How to Ask "Who?" in Chinese: Mastering 谁 (shuí)

1. Meaning and Usage

谁 (shuí) is an interrogative pronoun in Chinese, primarily meaning "who" or "whom." It is used to ask questions about people and can function as the subject, object, or possessive in a sentence.

2. Formulas and Examples

1. 谁 as the Subject of a Sentence

When asking "who" performed an action or "who" is someone/something, 谁 takes the place of the subject in the sentence.

Formula: $$谁 + Verb Phrase (+ Object)?$$

谁是你的老师？ 🔊 Shuí shì nǐ de lǎoshī? Who is your teacher?

谁吃了我的苹果？ 🔊 Shuí chī le wǒ de píngguǒ? Who ate my apple?

2. 谁 as the Object of a Sentence

When asking "whom" an action is directed towards, 谁 takes the place of the object in the sentence.

Formula: $$Subject + Verb + 谁?$$

你认识谁？ 🔊 Nǐ rènshi shuí? Whom do you know?

他想见谁？ 🔊 Tā xiǎng jiàn shuí? Whom does he want to see?

3. 谁的 (shuí de) for Possessive

To ask "whose" something is, 谁 is followed by 的 (de).

Formula: $$这是/那是 + 谁的 + Noun?$$

这是谁的书？ 🔊 Zhè shì shuí de shū? Whose book is this?

那是谁的手机？ 🔊 Nà shì shuí de shǒujī? Whose phone is that?

4. 谁 with 是...的 (shì...de) Structure for Emphasis

The 是...的 (shì...de) structure is used to emphasize the time, place, manner, or agent of a past action. When asking "who was it that did X," 谁 is placed after 是.

Formula: $$是谁 + Verb + (Object) + 的?$$

是谁给你打了电话？ 🔊 Shì shuí gěi nǐ dǎ le diànhuà? Who was it that called you?

是谁发明了灯泡？ 🔊 Shì shuí fāmíng le dēngpào? Who was it that invented the light bulb?

5. 谁 in Non-Interrogative Contexts (Referring to "Everyone" or "No one")

In some advanced usages, 谁 can be used with adverbs like 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě) to mean "everyone" or "no one," respectively.

a. 谁都... (shuí dōu...) - Everyone/Anyone

Used to indicate "everyone" or "anyone" without a specific person in mind.

Formula: $$谁都 + Verb/Adjective + (Object)$$

谁都喜欢他。 🔊 Shuí dōu xǐhuān tā. Everyone likes him.

这件事谁都知道。 🔊 Zhè jiàn shì shuí dōu zhīdào. Everyone knows about this matter.

b. 谁也... (shuí yě...) - No one/Nobody

Used with a negative (不/没) to indicate "no one" or "nobody."

Formula: $$谁也 + 不/没 + Verb/Adjective + (Object)$$

谁也不知道。 🔊 Shuí yě bù zhīdào. Nobody knows.

谁也没看见他。 🔊 Shuí yě méi kànjiàn tā. Nobody saw him.

3. Essential HSK Tips & Common Mistakes

• Tip 1: Position is Key. The interrogative pronoun 谁 directly replaces the person you are asking about, whether they are the subject, object, or part of a possessive phrase. The sentence structure remains largely the same as a declarative sentence.

  • Correct usage (subject replacement):

    他去了。 -> 谁去了？ 🔊 Tā qù le. -> Shuí qù le? He went. -> Who went?

  • Correct usage (object replacement):

    我看见了她。 -> 你看见了谁？ 🔊 Wǒ kànjiàn le tā. -> Nǐ kànjiàn le shuí? I saw her. -> Whom did you see?

• Tip 2: No need for 吗 (ma). 🔊 When 谁 is used, the sentence is already a question, so you generally do not add the question particle 吗 (ma) at the end.

  • Incorrect:

    他是谁吗？ 🔊 Tā shì shuí ma? (Incorrect way to ask "Who is he?")

  • Correct:

    他是谁？ 🔊 Tā shì shuí? Who is he?

• Tip 3: Distinguish 谁 (shuí) from 什么 (shénme). 🔊 Remember that 谁 is exclusively for asking about people, while 什么 (shénme) is for asking about things or what.

  • Correct (asking about a person):

    你喜欢谁？ 🔊 Nǐ xǐhuān shuí? Whom do you like?

  • Correct (asking about a thing/what):

    你喜欢什么？ 🔊 Nǐ xǐhuān shénme? What do you like?

  • Common Mistake: Using 什么 when asking about a person. For example, 你是谁？ (Who are you?) is correct, not 你是什么？ (What are you? - which would be offensive if directed at a person).