If you’re just starting out with Russian, you probably think "what" is one of those easy, one-and-done vocabulary words. You open a dictionary, see что, and figure you're set for life. But honestly? It's never that simple with Slavic languages. The way you use this word changes depending on whether you’re confused, asking a formal question, or just trying to sound like a local in a Moscow coffee shop.
So, how do you say what in Russian? The short answer is что (pronounced "shto"). The long answer involves a weird mix of grammar cases, phonetic shifts, and cultural context that most textbooks gloss over because they don't want to scare you off in week one.
The Basics: Pronouncing Что Without Looking Like a Tourist
First things first. Look at that word: что. If you try to say "ch-to" with a hard "ch" sound like in "church," everyone will know you’re using a translation app. In standard Russian, that "ч" softens into a "sh" sound. It’s shto.
Short. Punchy.
But even this changes. If you go to certain parts of Russia or listen to older generations, you might hear a more distinct "ch" sound, though for 99% of learners, sticking to "shto" is the way to go. It’s the bread and butter of the language. You use it for basic questions like Что это? (Shto eto? – What is this?).
When "What" Becomes "Which"
Russian is a bit picky. Sometimes, when an English speaker says "what," a Russian speaker hears "which." For example, if you’re asking "What color is your car?", you don't use что. You use какой (kakoy).
Why? Because you’re asking for a description or a selection from a category. Что is for objects, things, and abstract concepts. Какой is for qualities. If you ask Что это за цвет?, you’re technically asking "What is this for a color?", which sounds clunky but works. But usually, you’ll want to lean on какой when "what" is followed by a noun.
The Grammar Monster: Why Что Changes Its Shape
Russian uses cases. If you’ve studied Latin or German, you know the drill. If you haven't, prepare for a bit of a headache. The word for "what" actually transforms depending on what it’s doing in the sentence.
Imagine "what" is a person. In the morning, they wear a suit (Nominative). By lunch, they’ve changed into gym clothes (Genitive). By dinner, they’re in pajamas (Instrumental). It’s the same "what," just wearing different grammatical outfits.
- Чего (Chevo): This is the genitive form. You’ll hear this constantly in the phrase Чего-чего? which is a slangy way of saying "What was that?" or "Say again?" It's also used after certain verbs or when you're talking about a lack of something.
- Чему (Chemu): The dative form. You use this when something is happening to the "what." For example, "What are you happy about?" would involve this form.
- Чем (Chem): The instrumental. This is used when you’re talking about the means of doing something. "With what are you eating that soup?" Чем ты ешь суп? * О чём (O chyom): The prepositional. If you’re talking about something, you need this one. О чём ты думаешь? (What are you thinking about?).
Honestly, if you get these wrong, people will still understand you. Russian speakers are generally pretty forgiving because they know their grammar is a literal labyrinth. But if you want to sound educated, you’ve got to master the shifts.
The "Huh?" Factor: Expressing Confusion
Sometimes you aren't asking a technical question. You just didn't hear what someone said. In English, we might say "What?", "Sorry?", or "Huh?".
In Russia, saying Что? can sometimes come off a bit blunt or even slightly rude if your intonation is off. It’s like barked-out "What?!" in English.
A softer, more polite way is Простите? (Prostite? – Excuse me?) or Что вы сказали? (Shto vy skazali? – What did you say?). If you’re with friends, you can just use А? or the aforementioned Чего?.
Then there’s the emphatic "What?!"—the kind you use when your friend tells you they just bought a pet tiger. That’s usually Да ладно! (Da ladno! – No way!) or a very drawn-out Что-о-о?!.
What as a Connective Tissue
We also use "what" to join sentences. "I know what you did last summer." In Russian, что handles this job too, but there’s a catch. You almost always need a comma before it.
Я знаю, что ты сделал. Without that comma, the sentence looks naked to a native Russian eye. It’s a hard rule. In English, we often drop the "that" or "what" (I know you did it), but in Russian, you keep that что in there and you keep it punctuated.
