What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你是谁？ breaks down literally as "you (你) are (是) who (谁)?"
Which one should you use?
你是哪位？ is a more polite way to ask for someone's identity, often used in formal settings or over the phone (meaning "Which one are you?" or "May I ask who is calling?"). In extremely formal situations, one might use 敢问您尊姓大名？ to ask for someone's full name.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the question more respectful when addressing elders or superiors, you can use the honorific 您 (nín) instead of 你 (nǐ), resulting in 您是谁？ In informal, relaxed conversations, you might add a particle at the end to say 你是谁啊？ For a very polite way to approach a stranger in a formal setting, use 请问您是？
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the word order in a question remains the same as a statement. Unlike English, you do not need to invert the subject and the verb to form the question.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ shì shéi?
Did you know?
- When using the most formal phrase 敢问您尊姓大名？, the word 敢 literally means 'dare'. The speaker is essentially saying 'Do I dare ask your honorable name?'
- In Chinese culture, asking someone's identity often begins with their relationship to a third party, as asking 你是谁？ directly can feel too abrupt and intrusive.
- The word 谁 (shéi) is widely written the same way but pronounced as shuí in many regions and contexts, making it one of the most common pronunciation variations in Mandarin.
Examples in context
- 请问，你是谁？Qǐngwèn, nǐ shì shuí?Excuse me, who are you?
- 打扰了，你是谁？Dǎrǎo le, nǐ shì shuí?Sorry to bother you, who are you?
Example conversation
A man is standing at a woman's apartment door late at night.
- 梓涵 Zihan你是谁？Nǐ shì shuí?Who are you?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我是你的新邻居。Wǒ shì nǐ de xīn línjū.I am your new neighbor.
- 梓涵 Zihan哦，你好。Ò, nǐ hǎo.Oh, hello.
- 志强 Zhiqiang很高兴认识你。Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.Nice to meet you.
