谁
who; whom
shéi
What does 谁 mean?
谁 (shéi, also pronounced shuí) is the Chinese question word for 'who' or 'whom.' It functions like English 'who' but with key word-order differences. Two things surprise English speakers: first, Chinese does NOT move question words to the front — 谁 stays in the same slot where the answer would go: 你是谁? ('you are who?' = 'who are you?'), 谁是老师?
('who is the teacher?'); second, 谁 can also mean 'anyone / no one / whoever' in non-question contexts: 谁都可以 ('anyone can'), 没人 ('no one,' though this uses 人 not 谁). Both readings (shéi, shuí) are correct; modern spoken Mandarin overwhelmingly prefers shéi. Possessive form is 谁的 ('whose'). The character has the 言 (speech) radical — a word about asking.
Note: Both pronunciations shéi and shuí are correct; shéi is more common in everyday spoken Mandarin, shuí is more formal or written.
Character breakdown
who; whom
Memory hook: Chinese keeps question words in place: '你是谁' is structurally 'You are WHO,' answered by 'You are X.' Same slot, no movement.
Example sentences
你是谁？
Nǐ shì shéi?
Who are you?
spoken
谁是你的老师？
Shéi shì nǐ de lǎoshī?
Who is your teacher?
neutral
这是谁的书？
Zhè shì shéi de shū?
Whose book is this?
spoken
谁知道？
Shéi zhīdào?
Who knows?
spoken
Common phrases with 谁
Synonyms
哪位 ('which person') is a polite form of 谁, used especially on the phone or with elders/customers: 您是哪位? ('who is this, please?'). 谁 is direct and neutral; 哪位 is respectful.
Don't confuse 谁 with
FAQ
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