Jakou

Jakou is a Czech word that functions as the feminine accusative singular form of the interrogative determiner jaký. It is used to ask about the kind, type, or attribute of a feminine noun, and it appears in questions as well as in relative clauses. In usage, jakou translates roughly to “what kind of” or “which,” depending on context.

Morphology and usage: Jakou is specifically the feminine accusative singular form of jaký. It accompanies feminine nouns in the accusative case. Examples include Jakou knihu čteš? (What book are you reading?) and Jakou barvu máš? (What color do you have?). It can also introduce subordinate clauses, as in Vím, jakou cestu zvolit. (I know which path to take.) Because it is tied to feminine nouns, other gendered forms exist for jaký in different cases and for other genders, but jakou itself marks feminine accusative.

Context and function: In Czech, jakou is used in direct questions about a property or category of a feminine noun, and it can appear in indirect questions within larger sentences. It often accompanies nouns that express material, color, size, type, or other attributes. The form helps align the question with the grammatical gender and case of the noun it modifies.

Etymology and language note: Jakou derives from the base interrogative jaký, which shares roots with related forms across Slavic languages. It reflects Czech’s system of gendered, case-based adjective and determiner inflection and is regularly encountered in everyday speech, journalism, and literature.