Usage note
谁是问人的词，意思是哪个人。
shuí shì wèn rén de cí， yì sī shì nǎ gè rén。
谁 is a question word for asking about a person.
Context note
谁常出现在提问和猜人名的时候。
shuí cháng chū xiàn zài tí wèn hé cāi rén míng de shí hòu。
谁 often appears in questions and when guessing a person's name.
5 examples
谁在门口？
shuí zài mén kǒu？
Who is at the door?
这是谁的书？
zhè shì shuí de shū？
Whose book is this?
你在找谁？
nǐ zài zhǎo shuí？
Who are you looking for?
谁来了？
shuí lái le？
Who came?
谁会帮我？
shuí huì bāng wǒ？
Who will help me?
5 mini stories
谁在唱歌？原来是姐姐。
shuí zài chàng gē？ yuán lái shì jiě jie。
Who is singing? It turns out to be my older sister.
老师问谁想读课文。我举手了。
lǎo shī wèn shuí xiǎng dú kè wén。 wǒ jǔ shǒu le。
The teacher asked who wanted to read the text. I raised my hand.
你在找谁？我可以帮你问一问。
nǐ zài zhǎo shuí？ wǒ kě yǐ bāng nǐ wèn yi wèn。
Who are you looking for? I can help ask.
门口是谁？妈妈说是快递叔叔。
mén kǒu shì shuí？ mā ma shuō shì kuài dì shū shu。
Who is at the door? Mom said it was the delivery man.
我不知道谁拿了我的橡皮。
wǒ bù zhī dào shuí ná le wǒ de xiàng pí。
I do not know who took my eraser.
Mini dialogue
谁在敲门？
A
谁在敲门？
Shéi zài qiāomén?
Who is knocking at the door?
B
是我，小明。
Shì wǒ, Xiǎomíng.
It's me, Xiaoming.
这是谁的书？
A
这是谁的书？
Zhè shì shéi de shū?
Whose book is this?
B
我不知道是谁的。
Wǒ bù zhīdào shì shéi de.
I don't know whose it is.
Related words and contrasts
related
谁的
shéi de
whose
谁 means who. Adding 的 makes it whose, to ask about ownership.
similar
什么人
shénme rén
what person; who (informal)
什么人 can also be used to ask who someone is, often in casual speech.