For autodidact students of Mandarin, the question word 谁 (shéi) — "who" — follows the same in-situ rule established in Lesson 27 for 什么: it stays in the position where the answer would go, never moving to the front of the sentence. 是谁打电话？(Who-is phoned? = Who called?) rather than *谁是打电话. This positional stability is the defining feature of all Chinese question words.
Beyond its interrogative role, 谁 has important non-interrogative uses: 谁都 (anyone/everyone, Lesson 39), 谁也不 (no one), and the correlative 谁…谁… (whoever…[then]…) pattern. These uses transform a question word into a universal quantifier — one of Chinese grammar's most elegant devices.
Key Takeaways: - 谁 (shéi): who — stays IN POSITION, never moves to front - 是谁 (shì shéi): who is it — the standard "who" with copula - 谁的 (shéi de): whose - 谁都 (shéi dōu): everyone / anyone - 谁也不 (shéi yě bù): no one - 谁…谁… (shéi…shéi…): whoever…then that person…
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谁 is composed of 讠(the speech radical) on the left and 隹 (zhuī, a short-tailed bird) on the right as phonetic component. The speech radical signals that this is a word of verbal communication; the bird component provides the sound. 谁 is one of the characters learners recognise early — high frequency, distinctive shape, instantly useful.
Alternative pronunciation: 谁 is officially listed as shéi (2nd tone) but is also widely pronounced as shuí (2nd tone) — both are standard. In Beijing speech and formal Mandarin, shéi predominates; in southern and literary contexts, shuí is sometimes heard. The learner need only produce shéi.
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41.1a 这 this 是 is 谁 whose 的 DE 书 book ？
41.1b (zhè) this (shì) is (shéi) whose (de) DE (shū) book?
41.2a 你 you 认识 know-ACQUAINT 他 him 吗 Q ？ 他是 he-is 谁 who ？
41.2b (nǐ) you (rènshi) know-ACQUAINT (tā) him (ma) Q? (tā shì) he-is (shéi) who?
41.3a 谁 who 来 came 了 PERF ？
41.3b (shéi) who (lái) came (le) PERF?
41.4a 谁 who 都 all 可以 can 参加 attend 这个 this-CL 活动 event
41.4b (shéi) who (dōu) all (kěyǐ) can (cānjiā) attend (zhège) this-CL (huódòng) event
41.5a 你 you 在 PROG 等 waiting 谁 who ？
41.5b (nǐ) you (zài) PROG (děng) waiting (shéi) who?
41.6a 这 this 件事 matter 谁 no-one 都 all 不 not 知道 know
41.6b (zhè) this (jiàn shì) matter (shéi) no-one (dōu) all (bù) not (zhīdào) know
41.7a 谁 whoever 先 first 到 arrive ， , 谁 that-person 就 then 先 first 选 choose
41.7b (shéi) whoever (xiān) first (dào) arrive (shéi) that-person (jiù) then (xiān) first (xuǎn) choose
41.8a 我 I 不知道 not-know 是 is 谁 who 说 said 的 DE 这句话 this-sentence
41.8b (wǒ) I (bù zhīdào) not-know (shì) is (shéi) who (shuō) said (de) DE (zhè jù huà) this-sentence
41.9a 你 you 喜欢 like 谁 who ？
41.9b (nǐ) you (xǐhuan) like (shéi) who?
41.10a 是 is 谁 who 教 taught 你 you 的 DE 中文 Chinese ？
41.10b (shì) is (shéi) who (jiāo) taught (nǐ) you (de) DE (Zhōngwén) Chinese?
41.11a 谁 who 也 also 不 not 能 can 代替 replace 你 you
41.11b (shéi) who (yě) also (bù) not (néng) can (dàitì) replace (nǐ) you [= no one can replace you]
41.12a 这 this 首 CL-song 歌 song 是 is 谁 who 写 wrote 的 DE ？
41.12b (zhè) this (shǒu) CL-song (gē) song (shì) is (shéi) who (xiě) wrote (de) DE?
41.13a 告诉 tell 我 me ， , 你 you 最 most 爱 love 谁 who ？
41.13b (gàosu) tell (wǒ) me (nǐ) you (zuì) most (ài) love (shéi) who?
