谁

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Who" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 谁
Pinyin: shuí
Pronunciation: shuei

English Translation: Who

Usage:

"谁 (shuí)" is the most common way to say "who" in Chinese. It is used to ask questions about the identity of a person or people.

Example:

Chinese: 谁来了？
Pinyin: Shuí lái le?
English: Who came?

Variations:

There are a few variations of "谁 (shuí)" that you may hear:

哪个人 (nǎ ge rén): A more formal way to say "who", literally meaning "which person."
什么人 (shén me rén): A more informal way to say "who", literally meaning "what person."

Tips for Learning:

• Practice saying "谁 (shuí)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
• Listen to native Chinese speakers asking questions with "who" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
• Use "谁 (shuí)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.

Additional Notes:

• "谁 (shuí)" is typically used at the beginning of a question.
• To ask "who" in a negative question, you can use the phrase "谁不 (shuí bù)". For example: "谁不爱吃饺子？" (Shuí bù ài chī jiǎozi?) means "Who doesn't like to eat dumplings?"
• In some regions of China, people may also use "哪个 (nǎ ge)" to mean "who".

Example Sentences:

• 谁是你的老师？ (Shuí shì nǐ de lǎoshī?) - Who is your teacher?
• 你们班上谁学习最好？ (Nǐmen bān shàng shuí xuéxí zuì hǎo?) - Who is the best student in your class?
• 今天谁值日？ (Jīntiān shuí zhí rì?) - Who is on duty today?