Каково было там?

In this sentence, каково means something like what was it like?

It is close in meaning to как, but the tone is a little different:

• Как было там? = more neutral, everyday How was it there?
• Каково было там? = more literary, thoughtful, or slightly elevated What was it like there?

So a learner can think of каково as a more special form used for asking about the overall nature or experience of something.

Было is the past tense of быть.

It shows that the question is about the past:

• Каково было там? = What was it like there?
• Каково там? = What is it like there? (present)

So было is what makes the sentence past-tense.

Russian often uses neuter singular past tense in impersonal constructions, where there is no clear subject named.

That is what is happening here.

You can think of it as something like:

• Каково было там?
• literally, roughly: What was it like there?

There is no actual noun in the sentence that было has to agree with, so Russian uses the default neuter singular form.

For a learner, the most useful thing is to know that каково is a special question word used in predicative expressions like:

• Каково?
• Каково было...?
• Каково будет...?

It is related to какой, but it does not behave like a normal adjective here.

You do not need to master the technical grammar label right away. What matters is that каково is used to ask about the character, quality, or feel of a situation.

Yes, the word order could be different.

Russian word order is fairly flexible, and the basic meaning stays the same:

• Каково было там?
• Каково там было?

Both are possible.

The version with там at the end sounds natural and gives there as the final piece of information. In Russian, the end of the sentence often carries emphasis or focus.

In very natural everyday speech, though, many speakers would simply say:

• Как там было?

It is understandable and correct, but it sounds a bit more literary, reflective, or formal than the most everyday option.

In casual conversation, a native speaker might be more likely to say:

• Как там было?
• Ну как там было?
• Там как было? (more conversational, context-dependent)

So Каково было там? is not wrong at all, but it has a slightly more polished or expressive feel.

It usually asks about the overall experience of being there.

Depending on context, it could refer to:

• the atmosphere
• the conditions
• the situation
• the emotional experience

So it is fairly broad.

If you want to ask specifically about someone's feelings, Russian would often use a more direct sentence, such as:

• Как ты себя там чувствовал(а)? = How did you feel there?

But Каково было там? is more general: What was it like there?