41.14a 谁 whoever 努力 hardworking ， , 谁 that-person 就 then 能 can 成功 succeed
41.14b (shéi) whoever (nǔlì) hardworking (shéi) that-person (jiù) then (néng) can (chénggōng) succeed
41.15a 不管 no-matter 是 is 谁 who ， , 都 all 要 must 遵守 abide-by 规则 rules
41.15b (bù guǎn) no-matter (shì) is (shéi) who (dōu) all (yào) must (zūnshǒu) abide-by (guīzé) rules
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41.1 这是谁的书？ "Whose book is this?"
41.2 你认识他吗？他是谁？ "Do you know him? Who is he?"
41.3 谁来了？ "Who came?"
41.4 谁都可以参加这个活动。 "Anyone can attend this event."
41.5 你在等谁？ "Who are you waiting for?"
41.6 这件事谁都不知道。 "No one knows about this matter."
41.7 谁先到，谁就先选。 "Whoever arrives first gets to choose first."
41.8 我不知道是谁说的这句话。 "I don't know who said this."
41.9 你喜欢谁？ "Who do you like?"
41.10 是谁教你的中文？ "Who taught you Chinese?"
41.11 谁也不能代替你。 "No one can replace you."
41.12 这首歌是谁写的？ "Who wrote this song?"
41.13 告诉我，你最爱谁？ "Tell me — who do you love most?"
41.14 谁努力，谁就能成功。 "Whoever works hard can succeed."
41.15 不管是谁，都要遵守规则。 "No matter who it is, everyone must abide by the rules."
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41.1 这是谁的书？ 41.2 你认识他吗？他是谁？ 41.3 谁来了？ 41.4 谁都可以参加这个活动。 41.5 你在等谁？ 41.6 这件事谁都不知道。 41.7 谁先到，谁就先选。 41.8 我不知道是谁说的这句话。 41.9 你喜欢谁？ 41.10 是谁教你的中文？ 41.11 谁也不能代替你。 41.12 这首歌是谁写的？ 41.13 告诉我，你最爱谁？ 41.14 谁努力，谁就能成功。 41.15 不管是谁，都要遵守规则。
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These are the grammar rules for 谁 (shéi) — "who":
In-situ positioning: Like all Chinese question words, 谁 stays where the answer would be. In 这是谁的书？(This is whose book?), 谁的 sits where the answer (我的, 他的, etc.) would go. In 你在等谁？(You are waiting for who?), 谁 occupies the object position. This positioning is identical for subject, object, and possessive roles.
谁 as subject: 谁来了？(Who came?) — 谁 is the grammatical subject.
谁 as object: 你在等谁？(You are waiting for who?) — 谁 is the object.
谁的 — "whose": 这是谁的书？(This is whose book?). 谁的 functions like any other possessive: pronoun (谁) + 的.
是…谁…的 — the identity passive: 是谁说的？(Who said it?) — the 是…的 structure for identifying past actions (Lesson 32) with 谁 as the information being sought.
谁都 / 谁也 — universal patterns: - 谁都可以 (anyone can) — positive universal - 谁都不知道 (no one knows) — universal negative with 都 - 谁也不能 (no one can) — universal negative with 也
谁…谁… — correlative "whoever": 谁先到，谁就先选 (Whoever arrives first, that person chooses first). The first 谁 sets the condition; the second 谁 refers to that same person in the consequence. The 就 marks the automatic result. This is the same pattern as 什么…就…什么 (Lesson 27).
Common Mistakes: - Moving 谁 to the front: *谁你在等？— wrong; must be 你在等谁？ - Adding 吗 with 谁: *你在等谁吗？— redundant; 谁 already makes it a question - Confusing 谁也不 (no one) with 谁都不 — both are correct: 谁也不知道 = 谁都不知道
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谁最爱你 (who loves you most) is a question woven into Chinese family culture. The answer — 爸爸妈妈最爱你 (Dad and Mum love you most) — is one of the first complete sentences Chinese children learn. The question 谁 in family discourse is not neutral information-seeking but an affirmation ritual: the child asks who, the parent answers with love, and the circuit of belonging is confirmed. Grammar and emotional security are the same thing.
