谁 (shuí) - Who & whom

谁Tone 2

shuí ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

上姝

谁 · shuí

Who;

whom;

which;

what;

anyone;

someone (interrogative pronoun used to ask about people or things).

Whowhomwhich

Usage highlights

Who is it?Whose book?For whom?Who knows?No matter whoWho else?

Synonyms

  • 何人— What person (more formal/literary)
  • 哪位— Which person (more polite)

Antonyms

  • 我— I/me (self vs. other)
  • 你— You (specific vs. unknown)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Who is that person?(那个人是谁？)
  • Whom are you looking for?(你找谁？)
  • Who knows the answer?(谁知道答案？)
  • Who would have thought it would rain?(谁会想到会下雨？)

Collocations

  • Who is it?(是谁？)
  • Whose book?(谁的书？)
  • For whom?(为谁？)
  • Who knows?(谁知道？)
  • No matter who(无论谁)
  • Who else?(还有谁？)

Idioms

  • Who is right and who is wrong?(谁是谁非)
  • Who would have thought(谁曾想)
  • Who doesn't know(谁人不知)
  • Who can compare(谁能比拟)
  • Who comes and who goes(谁来谁往)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally written as 誰 in traditional Chinese, simplified to 谁 in mainland China.
  • Used in both formal and informal contexts for asking about identity or attribution.
  • Can be used rhetorically to express surprise, doubt, or emphasis in Chinese discourse.

FAQ