Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 啥人 | shárén | ||
| 何人 | hérén | /xɤ³⁵ ɻən³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /hɔː²¹ jɐn²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 誰人 / 谁人 | shéirén, shuírén | ||
| 阿誰 / 阿谁 | āshéi, āshuí | ||
| 啥人 | siáⁿ-lâng | /siã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ laŋ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Yilan, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese, Sanxia) /siã⁴²⁻²⁴ laŋ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Yilan, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Sanxia) |
Hokkien |
| 誰 / 谁 | sûi, chûi, chūi, cho̍ah, chiâ, chôa, tiâng, siáng, siâng | Hokkien | |
| 啥物人 | siáⁿ-mih-lâng, siáⁿ-mí-lâng, sáng-n̂g, siàng-n̂g | Hokkien | |
| 甚物人 | sím-mih-lâng | Hokkien | |
| 是誰 / 是谁 | chī-chūi, sī-sûi | Hokkien | |
| 底人 | tī-lâng | /ti²²⁻²¹ laŋ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /ti²¹⁻²¹³ laŋ¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Longyan, Longyan) |
Hokkien |
Depending on the dialect and level of formality, you can use different terms to ask "who". In Mandarin, you can use 是誰 (shì shuí) to specifically ask "is who?" or 誰人 (shuírén) to ask "who/which person". In Hokkien, 啥人 (siáⁿ-lâng) is a standard way to ask for an identity, while 啥物人 (siáⁿ-mih-lâng) and 甚物人 (sím-mih-lâng) are also used.
What does it mean word for word?
The Hokkien form 啥人 (siáⁿ-lâng) is literally composed of the words for "what" (啥) and "person" (人).
Which one should you use?
In Hokkien, 啥人 (siáⁿ-lâng) is a common and colloquial way to say "who" or "what person", whereas the form 誰 (various romanizations) is considered more formal. In Mandarin, 何人 (hérén) is a formal or literary way to say "who" or "which person".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal and polite way to say "who" in Mandarin, especially when addressing people of higher status or during formal introductions, use 哪位 (nǎ wèi). In Hokkien, 啥人 (siáⁿ-lâng) is more colloquial, while 誰 (various romanizations) is more formal. In Mandarin, 何人 (hérén) serves a formal or literary register.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form сый (sɨy) is used in Dungan. In Hokkien, several forms exist such as 啥人 (siáⁿ-lâng), 啥物人 (siáⁿ-mih-lâng), 甚物人 (sím-mih-lâng) and 底人 (tī-lâng).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Mandarin, to ask the specific question "Who is [it]?", you should use the structure 是誰 (shì shuí) or 是谁 (shì shéi).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 啥人 is siáⁿ-lâng and the IPA is /siã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ laŋ²⁴/.
Did you know?
- The Dungan language, spoken by the Hui people in Central Asia, uses the form сый to ask 'who'.
- The traditional character for 誰 contains the radical for 'speak' (言) and the character for 'long-tailed bird' (隹).
- While 誰 is the standard word for 'who', the polite Mandarin alternative 哪位 (nǎ wèi) literally means 'which position' or 'which guest'.
Examples in context
- 下跪何人？報上名來。Who is kneeling down [before me]? Declare [your] name to [me].This sentence is useful for practicing the form 何人.
- 啥人曉得今朝夜裏停電？Who had known that there will be a blackout tonight?This sentence is useful for practicing the form 啥人.
- Tā shì shéi? (他是谁?)Who is he/she?
- Nàge rén shì shéi? (那个人是谁?)Who is that person?
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Wei are looking at a photo together.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen這張相片裡是啥人？tsit-tiáng siàng-piàn lǐ sī siá-lâng?Who is in this photo?
- 伟 Wei那是我的老同學。nà sī góa ê lāu tâng-ha̍k.That is my old classmate.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他現在住啥位？tā hiàn-tsài tsù siá-uī?Where does he live now?
- 伟 Wei他搬去台北了。tā pân-khì Tâi-péi liáu.He moved to Taipei.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “who” translations and entries 啥人, 何人, 啥人, 底人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 誰, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