谁都知道 (everyone knows) is a rhetorical device for asserting obvious truth — used in arguments, in journalism, in everyday speech. Its implicit force is: "This is so obvious that universal knowledge of it proves its truth." The question word used as universal quantifier becomes a warrant for claims.
不管是谁 (no matter who) — the universal concessive — underpins Chinese legal and ethical reasoning. Laws apply 不管是谁; rules bind 谁都. The Confucian principle 王子犯法，与庶民同罪 (If a prince breaks the law, his punishment is the same as a commoner's) is a 不管是谁 principle: the rule ignores the person.
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《诗经·国风·邶风·击鼓》— Book of Songs, Ode 34: Beating the Drum, c. 11th-7th century BCE
One of the earliest and most beautiful promises in Chinese literature — a soldier in the field swears to his love:
死生契阔，与子成说。执子之手，与子偕老。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
死生 (sǐ shēng) death-life 契阔 (qì kuò) far-apart ，
与 (yǔ) with 子 (zǐ) you 成 (chéng) make 说 (shuō) vow 。
执 (zhí) hold 子 (zǐ) your 之 (zhī) GEN 手 (shǒu) hand ，
与 (yǔ) with 子 (zǐ) you 偕 (xié) together 老 (lǎo) grow-old
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
死生契阔，与子成说。执子之手，与子偕老。
"Whether in death or in life, whether near or far apart — I made a vow with you. I hold your hand, and with you I will grow old."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
死生契阔，与子成说。执子之手，与子偕老。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
与子偕老 (yǔ zǐ xié lǎo): "with you grow old together" — 与 (with, classical form of 跟/和) + 子 (you, classical second-person respectful pronoun) + 偕 (together) + 老 (grow old). This phrase — 执子之手，与子偕老 — has become the most quoted wedding vow in Chinese, cited in speeches, printed on cards, carved in stone.
The 谁 connection: this poem never uses 谁, yet it answers the question this lesson asks. 谁最爱你？Who loves you most? The soldier answers: I do, so completely that I will hold your hand across death and life. 谁 is the question; 执子之手 is the answer that transcends grammar.
F-E: Literary Commentary
The Book of Songs is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry — the Confucian canon's first book. This ode about a soldier who cannot keep his vow (the battle separates him) asks 谁 implicitly: Who promised? He did. Who failed? Fate did. Who remains constant? The vow does. The question 谁 reaches for persons; in this poem it finds something beyond persons — a commitment that persists when the person cannot. 谁最爱你 is answered not by naming someone but by this: 执子之手，与子偕老.
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A short mystery narrative: a gift appears anonymously in an office. Everyone wonders 是谁？The structure of 谁-questions drives the plot — each paragraph pushes the question forward until the answer arrives.
41.16a 办公室 office 里 inside 突然 suddenly 出现 appeared 了 PERF 一束 one-CL 花 flowers ， , 谁 no-one 都 all 不知道 not-know 是 is 谁 who 放 placed 的 DE
41.16b (bàngōngshì lǐ) office-inside (tūrán) suddenly (chūxiàn) appeared (le) PERF (yī shù) one-CL (huā) flowers (shéi) no-one (dōu) all (bù zhīdào) not-know (shì) is (shéi) who (fàng) placed (de) DE
41.17a 大家 everyone 问 asked ： : "这 this 是 is 谁 whose 的 DE ？ 是 is 谁 who 送 sent 的 DE ？"
41.17b (dàjiā) everyone (wèn) asked (zhè) this (shì) is (shéi) whose (de) DE? (shì) is (shéi) who (sòng) sent (de) DE?
41.18a 小王 Xiao-Wang 问 asked 小李 Xiao-Li ： : "是 is 谁 who 叫 asked 你 you 把 BA 花 flowers 放 place 在 at 这里 here 的 DE ？"**
41.18b (Xiǎo Wáng) Xiao-Wang (wèn) asked (Xiǎo Lǐ) Xiao-Li (shì) is (shéi) who (jiào) asked (nǐ) you (bǎ) BA (huā) flowers (fàng) place (zài) at (zhèlǐ) here (de) DE?
