Basic Usage
"谁" (shéi) is a fundamental interrogative pronoun in Mandarin Chinese used to ask about a person or people. It directly translates to "who" in English and is commonly used in questions to inquire about identity.
Common Contexts
It appears in simple questions like "谁来了？" (Who came?) and in possessive questions such as "这是谁的书？" (Whose book is this?). It can also be used in more complex sentences to ask about responsibility or roles, e.g., "你知道谁负责这个项目吗？" (Do you know who is responsible for this project?).
Collocations and Patterns
- 谁 + Verb: To ask who performs an action (e.g., 谁来了？ - Who came?)
- 这是谁的 + Noun: To ask about possession (e.g., 这是谁的书？ - Whose book is this?)
- 知道 + 谁 + Verb: To inquire about the person involved in an action or role (e.g., 你知道谁负责吗？ - Do you know who is responsible?)
When using "谁," it is important to note that it usually appears at the beginning of a question or clause and is not used as a subject in declarative sentences. Avoid confusing "谁" with "什么" (what), which asks about things rather than people.