How to Say Who in Chinese (Whose and Whom)

‘Who’ in Chinese is shéi with the Chinese character 谁. This Chinese word for “who” generally refers to any person, regardless of gender or age. ‘Whose’ and ‘whom’ also use 谁 (shéi/shuí) but in different usage in a sentence. So 谁 (shéi/shuí) or ‘who’ in Chinese in a sentence can be a:

  • subject pronoun (who)
  • object pronoun (whom)
  • possessive pronoun (whose)

The intonation of the word ‘who’ in Chinese is an important factor to pay attention to when using 谁 (shéi/shuí). Depending on the intonation of the word, the person who can hear it can refer to different things. With its pronunciation and sound, learning to correctly use the word ‘who’ or 谁 (shéi/shuí) in Chinese is essential as it makes you communicate more effectively with native speakers.

Additionally, mastering this simple word can help you learn more complex sentence structures. Taking a Chinese course can help you understand the correct usage of the word ‘who’ or 谁 (shéi/shuí) and other Chinese words in context, like learning the interesting ways to say ‘How are you’ in Chinese, giving you a better grasp on the language. This article will teach you how to say 谁 (shéi/shuí) or ‘who’ in Chinese in different pronouns with example sentences or questions.

How to Say Who in Chinese with Different Pronouns

How to Say Who without Subject Pronoun

How to Say Who with Subject Pronoun

How to Say Whose in Chinese

Learning to say ‘whose’ in Chinese is essential to mastering the language. It signifies ownership of belonging to a person and uses two characters; 谁 (shéi/shuí), which means ‘who’, and 的 (de), which means ‘of’. The phrase ‘whose’ could be translated as 谁的 (shéi de). You may come across different ways to express the notion of possession. It can be a possessive pronoun or possessive adjective/determiner.

‘Whose’ is a possessive pronoun if there is no noun.

‘Whose’ is a possessive adjective/determiner if there is a noun.

How to say Whose using Possessive Pronoun

How to say Whose using Possessive Adjective Pronoun

How to Say Whom in Chinese

‘Whom’ in Chinese can refer to a person of either gender and can also be used as a placeholder when referring to an unknown person. ‘Whom’ is an object pronoun, as it refers to an object of a sentence.

People prefer using ‘who’ over ‘whom’ because it is simpler and easier to understand. However, using ‘whom’ can be seen as a sign of respect and politeness in many situations, so it is important to consider the context in which you are speaking or writing. Additionally, in many cases, the distinction between ‘who’ and ‘whom’ is not important; therefore, people tend to use the less formal ‘who.’ Furthermore, in some languages—including Chinese—the distinction between the subject and object pronoun is not as clear, making ‘who’ the more natural choice.

To say ‘whom’ in Chinese, use 谁 (shéi/shuí).

Conclusion

Knowing how to say ‘who’ in Chinese and its related words can help you communicate more effectively with native speakers. Depending on the context, it is essential to use the correct pronoun when speaking or writing; otherwise, people may need help understanding what you are trying to say. Learning about the different meanings of ‘who’ and the intonation used in Chinese is essential to use the word correctly.

You can improve your Chinese language skills by mastering this simple word and its related forms, like ‘whose’ and ‘whom’. Getting this simple word can also help you learn more complex sentence structures and gain a better understanding. The help of a Chinese teacher when taking a Mandarin course online will help you understand the language overall.

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