41.19a 小李 Xiao-Li 说 said ： : "谁 no-one 也 also 没 not-PAST 叫 asked 我 me ， , 我 I 也 also 不知道 not-know 是 is 谁 who 放 placed 的 DE 。"
41.19b (Xiǎo Lǐ) Xiao-Li (shuō) said (shéi) no-one (yě) also (méi) not-PAST (jiào) asked (wǒ) me (wǒ) I (yě) also (bù zhīdào) not-know (shì) is (shéi) who (fàng) placed (de) DE
41.20a 经理 manager 走 walked 过来 over 问 asked ： : "谁 who 知道 knows 这 this 是 is 怎么回事 how-happened ？"**
41.20b (jīnglǐ) manager (zǒu guòlái) walked-over (wèn) asked (shéi) who (zhīdào) knows (zhè) this (shì) is (zěnme huí shì) how-happened?
41.21a 谁 no-one 都 all 摇摇头 shook-head
41.21b (shéi) no-one (dōu) all (yáoyáo tóu) shook-head
41.22a 然后 then 老张 Lao-Zhang 小声 quietly 说 said ： : "我 I 好像 seems 知道 know 是 is 谁 who 。"
41.22b (ránhòu) then (Lǎo Zhāng) Lao-Zhang (xiǎo shēng) quietly (shuō) said (wǒ) I (hǎoxiàng) seems (zhīdào) know (shì) is (shéi) who
41.23a 大家 everyone 都 all 看 looked 向 toward 他 him ： : "是 is 谁 who ？"**
41.23b (dàjiā) everyone (dōu) all (kàn) looked (xiàng) toward (tā) him (shì) is (shéi) who?
41.24a "是 is 老陈 Lao-Chen 。 今天 today 是 is 她 her 生日 birthday ， , 谁 no-one 都 all 忘了 forgot ， , 但 but 她 she 没 not 怪 blame 任何人 anyone 。"**
41.24b (shì) is (Lǎo Chén) Lao-Chen (jīntiān) today (shì) is (tā) her (shēngrì) birthday (shéi) no-one (dōu) all (wàng le) forgot (dàn) but (tā) she (méi) not (guài) blame (rènhérén) anyone
41.25a "她 she 自己 self 送了 gave-PERF 自己 self 一束花 one-CL-flowers 。"
41.25b (tā) she (zìjǐ) self (sòng le) gave-PERF (zìjǐ) self (yī shù huā) one-CL-flowers
41.26a 办公室 office 里 inside 安静 quiet 了 PERF 一下 a-moment
41.26b (bàngōngshì lǐ) office-inside (ānjìng) quiet (le) PERF (yīxià) a-moment
41.27a 然后 then 谁 everyone 都 all 站 stood 起来 up ， , 走 walked 向 toward 老陈 Lao-Chen 的 DE 位置 seat
41.27b (ránhòu) then (shéi) everyone (dōu) all (zhàn) stood (qǐlái) up (zǒu) walked (xiàng) toward (Lǎo Chén) Lao-Chen (de) DE (wèizhi) seat
41.28a 小王 Xiao-Wang 说 said ： : "对不起 sorry ， , 是 is 我们 we 忘了 forgot-PERF 。"
41.28b (Xiǎo Wáng) Xiao-Wang (shuō) said (duìbuqǐ) sorry (shì) is (wǒmen) we (wàng le) forgot-PERF
41.29a 老陈 Lao-Chen 笑了 smiled-PERF ： : "没关系 no-matter ， , 谁 anyone 都 all 会 can 忘事 forget-things 的 PART 。"
41.29b (Lǎo Chén) Lao-Chen (xiào le) smiled-PERF (méi guānxi) no-matter (shéi) anyone (dōu) all (huì) can (wàng shì) forget-things (de) PART
41.30a 那束花 that-CL-flowers ， , 谁 everyone 都 all 觉得 felt 是 is 送给 given-to 自己 self 的 DE
41.30b (nà shù huā) that-CL-flowers (shéi) everyone (dōu) all (juéde) felt (shì) is (sòng gěi) given-to (zìjǐ) self (de) DE
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41.16 办公室里突然出现了一束花，谁都不知道是谁放的。 "A bunch of flowers suddenly appeared in the office — no one knew who had placed them."
41.17 大家问："这是谁的？是谁送的？" "Everyone asked: 'Whose is this? Who sent it?'"
