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March 24, 2026
谁(誰)shéi(shei2)
谁 (shéi) is a pronoun used to ask about a person's identity, translating to 'who?' in English. It is commonly used in questions to inquire about a specific individual or to express curiosity about someone's identity in both formal and informal contexts.
Strokes10Radical讠Frequency#78DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, asking 'who' is often tied to social relationships and hierarchy, as knowing someone's identity can indicate respect and familiarity. This reflects the importance of relationships in Chinese society, particularly in formal situations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a detective with a magnifying glass looking for clues. The character 谁 has a radical that resembles a person standing and looking around (the top part), and the bottom part can be seen as a question mark. Picture the detective asking, 'Who is the culprit?' to help remember the pronunciation and meaning.
Meanings of 谁
shéi(shei2)
primary
1who
2who? whom? whose? anyone?
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 谁
谁Simplified
誰Traditional
10Strokes
讠Radical
代词dàicípronoun (pron.)Part of Speech
#78Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 谁
Podcast: 谁
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AI Study Notes for 谁
Quick Contrast
谁 (shéi) vs 哪个 (nǎge) — use 谁 when asking for a person's identity, while 哪个 is used for asking about specific items or choices.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 谁 (shéi) with 什 (shén) which means 'what.' It's important to remember that 谁 specifically refers to people. In informal contexts, you may hear different pronunciations like 谁 (shuí), but in standard usage, shéi is preferred. Be cautious with tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to confusion.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 1 vocabulary word, 谁 connects well with other basic question words like 什么 (shénme, 'what') and 哪里 (nǎlǐ, 'where'). Students should focus on practicing its pronunciation and usage in simple questions to build confidence.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 谁 (shéi) when they mean to ask about objects instead of people, such as saying '谁是书?' (Who is the book?), which is incorrect. The correct question should be '这是什么?' (What is this?).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 谁
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How Well Do You Know 谁?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 谁 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
谁 = 讠 + 隹. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 谁
IDS Structure⿰讠隹
谁Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
隹zhui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 谁?
How to say who in Chinese
“who” in Chinese is谁shéi
谁 (shéi) is a pronoun used to ask about a person's identity, translating to 'who?' in English. It is commonly used in questions to inquire about a specific individual or to express curiosity about someone's identity in both formal and informal contexts.
When to use 谁
Learners often confuse 谁 (shéi) with 什 (shén) which means 'what.' It's important to remember that 谁 specifically refers to people. In informal contexts, you may hear different pronunciations like 谁 (shuí), but in standard usage, shéi is preferred. Be cautious with tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to confusion.
谁 or something close to it
谁 (shéi) vs 哪个 (nǎge) — use 谁 when asking for a person's identity, while 哪个 is used for asking about specific items or choices.
What learners get wrong
Learners might mistakenly use 谁 (shéi) when they mean to ask about objects instead of people, such as saying '谁是书?' (Who is the book?), which is incorrect. The correct question should be '这是什么?' (What is this?).
Write 谁
谁
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Practice writing 谁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 谁
谁 functions as a pronoun — it stands in for a noun. Use it in the same positions as nouns (subject before verb, object after). Plurals are formed by adding 们 (我们, 他们). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
