# Jak kdy, jak kdo, jak kde



## stelingo

The textbook I'm using introduces these 3 little phrases without explaining exactly what they mean or when it is appropriate to use them. From what I can understand you use them to deny a statement. Here are some examples from the book. How would you translate the replies?

Díváte se často na televizi? Jak kdy.  Do you watch TV often? Sometimes/not often/hardly ever (?)
Umí všichni Češi anglicky? Jak kdo.   Do all Czechs speak English? Not all of them.  (?)
Prodávají ve všech supermarketech knihy? Jak kde. Do they sell books in all supermarkets? Not all of them. (?)
Pijete kávu nebo čaj? Jak kdy. Do you drink coffee or tea? (?)


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## bibax

I should answer _"it depends"_ in English.

Little correction:

Um*ějí* všichni Češi anglicky?


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## Enquiring Mind

I agree with bibax: "it (all) depends" fits many of the contexts in which you'd meet this construction.  Similarly: "it varies".  You might, by the way, also see "jak co", and "jak ktery". 

   You asked what they mean, and for a translation of the replies. Literally (obviously): "how when?", "how who" etc., but (for learners of English) you can't translate it like that in English.

  Díváte se často na televizi? Jak kdy. Do you watch TV often?  It depends/it varies - sometimes (I watch it) more than others.

Umí všichni Češi anglicky? Jak kdo. Do all Czechs speak English?  It depends who they are - some do, some don't. 

Prodávají ve všech supermarketech knihy? Jak kde. Do they sell books in all supermarkets? It depends where you are - in some they do, in others they don't.

Pijete kávu nebo čaj? Jak kdy. Do you drink coffee or tea?  It depends on how I feel at the time, sometimes I might feel like coffee, at others times tea. 

Máte raději filmy s dabingem nebo s titulkami?  Jak co. Většinu filmů v originálním znění.   Do you prefer films dubbed or with subtitles?  It depends what it is.  (I prefer) most of them in the original.    

Nehody spíš pro zasmání. No jak který.  Accidents you have to laugh at,  but they make different people laugh in different ways/for different reasons. . 

Sport je skvělý! Ale jak který.  Sport is great, but they're all great in their different ways/for different reasons. 

 I hear this construction quite frequently - it's one of those cases where it's much neater and shorter in Czech than in English to convey the full meaning. 

  It can get quite complicated too if you use a construction with prepositions that mean you have to decline the kdo, co, který etc.  Look at these examples: 

Ztrácí muž o ženu zájem, když se s ním vyspí na prvním rande?  Jak který muž a jak o jakou ženu. 
Does a man lose interest in a woman if she sleeps with him on the first date?  It depends on the man, and what sort of woman she is. 

Pochybujete o ostatních?  Jak kdy a jak o kom.
 Do you have doubts about other people?  Sometimes - it depends when it is and who it is. 

However, as the Czechs say, všeho moc škodí - everything in moderation, so I'll stop here!


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## t.tellur

bibax said:


> I should answer _"it depends"_ in English.
> 
> Little correction:
> 
> Um*ějí* všichni Češi anglicky?


The form _umí_ is also correct. Just visit little helper from ÚJČ.


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## bibax

> The form _umí_ is also correct.


_It depends. Jak pro koho. _(incorrect for educated people, correct for uneducated people)

It seems that the "it depends" answer is quite universal.

_- Are you successful?
- It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'successful' is.
_
Another variant of the reply could be _Define the word 'successful'_.

_- Díváte se často na televizi?
- Definujte slovo 'často'.
_


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## stelingo

OK, I'm beginning to get a feel for what this construction means now. It isn't always clear to me, though, in some situations whether to use jak co, jak který etc. I took the sentence 'Umí všichni Češi anglicky?' from my textbook, by the way.


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## bibax

Essentially it is a way how *not* to answer.

- Máte problémy v práci? _Have you problems in work?_

- Jak kdy a jak s čím. _It varies._
- To závisí na okolnostech. _It depends upon circumstances._
- To zavisí na vašem pojetí problémů. _It depends on your perception of problems._
- Jaké problémy máte na mysli? _What kind of problems have you on mind?_
- Máte na mysli nějaké určité problémy? _Have you anything particular in mind?
_


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## lucienne6

Jak kdy/kdo/kde means it depends upon circumstances as it was said. 
So you put "*jak*" and then 
when the question is with "place" use "*kde*" (the question with supermarket, you are saying that at some places they have books at some they don't), 
when there is a question about "person" use "*kdo*"(the sentence with Czech, you are aswering that some people speak English and some don't) and 
when there is a question about "time" use "*kdy*" (the sentence with TV, sometimes you watch the TV sometimes you don't, sometimes you drink coffee sometimes you don't)...don't know if it helps you, I have problem a bit to explain it in English


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