Who: meaning, definitions and examples

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who

[ huː ]

Pronoun / Noun / Interrogative pronoun

Oxford 3000

^{Context #1 | Pronoun}

used for asking or referring to which person or people

used when asking which person or people.

Synonyms

which person, whom, whose.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
who	Used as a subject when referring to a person doing an action. Who is going to the party? Who called me earlier?
whom	Used as an object when referring to a person receiving an action. Not commonly used in everyday conversation and might sound formal. To whom did you send the letter? Whom are you talking about?
which person	Used when you need to choose or identify a specific person from a group. Which person is in charge of the meeting? Can you tell me which person helped you?
whose	Used to show possession or association with a person. Whose book is this? Do you know whose car is parked outside?

Examples of usage

Who is that?
Who are you talking to?

^{Context #2 | Noun}

a person whose name one does not know or cannot recall

an unknown or unspecified person.

Synonyms

person, somebody, someone.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
who	Used in questions to ask about the identity of a person, or to introduce a dependent clause referring to a person. Not used as a standalone noun. Who is that? I don't know who he is.
somebody	Used informally to refer to an unspecified or unknown person. It can imply a sense of importance or particularity, often in casual conversation. Somebody left their bag here. Is somebody there?
someone	Also used to refer to an unspecified or unknown person. It is slightly more formal than 'somebody' and can be used in both casual and formal contexts. Someone called for you earlier. I need to talk to someone about this.
person	Refers to an individual human being. Used in formal and general contexts to talk about someone specifically. There is a person waiting for you. He is a very kind person.

Examples of usage

She's a real estate agent who helped us find our new home.
He's the one who called earlier.

^{Context #3 | Interrogative pronoun}

used for asking about someone's identity or asking for information about someone

used to ask about someone's identity or to request information about someone.

Synonyms

which person, whom, whose.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
who	Used to refer to a person or people in general. It is often used as the subject of a sentence or a clause. Who is that man standing over there? I don't know who left this package at my door.
which person	Used in questions to specify or identify a particular individual from among a group. Which person should we contact for more information? Can you tell me which person won the award?
whose	Possessive form used to ask about or identify to whom something belongs. Whose keys are these on the table? Do you know the girl whose cat ran away?
whom	Formal or written language to refer to the object of a verb or preposition. Often used in questions and relative clauses. To whom should I address this letter? The person whom I met yesterday was very helpful.

Examples of usage

Who is coming to the party?
Who won the game?

Translations

Translations of the word "who" in other languages:

🇵🇹 quem

🇮🇳 कौन

🇩🇪 wer

🇮🇩 siapa

🇺🇦 хто

🇵🇱 kto

🇯🇵 誰 (dare)

🇫🇷 qui

🇪🇸 quién

🇹🇷 kim

🇰🇷 누구 (nugu)

🇸🇦 من (man)

🇨🇿 kdo

🇸🇰 kto

🇨🇳 谁 (shéi)

🇸🇮 kdo

🇮🇸 hver

🇰🇿 кім

🇬🇪 ვინ (vin)

🇦🇿 kim

🇲🇽 quién

Etymology

The word 'who' originated from Old English 'hwa', which is of Germanic origin. It has been used in English for centuries to inquire about the identity of a person or to refer to an unknown or unspecified person. Over time, 'who' has become a fundamental interrogative pronoun in the English language, essential for asking questions about people's identities and seeking information about individuals.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25, this is one of the most fundamental words in English. It's absolutely essential to master this word as it forms the backbone of English communication and appears in almost every conversation or text.

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22 other
23 more
24 her
25 who
26 may
27 such
28 any
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