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.
Who is that person?
誰が来ますか。
Who will come?
Polite form of 'who'. Used in formal situations or when showing respect.
どなたですか。
Who is it? (polite)
Very polite form, often used when answering the phone or door.
失礼ですが、どちら様ですか。
Excuse me, but who is this? (very polite)
The learner wants to say 'someone' or 'anyone' in a statement.
Means 'someone' or 'anyone'. Used in positive sentences and questions.
誰かがドアをノックした。
Someone knocked on the door.
誰かいますか。
Is anyone there?
With a negative verb, means 'no one'. With a positive verb, can mean 'everyone' (less common).
誰も来なかった。
No one came.
The learner wants to ask or state who something belongs to.
Means 'whose'. The particle の indicates possession.
これは誰の傘ですか。
Whose umbrella is this?
誰の車が一番速いですか。
Whose car is the fastest?
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'.
昨日誰と会ったの？ ー田中さん。
Who did you meet yesterday? - Tanaka-san.
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.
あの方はどなたですか。
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.
誰がやったの？
Who did it? (casual)
どなたがいらっしゃいましたか。
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.