kas
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who, what, what, what a, how much
/kas/
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A Latvian pronoun for asking who or what, adding force in exclamations, referring to something indefinite, and linking relative clauses.
Examples
Viss, kas sākas viegli, ne vienmēr beidzas viegli.
Everything that starts easily does not always end easily.
Kas par skaistu rītu!
What a beautiful morning!
Kas atnāca pirmais?
Who arrived first?
Grāmata, kas stāv plauktā, ir veca.
The book that stands on the shelf is old.
Ja kas notiek, zvani man.
If anything happens, call me.
Meanings
Examples
Kas par skaistu rītu!
What a beautiful morning!
Kas par troksni gaitenī!
What a noise in the hallway!
Kas tur liels?
What is the big deal?
Kas gan to būtu domājis?
Who would have thought that?
Kas tik tur nebija!
There was so much there!
Kas par ideju!
What an idea!
Examples
Man tev ir kas sakāms.
I have something to tell you.
Vai šeit ir kas jauns?
Is there anything new here?
Ja kas notiek, zvani man.
If anything happens, call me.
Lai kas arī notiktu, mēs turpināsim.
Whatever happens, we will continue.
Viņam vienmēr atrodas kas darāms.
He always finds something to do.
Tur bija kas neparasts.
There was something unusual there.
Examples
Meitene, kas dzied, ir mana māsa.
The girl who is singing is my sister.
Grāmata, kas stāv plauktā, ir veca.
The book that stands on the shelf is old.
Tas, kas notika vakar, visus pārsteidza.
What happened yesterday surprised everyone.
Es zinu, kas tev palīdzēja.
I know who helped you.
Cilvēki, kas gaidīja autobusu, paslēpās no lietus.
The people who were waiting for the bus hid from the rain.
Viss, kas sākas viegli, ne vienmēr beidzas viegli.
Everything that starts easily does not always end easily.
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic kas, with cognates such as Lithuanian kas.
FAQ
kas usually means who or what, but it also appears in exclamations, indefinite uses, and relative clauses.
What are the main forms of kas?
The main forms are nominative kas, genitive kā, dative kam, and accusative ko.
When should ko replace kas?
Use ko when the pronoun is the object, as in Ko tu redzēji? for what did you see?
Can kas refer to people and things?
Yes. kas can ask about or refer to a person, an object, an event, or a whole idea.
How is kas used in relative clauses?
It introduces a clause when the relative word is the subject, as in Meitene, kas dzied.
Does kas have a normal locative form?
Standard Latvian normally uses kur instead of a locative form, though regional kamī is recorded.
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