谁 (shéi/shuí) — who
Definition
谁 asks about a person (who, whose). Use 哪个 when asking which one among a group of people or things.
pronoun
who
Examples
- 谁？shéi/shuí Shì nǐ de lǎo shī?Who is your teacher?
- 谁？Nǐ zhǎo shéi/shuí?Who are you looking for?
- 谁？Zhè shì shéi/shuí de māo?Whose cat is this?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 誰; 谁 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī誰shuí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The form 誰 pairs 言 (speak) with 隹, which supplies the sound; this shape is described for 誰, not 谁.
Grammar
Appears in
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