Breakdown of Какая ваша фамилия?
ваш
your [formal/plural] (ваш, ваша, ваше)
какой
which/what kind of (m, sister forms: какая, какое)
фамилия
surname
Questions & Answers about Какая ваша фамилия?
The English translation says 'What', so why do we use какая instead of что?
Что is used when asking 'What is that object?' (like Что это?). But when you ask for specific information that describes a noun—like a name, color, or type—you use a form of какой (which/what kind). Because you are asking 'which surname is yours', you use the feminine form какая.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) is usually left out in the present tense. You just put the words next to each other. Literally, this sentence is just 'What your surname?'.
Does фамилия mean 'family'?
No, it is a 'false friend'! Фамилия specifically means 'surname' or 'last name'. If you want to say 'family', the Russian word is семья.
Why do both какая and ваша end in -а?
In Russian, describing words must match the gender of the noun they connect to. Фамилия is a feminine noun (because it ends in -я), so it requires the feminine forms какая (what/which) and ваша (your).
Could I say твоя instead of ваша?
Yes, but it changes how polite the question is. Ваша is formal (used for strangers, teachers, or people older than you) or plural (for multiple people). If you were asking a child or a very close friend, you would use the informal твоя.
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