quién
/ˈkjen/
The Spanish word quien is a relative pronoun, though its interrogative form is quién.
Which one should you use?
The form with an accent mark, quién, is used for direct or indirect questions. In contrast, the form without an accent, quien, is used as a relative pronoun.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking about multiple people, the interrogative form quién changes to the plural quiénes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkjen/
Did you know?
- The word quién is a direct relative of the English word 'who' because both descended from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷos.
- The phrase quien sabe is often used as a conversational filler meaning 'who knows', but it can also function as a shrug of the shoulders in spoken form.
- While quién is used for people, Spanish uses the word qué to ask 'who' when asking for the identity of a person in a specific role, such as 'what is your father's job'.
Examples in context
- ¿Quién es usted?Who are you?
- Dime quién eres.Tell me who you are.
- ¿Quién es ella?Who is she?
- ¿Quiénes son ellos?Who are they?
- El hombre de quien te hablé está aquí.The man who I told you about is here.
- El cantante, quien había ensayado mucho, dio un gran concierto.The singer, who had rehearsed a lot, gave a great concert.
- ¿Quién es ese hombre?Who is that man?
- No sé quién llamó por teléfono.I don't know who called on the phone.
- ¿Quién quiere comer ahora?Who wants to eat now?
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at a party when a stranger approaches them.
- Daniel¿Quién es ella?Who is she?
- ElenaEs una amiga de la universidad.She is a friend from university.
- Daniel¿Quién te la presentó?Who introduced her to you?
- ElenaFue un compañero de clase.It was a classmate.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry quién, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quién, CC BY-SA 4.0.
