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Lesson 23

Asking with Question Words: Кто, Что, Где, Когда

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Здравствуйте!

In our last lesson, we mastered a key element of Russian conversation: asking yes/no questions using only intonation. You learned how to turn a statement like "Это игра" (This is a game) into a question, "Это игра?", simply by raising and lowering your pitch on the key word.

Today, we'll build on that foundation by learning how to ask for specific information. We won't be asking if something is a game, but rather what it is, who is playing, where they are, and when it starts.

Our learning outcome is to use the question words 'кто' (who), 'что' (what), 'где' (where), and 'когда' (when) to ask for information. These four words are the building blocks for almost any question you'll want to ask in daily life.

Let's begin!

1. Identifying People and Things: Кто? and Что?

The first and most fundamental distinction when asking questions is whether you're asking about a person or a thing.

  • Кто? [kto] — Who? (used for people and animals you know personally)
  • Что? [shto] — What? (used for objects, concepts, and actions)

A crucial point for your pronunciation goal: notice that Что is spelled with a 'ч' but is almost always pronounced as if it were spelled 'што'. This is a very important rule to remember to sound natural.

Let's watch a short video that introduces these two words with clear examples.

Lesson 18: 🤷‍♂️ 10 Russian QUESTIONS w/ WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW? | Russian Comprehensive

This video from Russian Comprehensive will walk you through the basics of 'Кто?' and 'Что?'. Pay close attention to the pronunciation of 'Что'.

Watch from the beginning until 02:53. The presenter will introduce 'Кто?' and 'Что?' and provide simple examples like 'Кто это?' and 'Что это?'.

As the video showed, you can simply replace the noun in a sentence with the question word.

  • Это Антон. (This is Anton.) -> Кто это? (Who is this?)
  • Это книга. (This is a book.) -> Что это? (What is this?)

Now, let's solidify this with a quick reading. This article provides more examples and includes audio clips so you can practice your listening and pronunciation.

How to Ask Questions in Russian: 12 Question Words

The article 'How to Ask Questions in Russian' from FluentU breaks down these question words very clearly.

Please read the first two subsections titled 'Кто? — Who?' and 'Что? — What?'. You can click on the bolded Russian words and phrases to hear their pronunciation.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with either Кто or Что.

  1. _____ это? — Это мой друг. (This is my friend.)
  2. _____ ты читаешь? (What are you reading?) — Я читаю комикс. (I am reading a comic.)
  3. _____ там? (Who is there?) — Там инженер. (An engineer is there.)
  4. _____ ты рисуешь? (What are you drawing?) — Я рисую дом. (I am drawing a house.)
Answers 1. Кто 2. Что 3. Кто 4. Что

2. Asking About Location and Time: Где? and Когда?

Next, let's learn how to ask about "where" and "when."

  • Где? [gdye] — Where? (used for a static location)
  • Когда? [kag-DA] — When?

These words are straightforward and are typically placed at the beginning of the sentence, just like in English.

Let's return to the same video to see these words in action.

Lesson 18: 🤷‍♂️ 10 Russian QUESTIONS w/ WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW? | Russian Comprehensive

We'll continue with the 'Russian Comprehensive' video to learn 'Где?' and 'Когда?'. The presenter also briefly mentions 'куда' (where to) and 'откуда' (where from). It's good to be aware of them, but our focus for today is only on 'Где?'.

Watch from 05:09 to 07:15. The video will explain how to use 'Где?' for location and then introduce 'Когда?' for time.

The distinction between где (where, at a location) and куда (where to, a destination) is important in Russian, and we will cover it in a future lesson on verbs of motion. For now, just remember that if you are asking about where something is, you use где.

  • Где кафе? (Where is the café?)
  • Где ты? (Where are you?)

Now, let's look at the same FluentU article for more examples of Где? and Когда?.

How to Ask Questions in Russian: 12 Question Words

This reading will give you more practical examples for asking about location and time.

In the same article, please read the subsections 'Когда? — When?' and 'Где? — Where?'. Then, skim the section 'Questions for beginners' for more real-world examples like 'Где туалет?' and 'Когда закрывается магазин?'.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with either Где or Когда.

  1. _____ ты живёшь? (Where do you live?) — Я живу в Москве.
  2. _____ начинается фильм? (When does the movie start?) — Фильм начинается вечером. (The movie starts in the evening.)
  3. _____ университет? (Where is the university?) — Университет там. (The university is over there.)
  4. _____ у тебя экзамен? (When is your exam?) — Экзамен завтра. (The exam is tomorrow.)
Answers 1. Где 2. Когда 3. Где 4. Когда

3. Summary and Review

You've now learned the four most common question words! They are your entry ticket to getting the information you need in Russian.

This chart is a great visual summary of the words we've learned today, plus a few others we'll see soon.

Russian Question Words Chart
This chart displays common Russian question words with their phonetic pronunciations and English translations. Today we focused on Кто, Что, Где, and Когда.

Let's do one final practice round to bring it all together. Choose the correct question word: кто, что, где, or когда.

  1. _____ это? — Это новая видеоигра. (This is a new video game.)
  2. _____ игра? — Она на столе. (It is on the table.)
  3. _____ он? — Он программист. (He is a programmer.)
  4. _____ мы играем? (When are we playing?) — Мы играем сегодня. (We are playing today.)
Answers 1. Что 2. Где 3. Кто 4. Когда

Conclusion

Отличная работа! (Excellent work!) You can now ask for essential information about people, things, places, and times.

Key Takeaways:

  • Use Кто? to ask about people ("Who?").
  • Use Что? to ask about things ("What?"). Remember to pronounce it as [што].
  • Use Где? to ask about location ("Where?").
  • Use Когда? to ask about time ("When?").
  • Generally, the sentence structure doesn't need to change. You place the question word at the beginning to ask for specific information.

Preview of the next lesson:

We've covered the "who, what, where, when." But how do you ask how something is done or why it happened? In our next lesson, we'll expand our questioning toolkit by learning to use как (how) and почему (why).