Object question words (kimi, neyi)

Question Words for Objects

To ask about a specific direct object, you add the accusative case suffix to question words, just as you would with regular nouns.

Asking "Whom" (Kimi)

To ask "whom" an action affects, add the accusative suffix -i to kim (who) to get kimi. Notice how the answers also use the accusative case for the person being affected.

Asking "What specific thing" (Neyi)

To ask about a specific thing receiving an action, add the accusative suffix to ne (what). Since it ends in a vowel, use the buffer letter y to make neyi.

There is an important difference between ne and neyi:

• Use ne for a general, indefinite "what" (e.g., "What are you reading?").
• Use neyi for a specific, definite object (e.g., "What specific thing are you reading?").

Again, the answers to a neyi question will usually feature a noun with the accusative suffix.