kto
pl
en
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who, whom, who, whoever, the one who
/ˈktɔ/
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A personal pronoun for asking who someone is, linking clauses about people, and referring to an unspecified person.
Examples
Z kim rozmawiasz?
Who are you talking with?
Czy jest tu kto?
Is there anyone here?
Zwycięży ten, kto zachowa spokój.
The one who stays calm will win.
Nie było kogo poprosić o pomoc.
There was no one to ask for help.
Nie wiem, kto zadzwonił.
I do not know who called.
Similar words
który
komu
ktoś
kogo
byle kto
któż
któż
ktokolwiek
kto bądź
ktokolwiek
Meanings
Examples
Kto przyszedł pierwszy?
Who came first?
Nie wiem, kto zadzwonił.
I do not know who called.
Kogo zaprosiłaś na kolację?
Whom did you invite to dinner?
Komu mam oddać klucze?
Who should I give the keys to?
Z kim rozmawiasz?
Who are you talking with?
Kto z was zna odpowiedź?
Who among you knows the answer?
Examples
Ten, kto pyta, szybciej się uczy.
The one who asks learns faster.
Niech przyjdzie każdy, kto chce pomóc.
Let everyone who wants to help come.
Zwycięży ten, kto zachowa spokój.
The one who stays calm will win.
Powiedz mi, kto to zrobił.
Tell me who did it.
Nie ma tu nikogo, kto znałby drogę.
There is no one here who would know the way.
Daj bilet temu, kto czeka najdłużej.
Give the ticket to the person who has waited longest.
Examples
Czy jest tu kto?
Is there anyone here?
Nie mam z kim porozmawiać.
I have no one to talk with.
Gdyby kto pytał, jestem w domu.
If anyone asks, I am at home.
Nie ma komu zaufać.
There is no one to trust.
Może kto jeszcze przyjdzie.
Maybe someone else will come.
Nie było kogo poprosić o pomoc.
There was no one to ask for help.
Similar words
ktoś
ktokolwiek
kto bądź
byle kto
Etymology
Inherited from Old Polish kto, from Proto-Slavic *kъto, a compound built from an interrogative base and a pronominal element.
FAQ
kto most often means “who” and asks about a person or people.
What are the case forms of kto?
The main forms are kto, kogo, komu, and kim.
No. kto points to people or personal beings, while co is used for things and ideas.
Yes. In clauses such as ten, kto or każdy, kto, it can mean “the one who” or “whoever”.
Is człowiek, kto correct Polish?
No. After an ordinary noun, Polish normally uses który, as in człowiek, który.
kogo is the genitive and accusative form, as in Kogo widziałeś?.
komu is the dative form, as in Komu mam pomóc?.
kim is the instrumental and locative form, as in Z kim rozmawiasz?.
In some contexts it can have an indefinite sense, but ktoś is the clearer everyday word for “someone”.
Where does kto come from?
kto continues Old Polish kto and ultimately Proto-Slavic *kъto.
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