有人
yǒurén
In Chinese, 'someone' can be expressed in several ways depending on the context. The most common form is 有人 (yǒurén). Wiktionary also lists 某人 (mǒurén) and 誰 / 谁 (shéi, shuí).
Meaning: some person (pron)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 有人 | yǒurén |
| 某人 | mǒurén |
| 誰 / 谁 | shéi, shuí |
In Chinese, the way you say 'someone' depends on whether you are stating that a person exists or referring to a specific, unnamed individual.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 有人 literally translates to 'have person' or 'there is a person', while 某人 literally translates to 'certain person' or 'a certain someone'.
Which one should you use?
Use 有人 to state the existence of a person, such as saying 'someone is there'. In contrast, use 某人 when you are referring to a specific but unnamed individual, such as 'a certain someone'.
How do you pronounce it?
yǒurén
Did you know?
- The phonetic component in the character 誰 is 隹, which is a radical representing a 'short-tailed bird'.
- In casual speech, 某人 can be used with a hint of sarcasm or mystery, similar to how an English speaker might say 'a certain someone' while rolling their eyes.
- While 有人 is used to mean 'someone', the word 人 also appears in numerous Chinese idioms where it represents 'humanity' as a whole rather than a single person.
Examples in context
- 有人在門口。Someone is at the door.This sentence shows how to use 有人 to indicate someone's location.Tatoeba #3701722 by egg0073, translation #40433 by CK
- 有人在监视。Someone is watching.This sentence shows how to use 有人 to describe an action being performed by someone.Tatoeba #5091339 by mirrorvan, translation #2249982 by CK
- 那边有人吗？Is someone there?This sentence shows how to use 有人 to ask about the presence of a person.Tatoeba #5091361 by mirrorvan, translation #2248477 by CK
- Lǐ fūrén (李夫人)Mrs. Li
- Zhāng xiǎojiě (张小姐)Miss Zhang
- Nǐ hǎo (你好)Hi or Hello
- Wáng lǎobǎn (王老板)Boss Wang
- Lǐ gē (李哥)Brother Li
- 110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman and a man are walking in a park.
- 志强 Zhiqiang有人在树下坐着。Yǒurén zài shù xià zuòzhe.Someone is sitting under the tree.
- 梓涵 Zihan那是谁？Nà shì shuí?Who is that?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我不确定，我没看到他的脸。Wǒ bù quèdìng, wǒ méi kàndào tā de liǎn.I'm not sure, I didn't see his face.
- 梓涵 Zihan或许那个人在休息。Huòxǔ nàge rén zài xiūxí.Maybe that person is resting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “someone” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 誰, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
