как
kak[kək]
The English word 'how' can be translated into Russian as как (kak) or каки́м о́бразом.
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| как | kak | [kək] (narrow) [kɐk] (narrow) |
| каки́м о́бразом | kakím óbrazom |
как is used to ask about the manner of an action or to express comparisons, functioning similarly to 'as' in English. You can also use it to ask about someone's state of being, such as in the friendly expression Как жизнь? (How's life?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase каки́м о́бразом is composed of the adjective каким (which/what) and the noun образом (manner/way/image).
Which one should you use?
как is the most common and versatile way to say 'how' in almost all contexts. In contrast, каки́м о́бразом is a more formal and precise way to say 'how' or 'in what way'.
How do you pronounce it?
kak
Did you know?
- The word как shares a common Proto-Slavic ancestor with the English word 'how', both tracing back to an ancient Indo-European root. This linguistic link makes the two words distant cousins.
- The word как is used in the common phrase как раз, which doesn't mean 'how' but instead translates to 'exactly' or 'just right'.
- While каки́м о́бразом is formal, using it in a casual context can sometimes sound like a suspicious interrogation, as if asking 'by what means did you manage this'.
Examples in context
- Я не знаю как.I don't know how.Tatoeba #3578985 by marafon, translation #2271867 by CK
- Я не знал как.I didn't know how.Tatoeba #4316824 by marafon, translation #2271739 by CK
- Как я ещё жив?How am I still alive?Tatoeba #5447477 by marafon, translation #3730663 by CM
- Как жизнь?How's life?
- 10090 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexander and Anastasia are discussing how to solve a problem.
- Александр AleksandrКак мы это сделаем?Kak my eto sdelayem?How will we do this?
- Анастасия AnastasiaЯ пока не знаю.Ya poka ne znayu.I don't know yet.
- Александр AleksandrКак же нам поступить?Kak zhe nam postupit'?How should we proceed, then?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДавай спросим совета.Davay sprosim soveta.Let's ask for advice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries как, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries как, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
