谁？
shéi?
Who · trad. 誰？
谁？ (Shéi) is a common interrogative pronoun meaning “who?” or “whom?”. Speakers use it to ask about a person's identity.
What does 谁？ (shéi?) mean?
谁？ (shéi?) means “who” in English.
When to use it
Neutral. It's a direct question. To ask “who is it?” in a common way, you can say 是谁？ (shì shéi?).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “SHAY.” Although often written as “shuí,” it is almost always pronounced “shéi” in everyday conversation, especially when asking “who is it?”
Other ways to say it
- 是谁？shì shéi?Who is it?
- 谁啊？shéi a?Who is it? (casual, with a particle)
- 谁呀？shéi ya?Who is it? (casual, with a particle)
Examples
谁？外面有人吗？
shéi? wàimiàn yǒu rén ma?
Who? Is there someone outside?
这是谁的书？
zhè shì shéi de shū?
Whose book is this?
谁想吃冰淇淋？
shéi xiǎng chī bīngqílín?
Who wants to eat ice cream?
Pro tip: Remember that while the pinyin is often written “shuí,” the actual pronunciation in most spoken contexts is “shéi.”
Related phrases
什么时候？ · When在哪里？ · Where怎么了？ · What's wrong
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →