About
The character "谁", meaning "who", originates from the traditional form "誰", a phonetic-semantic compound consisting of the semantic component "言" (speech) and the phonetic component "隹". This structure reflects its initial association with verbal inquiry, as it functioned as an interrogative pronoun in classical Chinese, where it could occasionally be used in broader questioning contexts beyond merely identifying persons. Over time, its meaning narrowed to specifically denote "who" in modern Mandarin, while retaining its core interrogative function. The simplified form "谁" replaces the semantic "言" with the abbreviated radical "讠", maintaining the phonetic element "隹" from the traditional construction.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是谁的书？
谁想去公园玩？
刚才谁给你打电话了？
这件事到底是谁做的？
谁知道明天会不会下雨呢？
不管是谁，都要遵守规则。
你猜我在街上遇到谁了？
谁也无法预料未来的事情。