quien
/ˈkjen/
The English phrase 'whom' is translated into Spanish as quien. Wiktionary also lists cuyo.
Meaning: relative pronoun (object) (pron)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| quien | /ˈkjen/ /kjen/ |
| cuyo | /ˈkuʝo/ |
quien is used as a relative pronoun. While quien refers to people, the form cuyo is used as a possessive relative pronoun to mean 'whose'.
Which one should you use?
The form quien is used as a relative pronoun. In contrast, the form with an accent, quién, is used for direct or indirect questions and exclamations. The form cuyo functions as 'whose' and must agree in gender and number with the noun it precedes rather than the person it refers to.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form quien must agree in number with the person it refers to, becoming quienes for plural antecedents.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkjen/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use quien to refer to inanimate objects. However, in Spanish, quien is strictly reserved for people.
Did you know?
- The word quien shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'who' through the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷís.
- While the English 'whom' is often viewed as formal or stuffy, using quien in Spanish is simply a matter of grammatical correctness for people.
- The word cuyo functions as a determiner in Spanish, meaning it cannot stand alone and must always be followed by a noun.
Examples in context
- Estudia con quien quieras.Study with whom you want to study.Tatoeba #5950054 by arh, translation #10284522 by LimeGreenTeknii
- ¿Quién se burlará de quien?Who will outwit whom?Tatoeba #6074951 by albrusgher, translation #5752195 by CM
- Es a Tom a quien quiero ver.It is Tom whom I want to see.Tatoeba #2104906 by Shishir, translation #22593 by gin
- No sé a quién llamar para el trabajo.I don't know whom to call for the job.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about a new coworker.
- SofíaÉl es el chico de quien te hablé.He is the boy whom I told you about.
- JavierAh, sí. ¿Y cómo es él?Oh, yes. And what is he like?
- SofíaEs la persona a quien más admiro.He is the person whom I admire the most.
- JavierEntonces quiero conocerlo pronto.Then I want to meet him soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whom” translations and entries quien, cuyo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuyo, quien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