41.18 小王问小李："是谁叫你把花放在这里的？" "Xiao Wang asked Xiao Li: 'Who asked you to put the flowers here?'"
41.19 小李说："谁也没叫我，我也不知道是谁放的。" "Xiao Li said: 'No one asked me — I don't know who placed them either.'"
41.20 经理走过来问："谁知道这是怎么回事？" "The manager walked over: 'Who knows what happened here?'"
41.21 谁都摇摇头。 "Everyone shook their heads."
41.22 然后老张小声说："我好像知道是谁。" "Then Lao Zhang said quietly: 'I think I know who it is.'"
41.23 大家都看向他："是谁？" "Everyone looked at him: 'Who?'"
41.24 "是老陈。今天是她生日，谁都忘了，但她没怪任何人。" "'It's Lao Chen. Today is her birthday — everyone forgot, but she didn't blame anyone.'"
41.25 "她自己送了自己一束花。" "'She gave herself a bunch of flowers.'"
41.26 办公室里安静了一下。 "The office fell quiet for a moment."
41.27 然后谁都站起来，走向老陈的位置。 "Then everyone stood up and walked toward Lao Chen's desk."
41.28 小王说："对不起，是我们忘了。" "Xiao Wang said: 'Sorry — we forgot.'"
41.29 老陈笑了："没关系，谁都会忘事的。" "Lao Chen smiled: 'It's fine — anyone can forget things.'"
41.30 那束花，谁都觉得是送给自己的。 "That bunch of flowers — everyone felt it had been given to them."
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41.16 办公室里突然出现了一束花，谁都不知道是谁放的。 41.17 大家问："这是谁的？是谁送的？" 41.18 小王问小李："是谁叫你把花放在这里的？" 41.19 小李说："谁也没叫我，我也不知道是谁放的。" 41.20 经理走过来问："谁知道这是怎么回事？" 41.21 谁都摇摇头。 41.22 然后老张小声说："我好像知道是谁。" 41.23 大家都看向他："是谁？" 41.24 "是老陈。今天是她生日，谁都忘了，但她没怪任何人。" 41.25 "她自己送了自己一束花。" 41.26 办公室里安静了一下。 41.27 然后谁都站起来，走向老陈的位置。 41.28 小王说："对不起，是我们忘了。" 41.29 老陈笑了："没关系，谁都会忘事的。" 41.30 那束花，谁都觉得是送给自己的。
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谁都摇摇头 (shéi dōu yáoyáo tóu): "everyone shook their heads" — 谁都 here means "everyone" in the universal positive sense. The action 摇摇头 (shake head briefly — reduplicated verb, Lesson 34) applies universally. This alternation of 谁都 between "no one" (with negation) and "everyone" (without negation) is context-dependent: 谁都不知道 = no one knows; 谁都知道 = everyone knows.
是谁叫你…的 (shì shéi jiào nǐ…de): The 是…的 structure identifying a past action, with 谁 as the information being sought. 叫 (jiào) here means "to ask/instruct" — a causative: 谁叫你做这件事 (who told you to do this thing?). This causative 叫 is distinct from 叫 meaning "to be called/named."
那束花，谁都觉得是送给自己的 (41.30): A remarkable sentence. The flowers — originally sent by one person to herself — end up feeling like they were sent to everyone. 谁都 (everyone) + 觉得 (felt) + 是送给自己的 (were given to oneself). The act of forgetting someone's birthday and their generous, wordless response transformed a personal gesture into a collective gift. 谁 as universal: the flowers belonged to whoever needed them.
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谁 (shéi) — IPA: /ʂeɪ̯˧˥/ — Second tone, rising.
sh: retroflex sibilant [ʂ] — tongue curled to hard palate, producing friction. The same initial as 说 (shuō), 什么 (shénme), 是 (shì).
éi: diphthong beginning with mid-front [e] and closing toward [ɪ]. The pitch rises from mid to high throughout the second tone.
Alternative: shuí [ʂueɪ̯˧˥] — adds a rounded [u] glide before the main vowel. Both are correct; shéi is more common in standard Mandarin.
谁 vs 水 (shuǐ, water): same consonant cluster and similar vowels, but 谁 is second tone (rising) while 水 is third tone (dipping). Also: 水 has the u glide standard in modern usage.
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