Translation guide
In Japanese, 'who' is expressed differently depending on politeness level, grammatical role, and whether it refers to a subject, object, or possessive. Unlike English, pronouns are often omitted when clear from context, and names or titles are frequently used instead.
The learner wants to ask about a person's identity in a question.
The basic word for 'who'. Used in casual and neutral contexts. Can be made polite by adding ですか.
Polite form of 'who'. Used in formal situations or when showing respect.
Very polite form, often used when answering the phone or door.
The learner wants to say 'someone' or 'anyone' in a statement.
Means 'someone' or 'anyone'. Used in positive sentences and questions.
The learner wants to ask or state who something belongs to.
Means 'whose'. The particle の indicates possession.
Whose umbrella is this?
The learner should know that 'who' is often omitted when the subject is clear from context.
In Japanese, subjects are frequently dropped. If the person being discussed is obvious, you don't need to say 'who'.
The learner should use names or titles rather than pronouns when referring to people.
Instead of saying 'who is he?', it's more natural to ask 'who is that person?' or use a name/title if known.
Who is that gentleman/lady?
誰 (だれ) is the standard word for 'who'. どなた is the polite version, suitable for most formal situations. どちら様 is extremely polite and often used in service contexts or when addressing strangers on the phone.
Who did it? (casual)
Who is it? (polite)
失礼ですが、どちら様ですか。
Excuse me, but who is this? (very polite)
誰かがドアをノックした。
Someone knocked on the door.
Is anyone there?
With a negative verb, means 'no one'. With a positive verb, can mean 'everyone' (less common).
No one came.
Whose car is the fastest?
Who did you meet yesterday? - Tanaka-san.
Who came? (polite)
English speakers often overuse 'who' in Japanese. Remember that subjects are frequently omitted, and using names or titles is more natural than repeating 誰.