Withholding Information: The Prefix Кое-
When you want to talk about "a certain someone" or "a certain something", Russian uses the prefix кое-. You attach it to question words like кто (who) and что (what) with a hyphen.
Using кое- implies that you (the speaker) know exactly who or what you are talking about, but you are intentionally keeping it a secret.
Кое-что (A certain something)
Use кое-что when you have a specific thing in mind but don't want to name it yet—perfect for surprises!
| I want to show you something, but it is a secret. | Я хочу тебе кое-что показать, но это секрет. |
You can pair it directly with neuter adjectives, like вкусное (tasty).
| Mom and I prepared something tasty. | Мы с мамой приготовили кое-что вкусное. |
Кое-кто (A certain someone)
Similarly, кое-кто translates to "someone," but it carries the meaning of "a certain someone." You know who it is, but you are withholding their name.
| Someone is hiding the truth, but in a week we will find it out. | Кое-кто скрывает правду, но через неделю мы её узнаем. |
Secrets and Surprises
When discussing withheld information, you will often use verbs like шептать (to whisper) and догадываться (to guess). Note that догадываться is followed by the preposition о (about) and the prepositional case.
| My curious brother is guessing about the surprise. | Мой любопытный брат догадывается о сюрпризе. |
| She whispers a secret with a smile. | Она с улыбкой шепчет секрет. |
Prepositions and the "Кое-" Sandwich
If you need to use a preposition (like на, о, or в) with a кое- pronoun, a unique spelling rule applies. The preposition steps right into the middle of the word, breaking it into three separate parts, and the hyphen disappears.
For example, the verb намекать (to hint) takes the preposition на. If you want to say "to hint at a certain something":
кое-что + на = кое на что
| Are you hinting at a certain something, or just hiding the truth? | Ты кое на что намекаешь или просто скрываешь правду? |
