, как (pósle tovó, kak)
• та́к как (ták kak)

Related terms

Russian terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷe- (0 c, 10 e)

Etymology 2

Noun

как • (kak) f inan pl or m inan pl

1. genitive plural of ка́ка (káka)