我是谁？
Wǒ shì shéi?
The English phrase "who am I?" is translated into Chinese as 我是谁？ (Wǒ shì shéi?)
The phrase is used as a question when a person is asking for their own identity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 是 (am/is/are) and 谁 (who).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, you may commonly hear the variant 我是谁ㄚ? where the particle ㄚ replaces the Mandarin 啊. In Cantonese, the phrase 我係邊個? is used to mean "Who am I?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the word order in this question does not change. The subject and verb remain in the same position as a statement.
How do you pronounce it?
Wǒ shì shéi?
Did you know?
- While 我是谁？ asks about identity, the phrase 我是谁 can also be used in a rhetorical sense to express humility, implying 'I am nobody of importance'.
- In a very formal or poetic setting, such as a classical poem, the word for 'I' might change from 我 to 吾 (wú). This makes the question 'who am I?' sound ancient and dignified.
- In Cantonese, the word for 'who' 邊個 literally translates to 'which person', whereas the Mandarin 谁 is a single word for 'who'.
Examples in context
- 我是谁？Wǒ shì shuí?Who am I?
- 如果我失忆了，我该怎么知道我是谁？Rúguǒ wǒ shīyì le, wǒ gāi zěnme zhīdào wǒ shì shuí?If I lose my memory, how will I know who am I?
- 他在电影里问，我是谁？Tā zài diànyǐng lǐ wèn, wǒ shì shuí?In the movie, he asks, who am I?
Example conversation
A man has just woken up in a hospital with no memory.
- 浩然 Haoran请告诉我，我是谁？Qǐng gàosù wǒ, wǒ shì shuí?Please tell me, who am I?
- 佳怡 Jiayi你叫浩然，你是个医生。Nǐ jiào Hàorán, nǐ shì gè yīshēng.Your name is Haoran, and you are a doctor.
- 浩然 Haoran我真的完全不记得我是谁了。Wǒ zhēn de wánquán bù jìdé wǒ shì shuí le.I really don't remember who am I at all.
- 佳怡 Jiayi别担心，我会帮你回忆起来的。Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì bāng nǐ huíyì qǐlái de.Don't worry, I will help you remember.
