だれですか？
dare desu ka?
The English phrase "who is this?" is translated into Japanese as だれですか？ (dare desu ka?)
This phrase is a question used to ask for the identity of a person. To make the sentence feel more complete and natural when identifying someone located near the speaker, you can use こちらはだれですか？
Which one should you use?
While だれですか？ is a common way to ask the question, you can use どなたですか？ to be much more polite and respectful. For casual situations, the informal version Kore wa dare? can be used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a much more polite and respectful tone, use どなたですか？ In informal settings, you may use Kore wa dare? Additionally, when speaking in formal settings, adding -san after a surname is a way to show politeness.
How do you pronounce it?
dare desu ka?
Did you know?
- When asking 'who is this?' to identify someone's role or position rather than their name, you might use the word nani instead of dare, even though it translates to 'what'.
- The word こちら ('this way/person') used in こちらはだれですか？ literally means 'this direction'. This reflects a cultural preference for indirectness, pointing toward a person rather than identifying them directly.
- In Japanese culture, asking だれですか? directly to someone's face can be perceived as aggressive or confrontational, as it places the person on the spot.
Examples in context
- 電話の相手はだれですか？Denwa no aite wa dare desu ka?Who is the person on the phone?
- 写真に写っているのはだれですか？Shashin ni utsutte iru no wa dare desu ka?Who is the person in the photo?
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are looking at a photo on a smartphone.
- 結衣 Yuiこの写真の人はだれですか？Kono shashin no hito wa dare desu ka?Who is the person in this photo?
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは僕の兄です。Sore wa boku no ani desu.That is my older brother.
- 結衣 Yuiとても優しそうな人ですね。Totemo yasashisou na hito desu ne.He looks like a very kind person.
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、とても優しいですよ。Hai, totemo yasashii desu yo.Yes, he is very kind.