Common Phrases You’ll Actually Use
Let’s look at some real-world applications so this isn't just a dry linguistics lesson.
Что случилось? (Shto sluchilos?): What happened? This is vital. Use it when someone looks upset or there’s a crowd gathering on the street.
Что нового? (Shto novogo?): What’s new? Great for small talk. It literally translates to "What of new?" because it uses that genitive case we talked about earlier.
Ну и что? (Nu i shto?): So what? This is the ultimate "I don't care" phrase. It’s a bit sassy. Use it sparingly unless you’re looking for a bit of a verbal scrap.
Что за...? (Shto za...): What kind of...? This is usually followed by a noun to express surprise or annoyance. Что за фигня? (Shto za fignya?) is "What is this junk/nonsense?" though "fignya" is a bit on the vulgar side—think "crap."
Surprising Nuances: The Difference Between Что and Чтобы
Here is where a lot of intermediate learners trip up. There’s another word, чтобы (chtoby), which combines "what" with a particle. This isn't really "what" anymore; it’s more like "in order to" or "so that."
If you say Я хочу, чтобы ты ушёл, you’re saying "I want that you leave" (I want you to leave). It looks like the word "what," but it functions as a bridge for desires and purposes. Mixing these up is a classic mistake. If you use что when you should use чтобы, you’re essentially saying "I want what you left," which makes zero sense in context.
Regional Slang and Modern Texting
If you’re texting a Russian friend, they might not even type что. You might see чо (cho) or even чё (chyo).
This is highly informal. It’s the equivalent of writing "wut" in English. It reflects how the word is actually pronounced in fast, casual speech. If you’re in a business meeting, never use this. If you’re at a bar in St. Petersburg, you’ll hear it every thirty seconds.
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There's also что-то (shto-to) and что-нибудь (shto-nibud). These mean "something."
- Что-то is used when you’re talking about something specific but you aren't naming it. "I bought something (specific) for dinner."
- Что-нибудь is for when it could be anything. "Give me something (anything) to eat."
Getting these suffixes right is the difference between sounding like a robot and sounding like a person who actually lives in the real world.
Actionable Steps for Mastering "What" in Russian
Don't try to memorize every case ending for что in one sitting. You'll burn out. Instead, follow this progression to actually integrate the word into your brain.
- Nail the phonetics. Record yourself saying "Shto." Avoid the "ch" sound. Make it quick and sharp. If you sound like you’re exhaling a short burst of air, you’re doing it right.
- Learn the "What is this?" phrase. Practice Что это? with everything in your house. Point at a chair—Что это?. Point at the cat—Что это?. It builds the muscle memory of the nominative case.
- Watch for the comma. Start reading Russian news sites like Meduza or even just looking at Russian captions on Instagram. Every time you see что, look for the comma before it. Your brain will start to crave that punctuation mark.
- Use the "So what?" test. Next time you’re annoyed, mutter Ну и что to yourself. It’s a low-stakes way to practice the intonation of the word in a non-question format.
- Differentiate "What" from "Which." Whenever you want to ask "What [Noun]", force yourself to use Какой. If you want to ask "What [Verb]", use Что. This single rule will fix about 70% of your early errors.
Russian is a language of layers. You start with a simple word like что, and before you know it, you’re digging into the history of Slavic vowel shifts and the nuances of social etiquette. It’s frustrating, sure, but it’s also why the language is so expressive. You aren't just saying a word; you're signaling your relationship to the person you're talking to and the object you're talking about.
Start with the "shto," keep an eye on your grammar cases, and don't be afraid to sound a little bit like a "wut" person when you’re hanging out with friends.
To really get the hang of it, try listening to contemporary Russian music or podcasts. Pay attention specifically to how they bridge ideas using что. You'll notice it isn't just a question word—it's the glue that holds Russian sentences together. Once you hear that rhythm, you'll stop translating in your head and start feeling the flow of the language.