¿quién es?
The English phrase "who is this?" is translated into Spanish as ¿quién es?
The phrase ¿quién es? is used to ask for the identity of a person whose identity is not yet known. It can also be used to ask "who is it?" in situations such as when someone knocks on a door or calls you on the telephone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, it is common to ask "Who is speaking?" by using the phrase ¿Aló? ¿Quién habla?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking about more than one person, you should use the plural form ¿quiénes son?
Did you know?
- In highly formal Spanish, ¿quién es? can be replaced by ¿de quién se trata?, which literally asks 'whom is it about?'
- The accent mark on quién is only used when the word is asking a question or expressing strong emotion, not in general statements.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, simply asking ¿Quién es? when someone knocks on your door can sound slightly blunt or even suspicious, depending on the tone.
Examples in context
- Perdone, ¿quién es?Excuse me, who is this?
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking at a new photo on the phone.
- Lucía¿Quién es?Who is this?
- AlejandroEs un nuevo compañero de trabajo.He is a new coworker.
- LucíaParece simpático, Alejandro.He seems nice, Alejandro.
- AlejandroSí, es muy inteligente.Yes, he is very intelligent.
