How To Say “Who?” In Chinese.
Question words become powerful very quickly because they combine with everything learners already know. 谁 is a perfect beginner example: one simple block that lets you ask who someone is, who is going, who wants something, and more.
10-Second Listening Challenge
Our podcasts are designed to teach usable, scenario-based Chinese. Try listening to these sample phrases related to this topic to see how native Chinese sounds in daily conversation:
他是谁？
Tā shì shéi?
Who is he?
谁要咖啡？
Shéi yào kāfēi?
Who wants coffee?
这是谁的朋友？
Zhè shì shéi de péngyǒu?
Whose friend is this?
Simple and Useful
谁 is short, frequent, and useful in everyday questions about people, actions, and identity.
Combines Fast
It works well with early verbs and sentence frames, so learners can expand it into many useful questions quickly.
Conversation Ready
Because it is naturally dialog-based, 谁 works especially well in audio lessons and replayable exchanges.
What Makes A Good Early Question Word
Less Useful Teaching
- Presents the word in isolation only
- Does not show the combination payoff
- Keeps explanation abstract
More Useful Teaching
- Shows real spoken questions immediately
- Connects the word to prior sentence blocks
- Emphasizes conversation over definition
Start With the Free Lessons
Start with the public units if you want to see how Speak1000 teaches spoken Chinese through listening, transcript support, and reusable sentence building.
Best For
- Beginners learning people-related question patterns
- Learners who want quick combinational payoff
- People studying practical spoken Chinese
Related Guides
Where in Chinese
Learn how to say where in Chinese and use location questions in simple beginner conversations.
Survival Chinese Phrases
A beginner guide to core spoken Chinese phrases that are immediately useful in daily life.
Beginner Chinese Podcast
Podcast-style Chinese lessons with transcript and speaking payoff.