Meanings of 誰
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About 誰
Podcast: 誰
Podcast: 誰
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AI Study Notes for 誰
谁 (shéi) vs 何 (hé) — use 谁 (shuí) for asking about specific individuals, while 何 (hé) is more abstract or formal, often used in literary contexts.
Be careful not to confuse 誰 with other similar interrogative pronouns like 什么 (shénme, 'what') or 哪 (nǎ, 'which'). 誰 is typically used in questions, so ensure your sentence structure reflects this, such as using it at the beginning of a question.
While 誰 is not explicitly categorized under a specific HSK level, it is essential for beginner learners to grasp basic interrogative words. Focus on using 誰 in simple questions to build confidence in conversational Mandarin.
Learners often mistakenly use 誰 in affirmative statements instead of questions, such as saying '我知道誰' (Wǒ zhīdào shuí, 'I know who') in contexts where a question is expected. Always use 誰 in an interrogative form.
Pronunciation of 誰
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Jason Explains 誰 to You
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Learning Lab
Knowing 誰 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.
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Etymology of 誰
Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 隹 represents the sound.
speech
Origin
誰 = 言 + 隹. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 誰
Parts
Which of these is part of 誰?
How to say who? whom? whose? anyone? in Chinese
“who? whom? whose? anyone?” in Chinese is誰
誰 (shuí) is a pronoun used to ask questions about identity, meaning 'who?' or 'whom?'. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, such as when inquiring about a person's name or role in a conversation.
When to use 誰
Be careful not to confuse 誰 with other similar interrogative pronouns like 什么 (shénme, 'what') or 哪 (nǎ, 'which'). 誰 is typically used in questions, so ensure your sentence structure reflects this, such as using it at the beginning of a question.
誰 or something close to it
谁 (shéi) vs 何 (hé) — use 谁 (shuí) for asking about specific individuals, while 何 (hé) is more abstract or formal, often used in literary contexts.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 誰 in affirmative statements instead of questions, such as saying '我知道誰' (Wǒ zhīdào shuí, 'I know who') in contexts where a question is expected. Always use 誰 in an interrogative form.
Write 誰
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Word Family of 誰
Characters with 誰
What does 谁 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 誰
You can use 誰 at the beginning of a question, such as '誰是你的朋友?' (Shuí shì nǐ de péngyǒu?), which means 'Who is your friend?'.
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