Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word как. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word как, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say как in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word как you have here. The definition of the word как will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofкак, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Какпройти́напо́чту? ― Kak projtí na póčtu? ― How can I get to the post office?
Каквасзову́т? ― Kak vas zovút? ― What's your name? (literally, “How do (they/people) call you?”)
Каква́шафами́лия? ― Kak váša famílija? ― What's your surname? (literally, “How does your surname (go/sound/etc.)?”)
Какэ́тобу́детпо-ру́сски / нару́сском? ― 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?”)
Каквыэ́тоназыва́ете? ― Kak vy éto nazyvájete? ― What do you call this? (literally, “How do you call this?”)
Кактыду́маешь, чтоонде́лает? ― Kak ty dúmaješʹ, što on délajet? ― What do you think he's doing? (literally, “How do you think, what is he doing?”)
Какрасполо́женызда́ния? ― Kak raspolóženy zdánija? ― How are the buildings situated?
Янезна́ю, какэ́торабо́тает. ― Ja ne znáju, kak éto rabótajet. ― I don't know how this works.
Янезна́ю, каконэ́тосде́лал. ― Ja ne znáju, kak on éto sdélal. ― I don’t know how he did it.
Язабы́л, какэ́тоназыва́ется. ― Ja zabýl, kak éto nazyvájetsja. ― I forgot what that's called. (literally, “I forgot how that's called.”)
Мнененра́вится, каконпоступи́л. ― Mne ne nrávitsja, kak on postupíl. ― I don't like what he did. (literally, “I don't like how he acted/behaved/did things.”)
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.
Э́топрино́ситпо́льзукакмолоды́м, такиста́рым. ― 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.”)
Икакондо́лгонеприходи́л, обе́датьста́либезнего́. ― 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.
(when beginning a clause after так (же)(tak (že)) + a short-formadjective or adverb)as (introducing an object or scenario of comparison)
Они́так (же) краси́вы, какнафотогра́фиях. ― Oní tak (že) krasívy, kak na fotográfijax. ― They're as beautiful as (they are) on the photos.
Ихнетакмно́го, какка́жется. ― Ix ne tak mnógo, kak kážetsja. ― There aren't as many of them as it seems.
(when beginning a clause after a verb or short-formadjective + 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)
Она́звучи́ттак (же), каквфи́льмах. ― 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.
Они́располо́женытак (же), какнасхе́ме. ― 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.
Они́говоря́тнетак, какговори́ммы. ― Oní govorját ne tak, kak govorím my. ― They don't talk (like) how we talk. / They don't talk like we talk.
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".
Яви́дела, какона́ходи́лазанимвшко́ле. ― 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.”)
Япо́мню, какона́пла́калавраздева́лке. ― 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.”)
(colloquial, between a duplicated noun)Used to emphasise the insignificance of something, that something isn't special.